STATEMENT OF STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
http://www.bc.edu/offices/odsd/services/guide/behavioralpolicies/
All student members of the Boston College community have certain rights. These
include:
The right to learn, which includes the right of access to ideas, the right
of access to facts and opinions, the right to express ideas, and the right to
discuss those ideas with others.
The right to be treated as an individual member of the community, which includes
the right to be free of discrimination based upon age, sex, religion, ethnic
or national origin, handicap, or status as a veteran, and the right to be free
from harassment of any type.
The right of peaceful coexistence, which includes the right to be free from
violence, force, threats, and abuse, and the right to move about freely.
The right to be free of any action that unduly interferes with a student's
rights and/or learning environment.
The right to express opinion, which includes the right to state agreement or
disagreement with the opinions of others and the right to an appropriate forum
for the expression of opinion.
The right of privacy, which includes the right to be free of unauthorized search
of personal spaces.
The right to have access to a process through which to resolve deprivations of rights and, in the case of disciplinary procedures, the right to be informed of any charges of misconduct, the right to adequate time to prepare a response to the charges, the right to hear evidence in support of the charges, the right to present evidence against the charges, the right to an advisor, the right to a fair procedure which is appropriate to the circumstances, and the right to be informed of the outcome of any proceeding.
All student members of the Boston College community have certain responsibilities
to the institution and to its members. These include:
Respect for the rights of others, which includes the obligation to refrain
from conduct that violates or adversely affects the rights of other members
of the Boston College community.
The obligation to refrain from conduct in the general community which adversely
affects Boston College.
The obligation to refrain from interfering with the freedom of expression of
others. This would include such activities as newspaper thefts, attempting to
shout down speakers, and intentional jamming of computer networks.
The responsibility for the avoidance of force, violence, threat, or harassment.
The responsibility for the avoidance of disruption. Certain kinds of conduct
can convert the expression of opinion into disruption. The student
demonstrations policy describes the procedures and limitations appropriate
to the public expression of opinion.
The responsibility for the compliance with state, federal, and municipal laws
and regulations. Student members of the Boston College community must be aware
that they continue to be subject to the obligations of all citizens while they
attend the University. The University is committed to the observance of the
laws. Boston College students, as adults, are fully expected to comply with
all state, local, and federal laws and bear the ultimate responsibility for
their actions. There is no immunity on its campus from the prohibitions of state
and federal law regulating the use of drugs, alcohol, or motor vehicles. Violation
of the laws in the communities surrounding the campus injures the University,
just as it does the other citizens who reside there, and the University offers
no tolerance of any such conduct.
The obligation to ensure that the conduct of others who come to the University
through a student's invitation or permission complies with the rules and regulations
of the University.
The obligation to respect the environment of Boston College, which includes
respect for the physical features of the campus and its facilities as well as
the special needs of an institution of learning, such as quiet and privacy.
The obligation to provide proper identification when requested to do so by
a representative of the University. All students are expected to carry their
Boston College identification card at all times and to produce it when requested.
The responsibility to cooperate with University officials in the performance
of their duties.
The responsibility to respect the values and traditions of Boston College as
a Jesuit institution.
All Boston College students are expected to fully comply with all the policies
and procedures listed in the Student Guide. In addition, resident students,
including graduate resident students, are expected to fully comply with the
provisions detailed in the Office of Residential Life's Conditions
for Residency, available on the Residential Life website at: www.bc.edu/reslife.
Behavior that violates the guidelines in any way may result in disciplinary
action by the University for conduct unbecoming a Boston College student. Examples
of such conduct may include but are not limited to: Improper Sexual Conduct,
Interfering with the Freedom of Others, Creating a Hostile Environment, Failure
to Cooperate with a University Official, etc.
Academic Honesty
As members of an academic community, all students have an obligation to respect the rules of academic honesty. It is academically dishonest to claim the work of others as your own work or to fail to identify accurately the work of others when used in your own work. It is academically dishonest to cheat on examinations or assignments. It is cheating to copy from the examinations of other students, to obtain the text of a test or examination without the consent of the instructor, and to refer to notes or materials during a test unless specifically authorized to do so by the instructor. It is academically dishonest to knowingly assist another student in committing an act of academic dishonesty.
STUDENT RIGHTS UNDER FERPA
http://www.bc.edu/offices/stserv/ferpa/
As a matter of necessity, Boston College continuously records a large number of specific items relating to its students. This information is necessary to support its educational programs as well as to administer housing, athletics, and extracurricular programs. The University also maintains certain records such as employment, financial, and accounting information for its own use and to comply with state and federal regulations. Boston College is committed to protecting the privacy rights of its students and to maintaining the confidentiality of its records. Moreover, the University endorses and complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), also known as the "Buckley Amendment," a federal statute that affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights are as follows:
- The right to inspect and review the student's education record within 45
days of the day the University receives a request for access.
Any student who wishes to inspect and review information contained in an education record maintained by any office of the University may, with proper identification, request access to the record from the office responsible for maintaining that record. In general, the student is to be granted access to the record as soon as possible and, unless the circumstances require the existence of a formal request, an oral request may be honored.
Whenever an office responsible for maintaining education records is unable to respond at once, the student may submit to the Office of Student Services, dean, academic department head, or other appropriate official a written request that identifies the record he or she wishes to inspect. The University official is to make arrangements for access, and is to notify the student of the time and place the record may be inspected. If the record is not maintained by the University official to whom the request is submitted, that official is to advise the student of the correct official to whom the request is to be addressed.
- The right to request the amendment of the student's education record if
the student believes that information contained in his or her record is inaccurate,
misleading or in violation of his or her rights of privacy.
Any student who believes that information contained in his or her education record is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of his or her rights of privacy is to write to the University official responsible for the record, clearly identifying the part of the record he or she wants changed, and specifying why it is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of his or her rights of privacy.
If the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University is to notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures is to be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
- The right to consent to the disclosure of personally identifiable information
contained in the student's education record, except to the extent that FERPA
or other federal statutes authorize disclosure without consent.
One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to University officials with legitimate educational interests. A University official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another University official in performing his or her tasks.
A University official has a legitimate educational interest if the official requires access to an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the University may disclose education records without consent to officials of another educational institution in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
Written complaints should be directed to the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C., 20202-4605.