Student Rights and Responsibilities | BSCTC

Academic Resources

Student Rights and Responsibilities

BSCTC has a varied and distinguished tradition of higher education. The Colleges students, faculty and staff form an academic community that, while sharing certain characteristics with other types of associations, organizations and societies, is rightly considered unique as a community and should be governed, respected and supported as a college community. The College has an obligation to maintain an atmosphere of academic freedom, to set and maintain standards of scholarship and conduct for students and provide awareness for responsible student citizenship in the academic community.

The Student Rights and Responsibilities can be found in the KCTCS Code of Student Conduct, available online at KCTCS.edu.

Drug-Free Policy

The College is committed to providing a safe environment for students, faculty and staff. The College has adopted the following drug-free policy:

Being under the influence of alcohol or other drugs or the use, possession, distribution, manufacture or sale of illegal or unauthorized drugs is prohibited and is punishable as a felony offense on campus or within 1000 yards of campus. Conduct that violates this definition, poses unacceptable risks, and disregards the health, safety and welfare of members of the College community shall result in disciplinary action up to and including suspension or termination. BSCTC is in compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act amendment of 1989.

Student Complaints Procedure

Resolution Process

Big Sandy Community and Technical College is committed to providing a quality educational experience, fully supported by a range of academic and administrative services and facilities. The College recognizes the need for students to be able to express dissatisfaction if they feel the need to do so.

If a student believes he/she has a legitimate complaint, the following steps toward resolution should be followed:

Procedure

Informal Process

Attempt to resolve complaint at the department/service level

  1. Seek to resolve the issue with the partly involved.
  2. If a resolution cannot be reached, the next step would be to contact the party's supervisor for the department in which the student feels aggrieved.
  3. If the student does not receive the satisfaction sought at this level, the student should contact the Associate Dean or Vice President for the department involved.
  4. If the issue cannot be resolved at the Associate Dean or Vice President level and if the student would like to continue pursuing resolution, the Formal Process should be followed below.

Formal Process

1. If, after the above informal process the student still is not satisfied, the student should file a formal complaint form through the office of Student Affairs.

Sexual Harassment

BSCTC is committed to providing a learning environment free from sexual harassment. Therefore, all employees and students of the College shall avoid offensive or inappropriate behaviors. Sexual harassment - a form of sexual discrimination - includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or physical actions of a sexual nature when submission to such conduct is made explicitly or implicitly as a term or condition of the students status in a course, program or activity; or is used as a basis for academic or other decisions affecting such student; or when such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with the students academic performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive academic environment.

Grievance Procedures

Grievance procedures for students are found in the KCTCS Code of Student Conduct. Specific details may be obtained by visiting the KCTCS web site at www.kctcs.edu.

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, is a federal law that protects the privacy and confidentiality of personally identifiable information contained within student education records. BSCTC complies with FERPA's confidentiality protections and adheres to procedures dealing with student education records and directory information recommended by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

In its discretion, BSCTC as appropriate may provide Directory Information in accordance with the provisions of FERPA to include:

  • Student name
  • Address
  • Email address
  • Telephone number
  • Date and place of birth
  • Major field of study
  • Dates of attendance
  • Degrees and awards received
  • Most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student
  • Participation in officially recognized activities and sport

Privacy and Release of Student Records

Students may withhold Directory Information by notifying designated officials of the College in writing within ten (10) calendar days from the first scheduled day of class of the fall term. All written requests for non-disclosure will be honored by the College for one (1) academic year. Requests to withhold Directory Information must be filed annually thereafter. A request for non-disclosure is commonly called a privacy request.

Student Records Maintenance

This is to serve notice to all students of BSCTC of the rights and restrictions regarding the maintenance, inspection and release of student records contained in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). BSCTC offers a wide variety of services to students and is required to maintain records concerning students enrolled at the College. The following is a list of the types of records maintained by the College and/or the System Office for students:

  • Academic records from schools previously attended
  • Scores or results on various standardized tests and interest/attitude inventories
  • Degrees awarded
  • Current academic work completed
  • Grades and other faculty evaluations
  • Applications for admissions
  • Applications and other data related to financial aid
  • Applications for employment
  • Class rosters
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Academic advisor notes
  • Attendance data
  • Biographical and identifying information (including name, social security number, sex, marital status, date of birth, residency and citizenship status, ethnic background, academic major and military status)
  • Medical data
  • Current student status
  • Accounts relating to charges
  • Academic offenses
  • Disciplinary offenses
  • Counseling notes

The College is responsible for maintaining records in all categories.

In general, the records maintained by the College are available only to the student, to college personnel with legitimate educational interests, to other institutions where the student is seeking financial aid and to authorized representatives of the Comptroller General of the U.S., the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education or an administrative head of an education agency, in connection with an audit or evaluation of federally supported programs and as provided by Section 164.283 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes. However, information may be released by the institution to appropriate persons in connection with an emergency if the knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of a student or other persons. Records may be disclosed without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

Records may also be furnished in compliance with a judicial order or pursuant to a subpoena or with the consent of the student.

Students may inspect and review all records pertaining to them within forty-five (45) days of making requests for the same, except for 1) records created or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist or other recognized professional or paraprofessional acting or assisting in a professional capacity in connection with the treatment of the student (except that the student may have these records reviewed by a physician or appropriate professional designated by the student), 2) financial records of the parents, 3) confidential letters and recommendations put in the files prior to January 1, 1975, and 4) confidential recommendations relating to admission, application for employment or honors, if the student waived his or her right to review such records. Where a particular record cannot be reviewed by a student without revealing confidential information relating to other students, the records custodian will inform the student, upon request, of the contents of the record pertaining to that student.

Appeal

A student who believes that any record maintained by the College or the Kentucky Community and Technical College System pertaining directly to that student is inaccurate, misleading or otherwise violates the right of privacy of the student as provided by Title IV of Pub.L.90-247 as amended and Pub.L.93-380 as amended by Senate Joint Resolution 40 (1974), may request a hearing before a panel of three persons appointed by the President of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. The panel may direct that appropriate action be taken to correct, explain or expunge the record(s) challenged.

Requests for hearings should be sent to the System Registrar, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, 300 N Main St, Versailles, KY, 40383 and will be addressed in a timely manner.