DCCCD Student and Employee Rights and Responsibilities 2011

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1 DCCCD Student and Employee Rights and Responsibilities 2011 IT ALL BEGINS HERE.

2 Included in this notice is important info you should know about: The Drug Free Schools and Communities Act Bacterial Meningitis and a new state law requiring vaccinations DCCCD s Student Code of Conduct Notice on Hazing Student Rights Under the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) Drug Free Schools and Communities Act Notice 2011 Dallas County Community College District, including Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland colleges, and its administrative facilities, is committed to creating an educational and work environment free from use or distribution of illicit drugs and abuse of alcohol. The college district prohibits the unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees on its property or as part of any of its activities. Information and confidential referrals concerning counseling and treatment programs for drug and alcohol abuse may be obtained from any Counseling and/or Advisement Center, Health Center and location Human Resources Offices. Disciplinary Sanctions Student (1) for illicit drugs is subject to expulsion or other lesser sanctions and/or referral to local authorities for criminal prosecution; and (2) for unlawful possession or distribution of alcohol is subject to sanctions, other than expulsion or suspension, and/or referral to local authorities for criminal prosecution. Employee An employee who violates the standards of conduct for illicit drugs or unlawful possession or use of alcohol is subject to termination or other lesser sanctions and/or referral to local authorities for criminal prosecution. Federal Penalties and Sanctions for Illegal Possession of a Controlled Substance 21 U.S.C. 844(a) First conviction: Up to one year imprisonment and fined at least $1,000 but not more than $100,000, or both. After one prior drug conviction: At least 15 days in prison, not to exceed two years, and fined at least $2,500 but not more than $250,000, or both. After two or more prior drug convictions: At least 90 days in prison, not to exceed three years, and fined at least $5,000 but not more than $250,000, or both. Special sentencing provisions for possession of crack cocaine: Mandatory at least five years in prison, not to exceed 20 years, and fined up to $250,000, or both, if: (a) first conviction and the amount of crack possessed exceeds 5 grams. (b) second crack conviction and the amount of crack possessed exceeds 3 grams. (c) third or subsequent crack conviction and the amount of crack possessed exceeds 1 gram. 21 U.S.C. 853(a)(2) and 881 (a)(7) Forfeiture of personal and real property used to possess or to facilitate possession of a controlled substance if that offense is punishable by more than one year imprisonment. (See special sentencing provisions re: crack) 21 U.S.C. 881 (a)(4) Forfeiture of vehicles, boats, aircraft or any other conveyance used to transport or conceal a controlled substance. 21 U.S.C. 844a Civil fine of up to $10,000 (pending adoption of final regulations). 21 U.S.C. 853a Denial of federal benefits, such as student loans, grants, contracts, and professional and commercial licenses, up to one year for first offense, up to five years for second and subsequent offenses. 18 U.S.C. 922(g) Ineligible to receive or purchase a firearm. Revocation of certain federal licenses and benefits, e.g. pilot licenses, public housing tenancy, etc., are vested within the authorities of individual federal agencies.

3 DCCCD Drug and Alcohol Prevention Efforts Students, DCCCD health center staff, campus police and counselors are working together to eliminate drug and alcohol abuse both on and off campus. Activities and opportunities vary by campus, but all are united to make sure that our students and staff are aware of the problems and dangers of drugs and alcohol. Some of the programs that have been most effective in recent years include: Red Ribbon Campaigns In conjunction with Texas War On Drugs Week and National Red Ribbon Day, some DCCCD campuses have a Red Ribbon Day in the month of October. Students who are committed to living drug-free wear red ribbons on that day. A number of student activities, varying by campus, take place to promote a drug-free lifestyle throughout the academic year. Peer Counseling Education If you have a problem with drugs or alcohol, one of your classmates is available to talk with you and provide the information and counseling you need or to refer you to resources to deal with your specific situation. Recover Network Groups/Alcoholics Anonymous/12-Step Programs Some DCCCD campuses have 12-step or other recovery programs on campus to help individuals overcome chemical or alcohol dependency. You can get information about these programs through your campus Health Center or counseling offices. Alcohol-Free Happy Hour Campus Student Life offices present various alcohol-free activities as alternatives to the kind of social events that are built around alcohol and/or drug use. Drop by your campus Student Life office for information about the many student activities and intramural sports programs for both day and evening students. If you want to be a part of any of these or other programs promoting a drug-free lifestyle or if you need counseling, stop by your campus Health Center for more information. Health Risks Alcohol Effects Alcohol consumption causes a number of marked changes in behavior. Even low doses significantly impair the judgment and coordination required to drive a car safely, increasing the likelihood that the driver will be involved in an accident. Low to moderate doses of alcohol also increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including spouse and child abuse. Moderate to high doses of alcohol cause marked impairments in higher mental functions, severely altering a person s ability to learn and remember information. Very high doses cause respiratory depression and death. If combined with other depressants of the central nervous system, much lower doses of alcohol will produce the effects just described. Repeated use of alcohol can lead to dependence. Sudden cessation of alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms, including severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations, and convulsions. Alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening. Long-term consumption of large quantities of alcohol, particularly when combined with poor nutrition, can also lead to permanent damage to vital organs such as the brain and the liver. Mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to infants with fetal alcohol syndrome. These infants have irreversible physical abnormalities and mental retardation. In addition, research indicates that children of alcoholic parents are at greater risk than other youngsters of becoming alcoholics.

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5 DCCCD Bacterial Meningitis Notice Important Information You Need to Know about Bacterial Meningitis The following information is being provided to all new college students in the state of Texas. Bacterial Meningitis is a serious, potentially deadly disease that can progress extremely fast so take utmost caution. It is an inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. The bacteria that cause meningitis can also infect the blood. This disease strikes about 3,000 Americans each year, including on college campuses, leading to 5-15 deaths among college students every year. There is a treatment, but those who survive may develop severe health problems or disabilities. Symptoms include: high fever, severe headache, vomiting, sensitivity to light, stiff neck, confusion and sleepiness, nausea, lethargy and seizures. There may be a rash of tiny, red-purple spots caused by bleeding under the skin. These can occur anywhere on the body. The more symptoms, the higher the risk, so when these symptoms appear, seek immediate medical attention. How is Bacterial Meningitis diagnosed? Diagnosis is made by a medical provider and is usually based on a combination of clinical symptoms and laboratory results from spinal fluid and blood tests. Early diagnosis and treatment can greatly improve the likelihood of recovery. How is the disease transmitted? The disease is transmitted when people exchange saliva (such as by kissing, or by sharing drinking containers, utensils, cigarettes, toothbrushes, etc.) or come in contact with respiratory or throat secretions.

6 How do you increase your risk of getting Bacterial Meningitis? Exposure to saliva by sharing cigarettes, water bottles, eating utensils, food, kissing, etc., as well as living in close conditions (such as sharing a room/suite in a dorm or group home) increases your risks of contracting the disease. What are the possible consequences of the disease? Death (in 8 to 24 hours from perfectly well to dead) Permanent brain damage Kidney failure Learning disability Hearing loss, blindness Limb damage (fingers, toes, arms, legs) that requires amputation Gangrene Coma Convulsions Can the disease be treated? Antibiotic treatment, if received early, can save lives and chances of recovery are increased. However, permanent disability or death can still occur. Attention Students: Proof of Meningitis Vaccination Required for Spring 2012 What: New state of Texas immunization requirement for bacterial meningitis When: Effective spring 2012 semester Who: Students must provide DCCCD with proof of meningitis vaccination if: You are enrolling for the first time as a credit student. You are returning after a semester break in enrollment. You are transferring to DCCCD from another college or university. You are a new or returning continuing education student enrolled in programs with 360 contact hours or more. You are a distance education student who lives in Texas (based on your actual mailing address post office boxes cannot be used as proof of residency). You are a dual credit, Middle College, Early College or charter high school student attending classes on a DCCCD campus. You are a continuing education student who is enrolled in concurrent credit courses. Deadline: You must submit proof of vaccination (or booster shot within the last five years) to your college s Admissions Office before registering for class. The date of the vaccination must be at least 10 days before the first day of class. This allows time for the vaccination to take effect. Where: Take proof of bacterial meningitis vaccination to the Admissions Office on the campus where you are enrolled. Exceptions to the new law: You do not need to provide proof of meningitis vaccination for the spring 2012 semester under several exceptions. You are 30 years of age or older (by the first day of the semester in which you are enrolled). You are enrolled in distance education courses and you live out of state or out of the country. You are enrolled in a continuing education course or program that is less than 360 contact hours or in continuing education corporate training. You are enrolled in one or more dual credit courses taught at a public or private K-12 facility which is not located on a DCCCD campus. You are a DCCCD student who is incarcerated in a Texas prison. Exemptions: A DCCCD student or the student s parents or guardians are not required to submit evidence of the bacterial meningitis vaccination if the student, parent or guardian submits one of the following affidavits, based on health and well-being or for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs. For either of these exemptions, you must submit to the Admissions Office: An affidavit or certificate signed by a physician who is duly registered and licensed to practice medicine in the United States in which it is stated, in the doctor s opinion, that the vaccination would injure the health and well-being of the student; or

7 An affidavit signed by the student stating that she or he declines to take the vaccination for bacterial meningitis for reasons of conscience, including religious belief. In that situation, the student must obtain a conscientious objection form from the Texas Department of State Health Services. DCCCD students may obtain bacterial meningitis vaccinations from their own physicians, local health departments, clinics, area drug stores and similar facilities. For more information about bacterial meningitis, visit the Centers for Disease Control at For details about DCCCD s procedures, visit the Admissions office at any of the district s seven colleges. Learn more about the State of Texas Meningitis Vaccine Requirements at Bacterial Meningitis Vaccinations Vaccinations are available and should be considered for people living in close quarters and college students 25 years old or younger. Vaccinations are effective against four of the five most common bacterial types that cause 70 percent of the disease in the U.S. (The vaccination does not protect against all types of meningitis). Vaccinations take seven to 10 days to become effective, with protection lasting three to five years. The cost of vaccine varies, so check with your health care provider. Vaccination is very safe most common side effects are redness and minor pain at injection site for up to two days. FOR MORE INFORMATION...Contact your own health care provider. Contact your Student Health Center at: Brookhaven: Cedar Valley: Eastfield: El Centro: Mountain View: North Lake: Richland: Student Code of Conduct Notice Hazing Summary of Chapter 37, Subchapter F of the Texas Education Code Hazing means any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, occurring on or off the campus of an educational institution, by one person alone or acting with others, directed against a student, that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of pledging, being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in an organization. State law prohibits hazing by any person or organization and provides punishment by fines and/or imprisonment, as appropriate. A person s consent to hazing is not a defense to criminal prosecution. A person may commit the offense of hazing either directly or indirectly. Indirect acts include recklessly permitting hazing to occur or failure to report first-hand knowledge of planned or past hazing.

8 Student Rights Under ferpa:family Educational Rights and Privacy Act FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include: 1. The right to inspect and review the student s education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access. Students should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the College official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed. 2. The right to request the amendment of the student s education records that the student believes is inaccurate. Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. They should write the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the College will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of a right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing. 3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including campus law enforcement personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the College 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 school official in performing a task. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill the official s professional responsibility. 4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA: Family Policy Compliance Office U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, D.C Directory information includes: a. student name; b. home address; c. home telephone number; d. dates of attendance; e. degrees and awards received; f. field of study; g. participation in officially-recognized activities; h. weight and height of members of athletic teams; i. student classification; j. participation in officially-recognized sports; k. photograph; l. enrollment status, i.e., full-time, part-time; m. types of awards received, i.e., academic, technical, techprep, or continuing education; or n. name of the most recent previous institution attended. Students may request that all or any part of the directory information be withheld from the public by giving written notice to the Registrar s Office during the first 12 class days of a fall or spring semester or the first four class days of a summer session. Students may protect their directory information at any time during the academic year if they are unable to provide written notice within these time frames.

9 The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the law that protects student records. The following offices on campus maintain student records: Brookhaven College 3939 Valley View Lane Farmers Branch, TX phone: fax: a general question to: bhc@dcccd.edu office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m. 7 p.m. Friday, 8:00 a.m. 5 p.m. Cedar Valley College 303 N. Dallas Ave. Lancaster, TX phone: fax: a general question to: cvc@dcccd.edu office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. 7 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. 5 p.m. Eastfield College 3737 Motley Drive Mesquite, TX phone: fax: a general question to: efc@dcccd.edu office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. 7 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. 5 p.m. El Centro College 801 Main St. Dallas, TX phone fax: a general question to: ecc@dcccd.edu office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. 7 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. 4 p.m. Mountain View College 4849 W. Illinois Ave. Dallas, TX phone: fax: a general question to: mcv@dcccd.edu office hours: Monday, 8 a.m. 7 p.m., Tuesday Wednesday, 8 a.m. 5 p.m., Thursday, 8 a.m. 7 p.m., Friday, 8 a.m. 5 p.m. North Lake College 5001 N. MacArthur Blvd. Irving, TX phone: fax: a general question to: nlc@dcccd.edu office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. 6:30 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Richland College Abrams Road Dallas, TX phone: fax: a general question to: rlc@dcccd.edu office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. 7 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. 5 p.m. Dallas TeleCollege 9596 Walnut St. Dallas, TX phone: fax: a general question to dtc@dcccd.edu office hours: Monday Friday, 8 a.m. 5 p.m. Dallas County Community College District 1601 South Lamar Dallas, TX Educational opportunities are offered by the Dallas County Community College District without regard to race, color, age, national origin, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation or genetic information.