STUDENT RIGHTS AND DISCLOSURES
ACCOMMODATIONS
Bay State College is mandated by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to provide reasonable accommodations. Bay State College is committed to providing individualized support to students with disabilities based on their unique needs. To fulfill this mission, the Disability Support Services Coordinator (DSS Coordinator) works with students who have documented disabilities to ensure equal educational access.
A. To be eligible for accommodations at Bay State College, what criteria do I need to meet?
· You must be officially accepted to the College*
· You must provide the required documentation: Students must hand deliver, fax or email documentation to the DSS Coordinator.
*Exceptions will be made for students who are eligible to receive accommodations during the enrollment process.
B. As a student with a disability, what are my responsibilities?
· To meet and maintain the College’s academic standards
· To identify yourself to the DSS Coordinator
· To deliver required documentation to the DSS Coordinator at least two weeks prior to intended use of accommodations
· To maintain compliance with the College’s documentation requirements
· To bear the cost of the evaluation(s) necessary to produce all documentation required by the College
· To schedule a meeting with the DSS Coordinator every semester to activate accommodations
· To actively participate in the search for accommodations and auxiliary aids
· To follow established procedures for delivering Accommodations Plans to instructors
· To communicate with instructors about how accommodations will be implemented in each classroom
· To notify instructors and the Center for Learning and Academic Success (CLAS) at least two days prior to the intended use of accommodations
C. What are the College’s responsibilities to a student with a disability?
· To review documentation and activate reasonable accommodations in a timely manner
· To provide reasonable accommodations once they are activated (accommodations will not be provided retroactively)
· To request additional documentation if that which is provided is inadequate or outdated (this may result in delayed activation of accommodations)
· To share information regarding a student’s accommodations only with those individuals involved in the assessment and implementation of their accommodations
· To make every effort to reasonably accommodate students with disabilities unless unreasonable notice, undue hardship, or fundamental alteration of a program is corroborated
· To, when feasible, assist temporarily injured and impaired students although not required by applicable law
· To provide students with information about area medical facilities, but to abstain from providing medical care or dispensing medication
· To retain students’ disability-related documentation for five (5) years after their last date of enrollment before destroying it
D. What are the College’s documentation requirements?
· All documentation must be on letterhead, dated, signed, and include the diagnosing professional’s name, title, organization, and license or certification.
· All documentation should be reflective of the current student experience and will be reviewed for such appropriateness.
· Specific documentation requirements apply based on the nature of one’s disability and individual circumstance.
· Individualized Education Plans (IEP) will not be accepted as the primary source of documentation.
· Documentation prepared by a family member will not be accepted as the primary source of documentation.
E. Based on my disability, what are the College’s specific documentation requirements?
Learning Disabilities and/or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders:
A psycho-educational or neuropsychological evaluation completed within the past three years to include:
· A clearly stated diagnosis of a learning disability and/or AD/HD
· Scores from any psychological and/or educational testing
· Recommendations for accommodations
Physical/Medical/Neurological Disorders:
Documentation completed within the past three years to include:
· A description of the nature of the disability and/or a clearly-stated diagnosis
· Scores from any psychological and/or educational testing
· Recommendations for accommodations
Psychiatric/Emotional/Behavioral Disorders:
Documentation completed within the past six months submitted to include:
· A clearly-stated diagnosis of a psychiatric/emotional/behavioral disorder
· Scores from any psychological and/or educational testing
· Recommendations for accommodations
Temporary Disabilities:
· Documentation completed within the past six months to include:
· A clearly-stated diagnosis of a temporary disability
· Scores from any psychological and/or educational testing
· Recommendations for accommodations
F. Where can I find contact information for the Disability Support Services Coordinator?
The contact information and office location for the Disability Support Services Coordinator can be found on the Bay State College website.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA or the Buckley Amendment), as amended, is a federal regulation governing the privacy of personally identifiable information in student education records. Education records are any records maintained by the College or an agent of the College that are directly related to the student. Education records can exist in any medium, including: typed, computer-generated, videotape, audiotape, film, microfilm, microfiche and email. A student has the following rights under FERPA:
1. To inspect and review his or her education records.
Requests to inspect education records should be made in writing to the Office of the Registrar. The request should include a description of the record(s) they wish to review. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student. The College has 45 days to respond to the request.
2. To request an amendment to a record that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
A student wishing to amend a record should submit a written request to the Office of the Registrar detailing the record that they would like amended and the information that is incorrect or misleading. The College will review the request and respond to the student in writing. If it is determined that the record should not be amended, the student will have the option of a hearing to appeal the decision. Details regarding the appeal process will be provided in the written reply.
3. To provide written consent before the College discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
Under the guidelines of FERPA, the College is permitted to disclose information from a student’s education record, without a student’s prior written consent, to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or support staff position, a person or company with whom the College has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using College employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent), ICE contractors, or a person serving on the Board of Trustees. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review information from an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the College.
4. 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 is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, 20202-4605.
A student also has the right to block the release of directory information. Directory information is student data that is not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released. Currently, directory information at Bay State College is limited to student’s name, address, telephone listing, electronic mail address, date of birth, major field of study, grade level, enrollment status (e.g. full-time/part-time), dates of attendance, degrees/honors/awards received, and anticipated or actual graduation date. Attendance records may also be released to prospective employers. A student may, to the extent permitted by FERPA, block the release of directory information by indicating this on the Authorization for Release of Information Form, available on the College’s website and in the Office of the Registrar.
If a student wishes to authorize the release of education record information to parents, guardians or any other individual, the Authorization for Release of Information Form must be completed, signed and submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Once the form is submitted, authorized individuals may be informed of the student’s status at Bay State College with respect to grades, academic standing, and financial obligations. This release will remain in effect for as long as the student is enrolled at Bay State College. If the student ever wishes to revoke or modify this authorization, a new Authorization for Release of Information Form should be completed, signed and submitted to the Office of the Registrar.
In accordance with the requirements of FERPA, the College provides annual notice to students regarding these rights.
Student Right to Know and Graduation Rate
In accordance with the Student Right to Know Regulations (published in the December 1, 1995, Federal Register, pages 61775 through 61788), Bay State College discloses its graduation and transfer-out rates for the 2014 cohort year:
Overall Graduation Rate
Graduation Rate
18%
Total number of students in the Adjusted Cohort
109
Total number of completers within 150% of normal time
20
Overall Transfer-out Rate
Transfer-out Rate
24%
Total number of students in the Adjusted Cohort
109
Total number of transfers-out with 150% of normal time
26
Graduation Rate for students pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree
Graduation Rate for Bachelor’s Cohort
8%
Total number of students in the Adjusted Cohort
36
Total number of bachelor’s degree completers within 150% of normal time
3
Students can access additional information at the College Navigator or IPEDs websites.
THE STUDENT HAS THE RIGHT TO ASK THE COLLEGE:
· What financial assistance is available, including information on all federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs?
· What are the deadlines for submitting applications for each of the financial aid programs available?
· What is the cost of attending and what is the refund policy?
· What criteria does the school use to select financial aid recipients?
· How does the school determine the student’s financial need? This process includes how costs for tuition and fees, room and board, travel, books and supplies, personal and miscellaneous expenses, etc., are considered in the student’s budget.
· What resources (such as parental contribution, other financial aid, the student’s assets, etc.) are considered in the calculation of the student’s need?
· How much of the student’s financial need, as determined by the institution, has been met?
· To explain the various programs in the student aid package. If a student believes he or she has been treated unfairly, may he or she request reconsideration of the award that has been made?
· What portion of the financial aid received must be repaid, and what portion is grant aid? If the aid is a loan, what is the interest rate, total amount to be repaid, payback procedures, length of time to repay the loan, and when is repayment to begin?
· How does the school determine whether the student is making satisfactory progress, and what happens if progress is not satisfactory?
IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO:
· Review and consider all information about a school’s program before enrollment.
· Pay special attention to the application for financial aid. Complete it accurately and submit it on time to the right place. Errors may result in long delays in receipt of financial aid; intentional misreporting of information on application forms for federal financial aid is a violation of law and is considered a criminal offense subject to penalties under the U.S. Criminal Code.
· Return all additional documentation, verification, corrections, and/or new information requested by either the Financial Aid Office or the agency to which application has been submitted.
· Read, understand, and retain copies of all forms signed.
· Accept responsibility for all agreements signed.
· Notify the Registrar’s Office and any lender of changes in name, address, phone number, or school status.
· Perform in a satisfactory manner the work that is agreed upon in accepting a Federal Work Study award.
· Know and comply with the deadlines for application or reapplication for aid.
· Know and comply with the College’s refund procedure.
· Inform the Registrar’s Office in writing that information is to be released to outside parties.
· Complete the Health Insurance Waiver/Enrollment Form online at https://www.baystate.edu/financial-aid/health-insurance/.
· Return a completed Immunization Form per the immunization requirements listed in this Handbook. Is this going to be changed?
All who become members of our college community have an obligation to support and obey college regulations, as they are also expected to obey local, state, and federal laws. Those who cannot or will not comply will be subject to disciplinary action and the privilege of continued attendance at Bay State College may be withdrawn.
filing inquiry/complaint
Students have the right to file an inquiry or complaint against the College. A complaint form can be obtained from and submitted to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, 1 Ashburton Place, Room 1401, Boston, MA 02108. Fax (617) 727-0955.
610 CMR: Board of Higher Education, 1/10/97 610 CMR - 20.3, 2.11: Consumer Protection
When an individual or group of individuals brings a consumer complaint to the Board about an independent institution of higher education within the Commonwealth, the Board will proceed in the following manner:
(1) When the consumer complaint concerns an institution which is under the purview of the Board, Board staff will refer the complaint to the institution for clarification and response within a specified period of time. If the forthcoming clarification and response do not satisfy the Board, the matter shall be referred to the Consumer Protection Division and/or the Public Charities Division of the Attorney General’s Office.
(2) When the consumer complaint concerns an institution which does not come under the purview of the Board, the Board will refer the complaint directly to the Consumer Protection Division and/or the Public Charities Division of the Attorney General’s Office.
Online students who reside out-of-state can find their state-specific information on the College’s website.
VOTER REGISTRATION
Voter Registration Forms are available in the Registrar’s Office. Students can also contact the Massachusetts Elections Division at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/ or the United States Election Assistance Commission at www.eac.gov. International students may not be eligible to register to vote.
PARTICIPATING IN OFFSITE EVENTS
Students participating in off-site events as representatives of Bay State College are required to sign the Student Waiver Form.
RECORDING OF CLASSES
Students should be aware that the recording of class sessions may take place for academic purposes. If a student is planning to record a class session, he or she must first speak with the instructor to get permission.
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