Student Affairs

Statement of Nondiscrimination

Georgia Perimeter College supports the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order #11246, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the American with Disabilities Act. No person shall, on the basis of age, race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or veteran status, be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of the college.

Any individual with a grievance related to the enforcement of any of the above provisions should contact the Director of Human Resources for Compliance and Affirmative Action (DHRCAA).

Student Discrimination Grievance

Policy
Discrimination as prohibited by law is a matter of particular concern to Georgia Perimeter College. The College's policies and procedures for dealing with discrimination have been designed to protect all individuals while ensuring academic freedom to teach, learn and work. Students at Georgia Perimeter College have the right to free expression in the classroom and the right to express political ideology and other personal beliefs of intellectual diversity.  The policy is in accordance with the University System of Georgia Board of Regents Policy 401.02 and the law. The policy has the support of the College's President and administration.

Discrimination means to treat a person adversely because of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or to implement policies or practices that intentionally or unintentionally adversely impact a person on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, creed, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status.

Confidentiality will be maintained insofar as it does not interfere with the college's legal obligation or ability to investigate allegations of misconduct when brought to its attention, and to take corrective action when it is found that misconduct has occurred.

Throughout the process, every effort will be made to protect the complainant from reprisals and to protect the accused from irresponsible complaints.

The Student Discrimination Grievance procedure encourages and provides guidelines for informal resolution of disputes by communication between the parties involved.

Procedure
This procedure provides a means by which students who are aggrieved by actions taken by college personnel (faculty, staff or administration) which they feel are discriminatory, including assignment of grades so long as the basis of the grade appeal is alleged discrimination, can voice their grievances and be heard in a meaningful manner. This procedure is in no way intended to discourage or supplant the informal resolution of disputes by communication between the parties involved, and in fact, no written grievance will be considered and no hearing will be granted by the Grievance Committee unless an aggrieved party can show that he or she had made genuine efforts to resolve the dispute informally, by means specified herein. Neither is this procedure intended to supplant Georgia Perimeter College procedure section 304.50 entitled "Student Appeal Regarding Grades" in cases where a student is appealing an assigned grade on grounds other than alleged discrimination by a faculty member.

In cases where a student is appealing a grade on the basis of alleged discrimination, the student must elect between the College Grade Appeal procedure at Section 304.50 of the Georgia Perimeter College Policy Manual and the Student Discrimination Grievance Procedure, but cannot use both for the same grade appeal. (See Student Appeal Regarding Grades, Georgia Perimeter College Policy Manual, Section 304.50)

All proceedings pursuant to this procedure will be conducted as confidentially as is practical. All time limitations are not to exceed the specified number of days. All references to days are to working days.

• Campus Dean of Student Services' Roles
  An aggrieved student shall meet with the Campus Dean of Student Services at the earliest opportunity after the most recent incident which is the subject of the grievance.  The student should be prepared to explain to the Campus Dean of Student Services all relevant facts and circumstances surrounding the grievance. The Dean will determine the appropriate action necessary, perform an investigation, and assist the student in the filing of a formal grievance. This procedure will be followed if an informal resolution cannot be reached through intervention.
   
• Filing of written grievance
  Any written grievance shall be filed by the student and any other party in interest with the Director of Human Resources for Compliance and Affirmative Action (DHRCAA) within ten working days after the aggrieved student's meeting with the Campus Dean of Student Services. Such grievance must contain specific factual allegations of the discriminatory practice(s) or incident(s), and a statement of the alleged basis or bases of the discrimination, which must be one or more of the following: race, color, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, persons with disabilities, national origin, or veteran's status.
   
• Appointment of Grievance Committee
  An Ad Hoc Grievance Committee will be appointed by the DHRCAA no later than ten working days after the filing of a written grievance and will consist of five members: a student, a faculty member, and a student affairs professional, plus two other individuals, either staff, administrative or faculty, corresponding to the position of the individual against whom the grievance is brought. All Committee members will be from the campus on which the grievance originated.
  The DHRCAA will name one of the five members as chair of the Committee.
   
• Duties of Grievance Committee
  
  1. Notice of Hearing
     Within ten working days of the appointment of the committee, the chair shall issue a written notice to the student and any other party in interest. The notice shall set forth the date, time, and place of the hearing, the issue(s) as they are understood by the committee, and a statement that the parties are responsible for the attendance of their own witnesses and the presentation of any documentary evidence they wish to make part of the record, including the sworn statements of any witnesses who are unable to attend the scheduled hearing. The date of the hearing shall be within ten working days of the notice.
     
  
  
  2. Hearing Procedure
     The parties will not be permitted representation by attorneys at the hearing, but they will be permitted to be accompanied by an advisor from the college with whom they may confer during the course of the hearing. The burden of proof of the allegations raised in the written grievance shall rest with the aggrieved student. The student shall have the first opportunity to present his or her case by narrative, testimony of witnesses, and presentation of documentary evidence. The party against whom the grievance has been brought will then have an opportunity to present his or her case, in the same manner. All testimony shall be taken under oath administered by the chair of the Grievance Committee. Both parties shall have the right to cross-examine adverse witnesses. The committee shall not be bound by legal rules of evidence, but shall hear all relevant evidence presented. The chair of the committee will rule on any challenge raised to the admissibility of evidence, as well as any other objections made during the course of the hearing.
     
  
  
  3. Determination of Committee
     Within five working days of the hearing, the committee, through its chair, shall present to the DHRCAA a written determination for disposition of the grievance. The determination shall include specific findings of fact based on evidence presented at the hearing and a course of optional courses of action for the institution. The determination may include a dissenting opinion or opinions if the committee members are unable to reach consensus. The DHRCAA will then report the results of the hearing to the parties involved in writing or in person. The DHRCAA will advise the parties at that time of their right to appeal the determination of the committee to the Campus Provost within five working days of the issuance of the determination.
      
• Appeal to the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs
  Within five working days of the receipt of an appeal, the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs shall issue a decision based on review of the record. This decision shall be in writing, and may incorporate, by reference, all or part of the determination of the Committee.
  


• Appeal to the President
  A party in interest who is aggrieved by the decision of the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs may appeal the decision to the President within five working days of the date of the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs's decision. Such appeal must be in writing, dated, and set forth the specific grounds of appeal. The College Attorney will assist the President with the final appeal process.
  


• Final decision
  The President shall issue a final decision on the appeal within a reasonable amount of time. The decision shall apprise the appealing party of the right to further appeal to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia pursuant to Paragraph IX of the Bylaws of the Board of Regents or any other applicable provision of the Policies of the Board of Regents.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights are listed here.

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 Director of Admissions and Records a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Director of Admissions and Records will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
   


2. The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the college to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the Director of Admissions and Records, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. 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 his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedure 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 that 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, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement personnel); 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 his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the college discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
   


4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Georgia Perimeter 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

Annual Notice of Directory Information Contents
Directory information is information not generally considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Georgia Perimeter College considers the following information to be directory information:

• Name, address, and telephone listing


• Major field of study


• Dates of attendance


• Degrees and awards received


• Full or part-time status



Directory information cannot include student identification numbers or social security numbers.

The college may disclose any of these items without prior written consent, unless the student has submitted a written request to the college not to release directory information pertaining to him or her. Students who do not wish to have directory information released by the college should complete a Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information Form at the campus Enrollment and Registration Services office

Additional information regarding FERPA is available on the U.S. Department of Education website.

Campus Security Act Information

Federal law requires all institutions of higher education, both public and private, which participate in any federal student aid program to publicly disclose three years of campus crime statistics and basic security policies.

Georgia Perimeter College complies with this law by publishing an Annual Security Report that includes statistics on the occurrence of the following crimes: homicide, murder, and non-negligent manslaughter, negligent manslaughter, forcible and non-forcible sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson.

In addition, the report includes the number of arrests or referrals for campus disciplinary action for liquor law violations, drug abuse violations, and weapons possessions. A copy of this report is available upon written request directed to Georgia Perimeter College, Office of Public Safety, Suite CG-1170, 555 North Indian Creek Drive, Clarkston, GA 30021. This information is also available on the GPC Dept. of Public Safety website.