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General College Policies
Trustee's Policy Regarding College Sponsorship of Activities
College Sponsored Co-curricular Activities
As an educational institution committed to the Christian faith, William Jewell College faces daily value judgments concerning the (1) educational and (2) religious quality of college-sponsored activities. Because the search for truth calls for an exploration of concepts and lifestyles which appear to be in conflict with some understandings of Christian tenets, the College may expect frequent tensions in its endeavor to honor both its educational and religious roles.
In an effort to do justice to both dimensions of a Christian college, the following policies concerning college-sponsored activities are affirmed:
- The College will support and nurture only those events and activities which are consistent with its Christian character. For example, forms of entertainment that degrade men and women, exploit sexuality, indulge in vulgar or obscene language, or encourage immorality are not consistent with Christian values and are inappropriate for this campus.
- In planning all campus functions, responsible individuals and groups shall understand the need for mature judgment in keeping entertainment and other events compatible with the educational and religious character of the College.
Public Performance of Academic Activities
The procedure below is intended to apply to public academic activities, not those sponsored by other units of the College such as students, the Chaplain's office, etc.
- Those who are sponsoring activities that fall under the scope of this policy should submit a list of the activities to the Dean of the College before final approval is granted for the event. The list should identify any activity that might be in violation of the policy (because of coarse language, provocative subject matter, etc.) and briefly justify why the activity is not in violation of the policy.
- The Dean shall consult with the sponsoring individuals and the President concerning any activities that appear to be in violation of the policy. The Dean will specifically approve or disapprove such activities within 30 days of receiving the list of activities.
Academic activities announced publicly and open to the public, such as concerts, plays, films and lectures, fall under the scope of this policy. Activities that take place in the classroom as part of the curriculum (such as a film shown in a course, works of literature read and discussed, a speaker invited to address a class) do not fall under this policy. The policy is not intended to apply to selection of materials for use in the classroom or in class assignments.
Approved by the Board of Trustees, 11/13/03
Return of Enrollment Fees (Refund Policy)
Students must notify the Dean of Student Affairs in writing if they intend to withdraw from all courses. The withdrawal date is based on the date that the Dean of Student Affairs receives the written notification.
The schedule applies to students reducing registration to 17 credit hours or whose registration is altered from full-time to part-time classification (below 12 credit hours). General guidelines for enrollment fee reduction are as follows:
Before the first day of classes..................................................100%
Within the first and second week of the semester .......................90%
Within the third and fourth week of the semester ........................50%
Within the fifth, sixth, and seventh week of the semester ............25%
After the eighth week of the semester begins.............................. 0%
Return of Title IV Federal and Non-Federal Student Aid
The account of the student who has Federal aid and withdraws before 61% of the semester has elapsed will be evaluated according to U.S. Department of Education guidelines and formulas.
The policy conforms to the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 and becomes effective for enrollment periods beginning after August 1, 2000. Title IV programs affected by this provision are Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Family Educational Loan Program (FFELP) Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Plus (Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students), Federal Pell Grants and Federal SEO Grants.
Federal aid is earned by the percentage of the payment period the student completes. To figure the percentage of aid earned, divide calendar days completed in the semester by total days in the semester. Weekends are included, but scheduled breaks that are at least five (5) days in length are excluded. If the student completes more than 60% of the semester, 100% of the aid is earned for the semester and an immediate repayment obligation is not incurred. If the student completes 60% or less of the semester, the portion of Federal aid determined to be unearned must be repaid to the Federal aid programs.
William Jewell College will return Title IV aid from the student’s account according to the Federal formula. A student may be required to return a Title IV aid overpayment. If the college notifies the student to return an overpayment, the student has 45 days to return the funds to the college. If the 45-day requirement is not met, the U.S. Department of Education will be notified to begin collection. The student will be ineligible for further Title IV assistance until the overpayment is paid in full or satisfactory repayment arrangements have been made with the U.S. Department of Education.
Institutional refunds and the formula used to determine the required return of Federal and other student aid will be finalized within 30 days of the withdrawal date. An adjusted billing will be mailed by the Business Office to the student’s permanent address. Federal student aid programs will be returned in the following regulated order:
- Unsubsidized Federal Family Educational Loan
- Subsidized Federal Family Educational Loan
- Federal Perkins Loan and Federal PLUS (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students)
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal SEO Grant
- Other Title IV Aid Programs
Examples of the Federal formula are available through Financial Aid and Scholarship Services. The fees, procedures, and policies outlined above take the place of any published previously.
Return of Non-Federal Student Aid/Personal Payments
If the student received Federal aid, the return of Federal funds is the first priority. If the student received state or institutional aid, or made personal payments, the state and institutional aid are repaid proportionally according to the source of the payment.
Repayment of aid programs may result in a balance due on the student’s institutional account. Questions about individual circumstances may be directed to the Business Office.
Privacy Rights for Students and Parents
The General Education Provisions Act, which became effective on November 19, 1974 and was revised on June 17, 1976, provides requirements designed to protect the privacy of parents and students. The act permits students in attendance at William Jewell College the right to inspect their official educational records, challenge their records on the basis of inaccuracy or misleading information, and to be knowledgeable of persons or agencies that have access to their records. Students may choose to waive their rights to view certain records if they wish (e.g., letters of recommendation for employment). These records then become confidential.
The educational records covered under the act at William Jewell College are located in the offices of the Registrar, Admission, Business Office, Financial Aid, Student Affairs, Career Services, Evening Division, and Educational Support Services. Questions concerning individual records maintained by these departments should be directed to the head of each department.
Records will be available without prior consent to college officials, including the faculty; to other schools in which the student seeks to enroll; to authorized representatives of the Controller General of the United States; to state and local officials when such information is required; to organizations conducting studies for educational agencies; and to accrediting organizations. The college maintains a record of all those who have requested information, as well as those to whom information has been disclosed, and notes the legitimate interest these persons had in viewing the records. This record becomes part of the file and is accessible to the student.
Students who wish to review their records may contact the appropriate department head and return the Educational Record Review Card available through that office. Copies of records will be available to students at college reproduction cost.
If there are questions concerning the accuracy or interpretation of any record, the department head should be consulted. In most cases, questions will be handled in an informal manner.
Complaints against the college regarding violations of rights and privacy may be submitted in writing to the:
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office
Department of Education, FOB 6
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20202
The following information is defined as "Directory Information" and will be made available for appropriate releases:
student’s name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, religion, weight, height, year in school, dates of attendance, honor roll recipients, dates of employment, degrees and awards received and the most recent educational agency or institution attended by the student.
Students, however, may have any piece of directory information omitted from the student directory by notifying the Student Senate or the Office of Student Affairs before publication in the fall.
The college reserves the right to involve parents/guardians in any disciplinary consideration. This is in accordance with Section 485 (f) of the Higher Education Act or 20 U.S.C. 1092 (f), now known as the Jeane Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.
William Jewell College vigorously supports this legislation to protect the privacy of its students and parents. Questions concerning any aspect of this legislation should be directed to the Office of Student Affairs.
Sexual Harrassment
William Jewell College is committed to protecting the rights and dignity of all students and employees and accordingly will not tolerate sexual harassment in the classroom or workplace. All students and employees have the right to work in an atmosphere free from sexual harassment.
Rationale
Sexual harassment is a violation of federal and state law and places the college in a precarious legal position. More importantly, sexual harassment subverts the mission of the college. In both obvious and subtle ways, the possibility of harassment is destructive to individual students, faculty, staff and the academic community as a whole. When, through fear of reprisal, a student or employee is exposed to unwanted sexual attention, the college’s ability to carry out its mission is undermined.
Sexual harassment is especially serious when it threatens relationships between faculty and student or supervisor and subordinate. In such situations, sexual harassment exploits unfairly the power inherent in a faculty or supervisor’s position. The college also recognizes that harassment may occur between persons of the same status. Any behavior between or among members of the college community that creates an unacceptable or hostile working or educational environment will not be tolerated.
Definition
Sexual harassment is defined as any advance or request for sexual favors, as well as any other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that leads to negative academic or employment consequences if the student or employee does not submit. Sexual harassment may have the purpose or effect of interfering with an individual’s work or educational performance, or create an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment. Sexual harassment encompasses any sexual attention that is unwanted.
Furthermore, in the college setting, amorous relationships between faculty members and students are inappropriate when the faculty member has professional responsibility for the student. Therefore, William Jewell College will view as unprofessional faculty members’ engaging in amorous relationships with students enrolled in their classes or subject to their supervision, even when both parties may consent to the relationship.
The following types of actions may constitute sexual harassment whether the harrasser is a co-worker, supervisor or faculty member:
- deliberate assaults
- demanding sexual favors accompanied by implied threats regarding the person’s employment status or academic status and/or implied promise of preferential treatment
- unnecessary touching, patting, hugging or accidental brushes or touches
- degrading comments or jokes of a sexual nature
Complaints/Remedies
The college administration and all supervisory personnel are responsible for maintaining a work environment free of sexual harassment. Immediate and appropriate corrective action will be taken if cases of harassment occur. Employees who believe that they are being subjected to sexual harassment should bring the matter to the attention of their supervisor, if appropriate, or directly to the Academic Vice President/Dean, the Dean of Student Affairs, the Vice President for Finance and Administration, or the Director of Human Resources.
Insofar as feasible, complaints will be investigated in confidence. Attempts to resolve complaints of sexual harassment through private mediation, conciliation, and other informal means shall be made when possible. If these measures fail, a student may initiate a formal grievance with the Office of Student Affairs. The grievance must be presented to the Dean of Student Affairs in writing. The standard grievance procedures will be followed to resolve the problem and may include other members of the college’s staff, including the Director of Human Resources. Once a formal grievance has been submitted, an investigation will begin immediately.
Once a formal grievance is filed, William Jewell College will make every reasonable effort to protect the privacy of the individuals involved in consultations, informal complaints, and formal grievances insofar as it is feasible, considering William Jewell’s duty to investigate the complaint and take appropriate action.
Employees found to violate the sexual harassment policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action including, in extreme cases, termination.
Students with Disabilities
It is the policy of the college to provide equal access and educational opportunities to qualified students with physical or learning disabilities, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students requesting accommodations will need to provide appropriate, detailed documentation of: 1) a disability, which is a physical and/or learning impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; and 2) a need for accommodation, by virtue of the specific functional limitations of the disability, to have equal access to educational opportunities. William Jewell College intends to provide reasonable accommodation(s) for any documented disability that is certified as meeting eligibility requirements.
It is the responsibility of the student with a physical or learning disability who may require any type of accommodation to make the request within the first week of the academic term. Documentation of a disability must be no more than three years old. If the documentation is older than three years, a new assessment of the student’s disability must be completed. The office of Counseling Services is available to offer support and assistance in developing skills for coping with the disability as it relates to college life.
The College’s 504/Disabilities Coordinator is the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment, Rick Winslow, Ph.D. Dr. Winslow can be contacted at the following address, phone number and email address:
Rick Winslow
Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment
WJC Box 2001
500 College Hill
Liberty, MO 64068
Office Phone 816-415-5963
Additional information about disability services at William Jewell College can be found on the college website: www.jewell.edu.
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