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Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School - Official Policies
Governance
Preservation of a legacy calls for wise and careful leadership. We are
governed by a 27-member Board of Regents (21 elected by the Evangelical
Free Church of America Annual Conference delegates and 6 appointed by
the Board of Regents) who carry the responsibility for the successful
conduct of the school and for cooperation with local congregations of
the EFCA. One-third of its members are reelected or replaced at the Annual
Conference each year.
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Academic
Integrity
The community at Trinity International University promotes a commitment
to integrity in all areas of life. Academic integrity is essential in
the search for and promotion of truth. This pursuit of truth, while being
an important goal in itself, is integrally connected with other essential
beliefs foundation to the Trinity community: (1) all individuals, being
in the image of God, are to be respected for their intellectual contributions;
(2) the use of one's God-given talents is the responsibility of every
individual, and, for the Christian, excellence is a sacrifice to the Lord
Jesus Christ to the glory of God; and (3) relationships within our community
are to be nurtured in an environment of trust.
Therefore, any form of plagiarism and cheating will not be condoned within
the Trinity community. Plagiarism, whether intentional or indirect, gives
the impression that the words or ideas in a person's writings are one's
own, whereas in reality they are taken from someone else's written or
oral presentation(s), even when a reference to the original source is
made in footnotes or bibliography. Cheating is an expression of fraud
and deception, as the student gives the impression of doing better on
quizzes or exams than he or she deserves.
Plagiarism or cheating has a negative effect on the Trinity community
in that it does not promote truth, breaks the relationship of trust, does
not encourage the individual to develop his or her creative talents, and
erodes the moral fiber so vital in an academic community. For a further
description, see the Student Handbook.
Any student who breaks the standard of academic integrity by cheating
or plagiarism will be dealt with severely by the faculty and staff and
will be reported to the Dean of Students. This may result in a failure
of the course, expulsion from the institution, or a revocation of a degree
already granted by Trinity.
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Copyright
Policy
The Copyright Permissions Act of 1976 as it may have been or will be amended
from time to time requires that permission to reproduce copyrighted materials
be obtained from the copyright owner except under very limited circumstances.
Faculty, staff, and students of Trinity are expected to comply with the
provisions of the state and federal intellectual property laws, such as
the Copyright Act. Procedures for obtaining copyright permissions for
course materials have been established and should be followed. Copies
of this procedure and other information explaining the Copyright Act as
it pertains to copying both course materials and material for personal
use are available through the Academic Dean's office.
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Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
The purpose of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Public
Law 93-380) is to ensure access to educational records for students and
parents while protecting privacy of such records and to control the careless
release of educational information.
In accordance with requirements established by the Act also commonly
known as the "Buckley Amendment," Trinity International University
hereby provides notice of intention to comply fully with the Act and also
provides notice to students of their rights under the Act.
In general, the purpose of the Act is to give presently or formerly enrolled
students access to their individual educational records maintained at
Trinity and to protect such student's right to privacy by limiting the
transfer of their records without their consent. "Educational records"
are defined as those records, files, documents, and other materials directly
related to a student that are maintained by Trinity, or by a person acting
for Trinity, in the normal course of business. The Records Office has
a full copy of the Act should you desire to review it in full.
The Act clarifies that an institution is not required to grant access
to students to certain materials, including the following:
1. Private notes and other materials created by Trinity's personnel,
provided they are not revealed to another individual.
2. Medical, psychiatric, or similar records created or maintained by a
physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, (or other recognized professional
acting in such capacity) that are used solely in connection with treatment
purposes and only available to recognized professionals in connection
with such treatment (provided, however, that a physician or other appropriate
professional of the student's choice may review such records).
3. Law enforcement records, which are kept separate from education records,
are maintained for law enforcement purposes only, and are available only
to law enforcement officials. (In each case, student access to such records
is at the sole discretion of the
individual who maintains these materials.)
It should also be noted that the Act specifically indicates that the
legislation does not alter the confidentiality of communications otherwise
protected by law. To ensure that the school does not compromise the rights
of individuals enjoyed prior to the enactment of the legislation, students
and alumni will not be permitted access to materials of an evaluative
nature that were received or placed in files prior to November 19, 1974.
Additionally, as provided by the Act, students shall not have the right
to see confidential letters and statements of recommendation placed in
educational records prior to January 1, 1975, provided that they are used
only for the purposes for which they were intended. The Act further stipulates
that students do not have the right to see financial records of their
parents.
As provided by the legislation, students may voluntarily waive their
rights of access to confidential recommendations on or after January 1,
1975, in three areas: admissions, job placement, and receipt of awards.
Under no circumstances, however, can a student be required to waive this
right.
The legislation also makes clear that the parent or legal guardian of
a dependent student, as defined for Federal Income Tax purposes, has a
right to information about his or her child without the school's having
to seek the student's consent. Thus, upon the written request of a parent
or legal guardian of a dependent student, the school will honor this right
to the extent that it is required by law.
As provided by the Act, the school retains the right to publish at its
discretion the following categories of information with respect to each
student presently or previously attending the school: the student's name,
address, telephone listing, major field of study, participation in officially
recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic
teams, dates of attendance, class level, honors, certificates, degrees
and dates conferred, and the most recent previous educational agency or
institution attended by the student. Students have a right to inform the
school within a reasonable period of time that any or all of this so-called
"directory information" should not be released without their
prior consent. Requests by the student to suppress from public distribution
the above-mentioned information are to be made annually. As required by
the Act, the school hereby provides public notice of its intention to
publish this type of information in the annual directory.
In complying with the legislation, the school has adopted the procedures
and policies below, in addition to those noted on the previous page:
A. Except for those parties stated below, no one shall have access to
education records without the written consent of the student concerned.
The exceptions to the consent requirement are as follows:
1. Other university officials, including faculty, who have legitimate
educational interests
2. Officials of other schools or school systems in which the student intends
to enroll, upon condition that the student is notified of the transfer,
receives a copy of the record if desired, and has an opportunity for a
hearing to challenge the content of the record
3. Those representatives of the federal government and the state who are
identified in the "Act," provided that any data so released
are not to include information (including social security numbers) that
would permit the personal identification of the students unless otherwise
specifically provided by federal law
4. Those who serve in connection with the student's application for, or
receipt of, financial aid
5. State and local officials or authorities to which such information
is specifically required to be reported or disclosed pursuant to state
statute adopted prior to November 19, 1974
6. Organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, educational
agencies or institutions for the purpose of developing, validating, or
administering predictive tests, administering student aid programs, and
improving instruction if such studies are conducted in such a manner as
will not permit the personal identification of students and their parents
by persons other than representatives of such organizations, and such
information will be destroyed when no longer required for the purpose
for which it is conducted
7. Accrediting organizations in order to carry out their accrediting functions,
or by the dean of students or the emergency dean, designated to act in
an emergency to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons
8. To parents of a dependent student as defined in Section 152 of the
Internal Revenue Code
9. To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena, subject
to the notice provisions of the law
10. In connection with a health or safety emergency
11. Information that has been designated as "directory information"
12. To the parent of a student who is not an eligible student or to the
student
13. To an alleged victim of any crime of evidence, as that term is defined
in Section 16 of Title 18, United States Code, of the results of any disciplinary
proceeding conducted by an institution of post secondary education against
the alleged perpetrator of that
crime with respect to that crime
B. Records (usually only transcripts) released to any organization, agency,
or individual at a student's request shall be transmitted with a notice
informing the recipient that such information is released only on the
condition that the recipient will not permit any other party to have access
to such information without the written consent of the student.
C. Each office that maintains education records shall maintain a record
for each student that shall list all individuals (except institution officials
described above), agencies, or organizations that have requested or obtained
access to such student's education record.
D. A student may inspect material belonging to his or her education record
solely at the office that is responsible for maintaining such information.
Any Trinity employee may require that the student inspect that record
only in the presence of the professional or staff person qualified to
assist in interpreting the information.
Each Trinity department has the ultimate responsibility for establishing
appropriate procedures; however, each Trinity department has been instructed
to ask that the student's request be made in writing, and where appropriate,
in person. On request, the student may be required to identify him- or
herself in filing a request prior to having access to his or her records.
The student is obligated to examine the record during reasonable hours
at the place the record is maintained and not to interfere with the operation
of the office in which the record is being maintained. Under the Act,
the school has 45 days from the time of request until it must comply with
the request.
Copies of records accessible to students shall be transmitted to the
student upon payment of the established fee for issuing such copies. The
Act does not preclude the school's right to destroy any records if not
otherwise precluded by law, unless prior to destruction the student has
requested access. In fact, there is general encouragement to reduce the
number of records so that destruction of records is consistent with the
spirit of the law.
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Auxiliary
Aids and Services for Students with Disabilities
In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of the
Divinity School to provide effective auxiliary aids, services, and academic
adjustments to qualified students with disabilities. The Dean of Students
acting as the institution's ADA coordinator assists students with disabilities
in obtaining auxiliary aids and services. The Dean of Students in consultation
with the Academic Department Chair or School Director and faculty member(s)
involved assists students with disabilities by making academic adjustments.
Academic adjustments are determined on a case-by-case basis and are subject
to review by the Academic Dean.
It is the policy of the Divinity School as outlined by the ADA to require
from the students supporting diagnostic test results and professional
prescriptions for auxiliary aids and services, particularly for those
students with hidden disabilities. Documentation for medical/physical
disabilities may be satisfied by a physician's statement that includes,
but is not limited to, description of the disability and the limitations
it poses for the student. Documentation for hidden disabilities, such
as specific learning disabilities, poor hearing, or impaired vision, may
include the results of medical, psychological, emotional diagnostic tests,
or other professional evaluations to verify the need for auxiliary aids,
services, or academic adjustments.
For students with specific learning disabilities, the following is considered
reasonable documentation:
1. It must be prepared by a professional qualified to diagnose a learning
disability, including but not limited to, a licensed physician, learning
disability specialist, or psychologist.
2. It must include the testing procedures followed, the instruments used
to assess the disability, the test results, and an interpretation of the
test results. If, for example, the disability requires additional time
for taking examinations, documentation must state the specific amount
of time needed.
3. It must reflect the student's present achievement level, be as comprehensive
as possible, and dated no more than three years prior to the student's
request for auxiliary aids, services, or academic adjustments. Extenuating
circumstances may justify reliance on older documentation. The achievement
test should sample reading, math/reasoning, writing, adequately measure
cognitive abilities using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised
or equivalent, and adequately measure academic achievement using the Woodcock-Johnson
Part II, Wide Range Achievement Test, Nelson-Danny or equivalent.
4. It must include test results for the following characteristics: intelligence,
vocabulary, reading rate, reading comprehension, memory, and processing
skills. The diagnosis must conform to federal and state regulations.
Students with disabilities who believe that their request for auxiliary
aids, services, or academic adjustments have not been appropriately addressed
by the Dean of Students, should direct their complaints to the Senior
Vice President for Student Life or, in his or her absence, to the Executive
Vice President.
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Grievance
Procedure for Discriminatory and Sexual Harassment
Complaints
It is the policy of Trinity International University not to discriminate
on the basis of age, disability, color, national origin, race, or sex
in student admission and recruitment, educational policies, scholarship
and loan programs, employment, and school-administered programs in accordance
with applicable laws. It is Trinity's intent to comply with both the letter
and the spirit of Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments, of Title
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, of Section SOL of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, and of all equal opportunity laws and regulations.
In compliance with these provisions, we have established a set grievance
procedure to be followed should a discriminatory or harassment situation
occur. The Student Services Office will be glad to assist you in any such
matters and has available for all students a written copy of the official
grievance procedures to be followed.
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Drug-free
Environment
Trinity is committed to the maintenance of a drug-free environment. We
believe that the implementation of a drug-free environment is for the
protection of students and employees of Trinity, and we have established
the following policy designed to maintain such an atmosphere:
1. The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or
use of a controlled substance is prohibited on the campus in general.
2. Employees or students found to be in violation of a drug-free environment
will be subject to appropriate action, including termination or expulsion.
3. If you become aware of a violation of this policy, you are encouraged
to report it to the Dean of Students immediately so that the matter can
be investigated promptly.
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Immunization
Requirements
These requirements are designed to prevent the introduction and spread
of vaccine-preventable diseases on our campus and the surrounding community.
For more information regarding
immunizations, contact the Immunization Coordinator or the Student Services
Office.
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Firearms
For the safety of all concerned, campus regulations require that no firearms
or fireworks are to be kept on the campus. Weapons of any kind are not
permitted on campus. You may contact the Dean of Students/Student Services
Office for clarification on specific items. Violators of this regulation
will face disciplinary action, which may include dismissal without refund.
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Referenda
and Petitions
Students wishing to initiate petitions or referenda are to work with the
Dean of Students and the Student Government Association. All referenda
and petitions must be submitted to the Dean of Students and approved by
the President's Advisory Cabinet before being distributed or circulated.
All items posted on campus by students must be approved and stamped by
the Student Services Coordinator.
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Posters
and Notices
All items posted on campus by students must be approved and stamped by
the Student Services Coordinator.
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Soliciting
No soliciting is permitted on campus and violations of this should be
reported to the Dean of Students. However, Trinity residents who wish
to sell merchandise or services on campus should contact the Dean of Students/Student
Services Office first to receive permission.
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Vehicles
Any motor vehicle parked on campus during business hours must display
a Trinity parking permit, available from Security Services. Parking permit
restrictions are in effect from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday,
except resident parking lots, which are always restricted. Temporary permits
are available without charge for visitors and for students who will be
using a vehicle for less than one month. Residents having two vehicles
on campus must obtain Trinity parking permits for each, and the second
vehicle must be parked only in areas specified by Security Services. Anyone
expecting guests is responsible to obtain a temporary parking permit for
them.
Unlicensed or inoperable vehicles may not be stored at Trinity and may
be removed from campus at the owner's expense, plus a $25 fine. Vehicles
that have received two warning citations to obtain a Trinity permit also
may be towed off campus at the owner's expense. Rental trucks or trailers
require parking permits and may be parked temporarily where designated
by Security. Drivers are encouraged to review campus parking regulations
and to contact Security with any questions related to parking matters.
Effective for the 2001 fall semester, Freshmen are not allowed to have
a motor vehicle on campus. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
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