Student Handbook - Student Rights & Responsibilities
Student Rights and Responsibilities
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
United Tribes Technical College enforces the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regarding collection, maintenance, use and dissemination of personal student information. UTTC students have the right to inspect and review their educational records maintained by the college. UTTC is not required to provide copies of records, unless for reasons such as great distance where it is impossible for students to review records. A copy fee may be required.
UTTC will not release information without prior written permission from the student. However FERPA allows the college to disclose records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR 99.31):
- School officials with legitimate educational interest;
- Other schools to which the student is transferring;
- Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;
- Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
- Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the college;
- Accrediting organizations;
- To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
- Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and
- State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to State law.
UTTC may disclose, without consent, “directory” information such as a student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, students may request that the college not disclose directory information as well. Students may contact the Financial Aid Office, Registrar, Admissions or Counseling Department if they have any questions or request to view their records.
Privacy Policy
United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) considers your personal privacy to be of utmost importance. This Privacy Policy describes our current policies and practices with regard to information we collect through www.uttc.edu , www.unitedtribestech.com (the "Sites").
Scope Of This Policy.
Certain portions of the Sites may contain notices stating that different policies and practices apply with regard to information collected through those particular portions of the Sites, and in those cases such different policies and practices shall supercede this Privacy Policy.
If you are a learner (or are applying to become a learner) at UTTC, information about you is excluded from the scope of this Privacy Policy because it is governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and UTTC’s FERPA compliance policy. This Privacy Policy does not cover any employees, faculty, contractors, consultants or agents of UTTC.
What Personal Data Does UTTC Collect About Me Through This Site?
The only Personal Data we collect through the Sites is the Personal Data you volunteer when you use these Sites, for example, the information you provide when you request a catalog or complete a survey. "Personal Data" means information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person, such as name, age and e-mail address.
How Does UTTC Use My Personal Data?
UTTC uses the Personal Data you volunteer through the Sites to provide the information, services and products you request. For example, we use the information you provide when you request a catalog to deliver the catalog to you, and we use your e-mail address to respond to your comments or questions.
In addition, we may study the Personal Data collected through the Sites to improve our programs and services, to improve the content, functionality, navigation and usability of the Sites, to better understand the needs and interests of learners, alumni and the other constituencies we serve, and to better market our programs, services and products.
From time to time, we may send you newsletters or updates, special offers, or other information about programs, services and products we believe would be of interest to you. If, at any time, you would like us to remove your name from any of our marketing lists, please contact us . We will do our best to promptly comply with your request, unless we believe that the communications at issue are necessary to administer our programs, to provide a quality online learning experience consistent with our program descriptions, or to comply with applicable law.
Does UTTC Share My Personal Data?
UTTC may share Personal Data collected through the Sites with other companies, organizations and individuals who perform certain functions on our behalf, for example, companies that provide support services to us (such as credit card processing services) or that help us market our products and services (such as colleges with whom we have referral relationships). They may need information about you in order to perform their functions. They are not authorized to use the information we share with them for any other purpose.
In addition, there are other, limited circumstances in which UTTC may share or transfer the Personal Data in our databases, for example, with your permission; when we believe it is necessary: to comply with U.S. Department of Education reporting requirements or the reporting requirements of accrediting bodies, to comply with a court order or subpoena, to comply with a legal requirement, to enforce our conditions of use and other agreements, to protect the rights, property or safety of UTTC, our users or others, to protect your vital interests, to administer our programs, to provide a quality online learning experience consistent with our program descriptions; or in the event of reorganization, dissolution or similar event. In particular, we exchange Personal Data with other companies and organizations for fraud protection and credit risk reduction.
What Statistical Data Does UTTC Collect Through This Site?
We automatically gather certain information, on an anonymous basis, about the use of our Site. For example, we may track how many visitors access our Site, the date and time of their visit, the length of their stay, which pages they view, which web browsers they use, the addresses of their Internet service providers, and the web pages from which they access our Sites. The technology we use to collect this information does not identify you personally, and we do not combine this information with other information to tell us who you are. We use this information in the aggregate to compile statistics about the use of our Sites. We may use these statistics and share them with third parties to improve the content, functionality, navigation and usability of our Sites, to better understand our constituencies and markets, and to improve our programs, services and products.
How Does UTTC Protect Personal Data?
At UTTC, we strive to maintain the integrity and security of our databases. Although UTTC cannot guarantee against any loss, misuse, unauthorized disclosure, alteration or destruction of data, we try to prevent such unfortunate occurrences. Our servers and databases are protected by firewalls and passwords. In addition, we use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software to encrypt data as it travels between your computer and our servers.
Does UTTC Collect Information From Children Through The Sites?
UTTC does not knowingly collect Personal Data from children under the age of thirteen through the Sites. If you are under thirteen, please do not give us any Personal Data. If you have reason to believe that a child has provided Personal Data to UTTC through these Sites, please contact us , and we will make an effort to delete that information from our databases.
What About Other Sites That May Be Linked To The Sites?
One of the strengths of our college is that a wide spectrum of resources, including library, is made readily available to you. As such, the Sites contain links to web sites that are not operated by UTTC. These links are provided for your reference and convenience only and do not imply any endorsement of the products sold or information provided through these sites, nor any association with their operators. UTTC does not control these sites and is not responsible for their data practices. Any information you provide to third parties on their sites is covered under their privacy and data collection policies and is not covered by this Privacy Policy. We urge you to review the privacy policy posted on any site you visit before using the site or providing any Personal Data.
Changes To This Privacy Policy.
As UTTC grows and technology advances, this Privacy Policy may need to change. UTTC will notify you of changes to this Privacy Policy by posting the revised Privacy Policy on the Sites. Your use of The Sites following any such change constitutes your agreement that all information collected from or about you through The Sites after the revised Privacy Policy is posted will be subject to the terms of the revised Privacy Policy. Please review this Privacy Policy regularly. You may access the current version of this Privacy Policy at any time by clicking on the link marked "Terms of Service" at the bottom of each page of the Sites. This Privacy Policy was last revised on November 20, 2002.
Governing Law.
This Privacy Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of North Dakota, United States of America.
UTTC Online Education
Terms of Service
Course Discussion and Personal Interactions
United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) is committed to open, frank and insightful dialogue in all of its courses, residencies and other venues of interaction and communication. Diversity has many manifestations, including diversity of thought, opinion, and values. UTTC expects all learners to be respectful of diverse perspectives and to refrain from making inappropriate comments in course discussions and personal interactions.
Learner conduct should be guided by common sense, collegiality, and basic etiquette.
The following guidelines should be followed:
- Learners may not post, transmit, promote, or distribute content that they know or could reasonably be expected to know is illegal, or content that violates copyright or other protected intellectual property rights.
- Learners may not harass, threaten, or embarrass others. Disagreements should focus on ideas, not people.
- Learners may not post, transmit, promote, or distribute content that is racially, religiously or ethnically offensive or is harmful, abusive, vulgar, sexually explicit, or otherwise potentially offensive.
Should such inappropriate comments occur, faculty will intervene. They will ask that inappropriate content be removed from the course room and will recommend College disciplinary action.
Procedure in Cases of Alleged Violations
In those cases where UTTC Terms of Service in course discussion and personal interactions have allegedly been violated, the Distance & Continuing Education Director of the school should be notified and the following procedures followed:
- The Distance & Continuing Education Director informs the Academic Dean of the allegation and consults with him/her during the ensuing process.
- The Distance & Continuing Education Director is responsible to notify the learner of the allegation and to inform her/him of UTTC’s procedures, including the learner's right to hear the charges and to defend him/herself against them.
- The Distance & Continuing Education Director will direct a preliminary investigation to determine the existence and extent of the violation. The preliminary investigation must include an unbiased review of the evidence supporting the charge, and an interview with both the person making the charge and the learner against whom the charge has been made. This preliminary investigation by the Distance & Continuing Education Director or designee is for the purpose of establishing if a charge should be referred to an appropriate school-based committee and to explain to the accused learner the College judicial process.
- If the preliminary investigation reveals no violation, the matter is closed.
- If the preliminary investigation reveals a potential violation of the UTTC Terms of Service in Course Discussion and Personal Interactions Policy, the Distance & Continuing Education Director will convene a committee including at least one faculty member to evaluate the evidence, interview the accused and other relevant parties, and make a recommendation to the Distance & Continuing Education Director.
- If the committee verifies the violation, it may
recommend one or more of the following to the Distance & Continuing
Education Director:
- Informal warning via Instructor
- Formal TOS Warning
- TOS Suspension of the learner from the course
- TOS Termination (Equivalent to Expulsion from the Course or UTTC)
- If the committee recommendation consists of any action(s) save termination, the Distance & Continuing Education Director will decide and his/her decision is final.
- If the committee recommends the learner should
be expelled and the Distance & Continuing Education Director
concurs, the Distance & Continuing Education Director will:
- Issue a letter to the learner suspending him/her from continued studies.
- Notify the Registrar’s Office of the action taken.
- Notify the Finance Office of the action in order that tuition liability may be stopped.
- Refer the matter to the Dean of Vocational and Academic Services (Dean). (If the Executive Director does not concur she/he may impose a lesser penalty and the decision is final.)
- The Dean will confer with the Hearing Committee to review the case to date and either accept or reject the expulsion recommendation. Membership on this committee will include at a minimum, a faculty member from a department other than the learner's, and a representative from Student and Campus Services Programs.
- If the committee rejects the expulsion recommendation, the matter is returned to the Distance & Continuing Education Director for action within the latter's scope of authority. The decision of the Distance & Continuing Education Director in this case is final.
- If the Hearing Committee endorses the expulsion recommendation, the learner is notified and the case referred to the Dean for final decision and action.
- The decision of the Dean is final.
United Tribes Technical College is a nonprofit corporation owned and operated by the five tribes located wholly or in part in North Dakota. Tribal owners: Three Affiliated Tribes of Ft. Berthold, Spirit Lake Tribe, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe, and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.