College Policies

Diversity Statement

We at Goucher College are dedicated to social justice, diversity, and multiculturalism as fundamental components of our mission and ethos. We champion an inclusive community, embrace and respect different perspectives, and value diversity in all its forms and intersections, including ability, age, culture, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, nationality, race, religious and spiritual belief, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Understanding that power, privilege, and other forces of inequality play a role in shaping our individual and collective experiences and identities, we are committed to productive dialogue and meaningful action in addressing our differences. We approach this ongoing work with courage, integrity, care, and respect.

Nondiscrimination Notice

Goucher College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, religion, sex, age, marital status, or disability in its programs and activities. The college has adopted a Nondiscrimination Policy and Grievance Procedure that is available online. Inquiries or grievances concerning Goucher’s compliance with these laws and regulations or with the Nondiscrimination Policy should be addressed to the Title IX Coordinator, Dorsey Center, Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore, MD 21204-2794; telephone, 410-337-6570; e-mail, titleixcoordinator@goucher.edu.

Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence, and Stalking

In compliance with Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance, Goucher College has a comprehensive policy on sexual misconduct (including sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation), relationship violence (including domestic and dating violence), and stalking, which provides important protections and information for victims and survivors, as well as disciplinary procedures and sanctions for individuals who are found to have violated the policy. The policy includes a complaint process, consisting of both informal and formal procedures. Inquiries or grievances concerning Goucher’s compliance with Title IX should be addressed to the Title IX Coordinator, Dorsey Center, Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore, MD 21204-2794; telephone, 410-337-6570; email, titleixcoordinator@goucher.edu.

Disability Support Services for Students

Disabilities

In keeping with its mission, diversity statement, and community principles, and as required by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Goucher College does not discriminate on the basis of disability. The college has adopted a Nondiscrimination Policy and Grievance Procedure. Inquiries or grievances concerning Goucher’s compliance with these laws and regulations or with the Nondiscrimination Policy should be addressed to the Title IX Coordinator, Dorsey Center, Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore, MD 21204-2794; telephone, 410-337-6570; e-mail, titleixcoordinator@goucher.edu.

Disability Support Services

Goucher College welcomes qualified students with disabilities. The college provides reasonable accommodations for academically qualified students with disabilities so that they can access the college’s programs and activities.  Goucher adheres to all applicable federal and local laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations; however, like all institutions of higher education, Goucher is not required to provide accommodations that fundamentally alter its educational programs.

The college evaluates requests for accommodations on an individual basis, and reasonable accommodations are provided for qualified students with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. The college provides academic support services for all students through the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) and the student-staffed Writing Center. Students with disabilities are strongly encouraged to take advantage of these resources. The curriculum represents Goucher’s definition of a sound liberal arts education, and student with disabilities are expected to make a good-faith effort to complete the requirements.

If a student cannot complete a requirement because of a documented disability, he/she may petition the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies, with the assistance of the director of accessibility services, for an appropriate substitution. Accessible Classrooms: Any student who needs his/her classes scheduled in an accessible classroom should preregister and notify the director of accessibility services of this need.

Special Housing Needs: Any student who believes he/she has special housing needs based on a documented disability must submit an Accommodations Request Form, which is available on the college website,  and parts of which must be completed by the student’s healthcare provider. Requests will be considered by the director of accessibility services. Reasonable accommodations will be made as appropriate. Assignments to a specific residence hall cannot be guaranteed.

Incoming students with documented disabilities who wish to request accommodations must complete the Accommodation Request Form (which can be downloaded from the college website) and submit it with the appropriate documentation to the director of accessibility services, Goucher College,1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore, MD 21204.

To ensure the college is able to meet the needs of students with disabilities in a timely manner, documentation and diagnosis of a specific disability should be completed by a healthcare provider and submitted to the director of accessibility services before the beginning of the semester in which the student is requesting the accommodations. Appropriate documentation will help the student to better understand his/her learning needs in a higher education setting and will assist the student and the disabilities specialist in making informed decisions about academic accommodations so that an “Agreement for Students with Disabilities” can be developed in a timely manner. For students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorders, a psychoeducational evaluation may be required. Information is available on the college website. Students with physical and/or sensory disabilities are encouraged to submit appropriate medical or clinical documentation that identifies the student’s current disability and specifies the recommended academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids.

International Students

Goucher College is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students.

Veterans

Under the provisions of the various federal laws pertaining to veterans educational benefits, Goucher College is authorized to provide for the education of qualified veterans and, when eligible, for the spouses and children of deceased or disabled veterans. Students eligible for veterans benefits must apply for admission, pay their bills, and register in the same manner as non-veteran students. Reimbursement is made by the Department of Veterans Affairs. To receive benefits, students must qualify for benefits and must comply with the rules that have been established by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the policies currently in effect at Goucher. Students receiving benefits must pursue a program of courses that leads to the exact educational objective listed on the student’s VA Enrollment Form. Continuation of VA payments is contingent upon the student’s meeting the college’s academic standards for all students. The student must also meet any standards of progress that may be established by VA regulations. Goucher participates in the Yellow Ribbon and Principles of Excellence programs. Further information may be found on the website of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Questions may be directed to the Office of Student Financial Aid in Student Administrative Services.

TITLE 38 COMPLIANCE STATEMENT OF POLICY

• A Covered Individual who is entitled to educational assistance under Chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or Chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill® Benefits is permitted to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to Goucher College a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Chapter 31 or 33 (a “certificate of eligibility” can also include a “Statement of Benefits” obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) website  e-Benefits, or a VAF 28-1905 form for chapter 31 authorization purposes) and ending on the earlier of the following dates: 1. The date on which payment from VA is made to the instituion; 2. 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.
• Goucher College will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to Goucher College due to the delayed disbursement funding from VA under Chapter 31 or 33.

Military Call to Active Duty

When students are called to active duty in the United States Armed Forces, Goucher College wishes to provide as much assistance as possible. Policies and procedures have been developed in order to minimize disruptions or inconveniences for students fulfilling their military responsibilities. Students should consult the Veterans’ Readmission Policy for more information.

Student Records and FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are as follows:

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 Student Administrative Services, the dean of students, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The college official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the college official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

2. The right to request amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students should write the college official responsible for the record, clearly identify 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 procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Goucher College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the agency that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202-5920.

4. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA or any superseding law authorizes disclosure without consent. One such exception 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 the Office of Public Safety and Health Center staff;

· A contractor, consultant, volunteer, or other party to whom the college has outsourced an institutional service or function which the college would otherwise use employees to perform (e.g. an attorney or auditor, a collection agency, the National Student Clearinghouse), provided that party is under the direct control of the college with respect to the use and maintenance of education records;

· Individuals serving on the Board of Trustees;

· Students serving on official boards or committees such as the Academic Honor Board, the Student Judicial Board, or a grievance committee; or

· A person 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 education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the college discloses educational records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. Disclosure without consent is also permitted for information designated by the college as directory information. As permitted by FERPA, without prior consent of the student the college may, at its discretion, disclose as directory information the student’s:

• name,
• local address, telephone number, and campus e-mail address,
• home address and telephone number,
• date and place of birth,
• photograph,
• participation in officially recognized activities and sports,
• height and weight of members of athletic teams,
• dates of attendance,
• enrollment status (e.g., undergraduate or graduate, full-time or part-time),
• graduation date or anticipated date of graduation,
• degree(s) conferred,
• major and minor field of study,
• awards and honors (e.g., Dean’s List),
• previous institution(s) attended, and/or
• class (e.g., sophomore).

A student may request that all of this information not be released by filing a written request to that effect with the Office of the Registrar in Student Administrative Services by the end of the first full week of classes. Requests for non-disclosure will be honored by the college for no more than one academic year. Reauthorization to withhold Directory Information must be filed annually in the Registrar’s Office in Student Administrative Services.  Such requests do not prevent disclosure of the student’s name, institutional e-mail address, or electronic identifier in the student’s physical or electronic classroom. Students should carefully consider the consequences of any decision to withhold any category of directory information. It will require that any future requests for such information from non-institutional persons or organizations be denied, and will prevent such information from being included in the Student Directory. Further information about FERPA can be found on the college website.

As of January 3, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education’s FERPA regulations expand the circumstances under which your education records and personally identifiable information (PII) contained in such records - including your Social Security Number, grades, or other private information - may be accessed without your consent. First, the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities (“Federal and State Authorities”) may allow access to your records and PII without your consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program. The evaluation may relate to any program that is “principally engaged in the provision of education,” such as early childhood education and job training, as well as any program that is administered by an education agency or institution. Second, Federal and State Authorities may allow access to your education records and PII without your consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain cases even when we object to or do not request such research. Federal and State Authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security promises from the entities that they authorize to receive your PII, but the Authorities need not maintain direct control over such entities. In addition, in connection with Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, State Authorities may collect, compile, permanently retain, and share without your consent PII from your education records, and they may track your participation in education and other programs by linking such PII to other personal information about you that they obtain from other Federal or State data sources, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice, military service, and migrant student records systems.

Student Grievance and Complaint Procedures

Goucher College makes every effort to resolve student complaints internally, using policies and procedures outlined by the College.

If the complaint cannot be resolved informally, students are encouraged to use Goucher’s Student Grievance Procedure. Other policies and procedures may apply, depending on the nature of the complaint. These include the following:

• Goucher’s Non-Discrimination Policy
• Goucher’s Policy on Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence and Stalking
• Goucher’s Whistlebower Policy

External Student Complaint Procedures

If the complaint is not resolved internally, students may wish to file a complaint with one of the following agencies:

• The Maryland Higher Education Commission

MHEC is the State of Maryland’s higher education coordinating board responsible for establishing statewide policies for Maryland public and private colleges and universities and for-profit career schools. MHEC also administers state financial aid programs that affect students on a statewide basis.

Information about how to file a complaint can be found on MHEC’s website.

Associate Director of Career and Workforce Education

Maryland Higher Education Commission

6 N. Liberty Street, 10th Floor

Baltimore, MD 21201

FAX: 410-332-0270

Email: PCS.MHEC@maryland.gov

• The Middle States Commission on Higher Education

The Commission on Higher Education is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education to conduct accreditation and pre-accreditation (candidacy status) activities for institutions of higher education in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including distance education and correspondence education programs offered at those institutions. Students may file a complaint with the Commission.

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

3624 Market Street, 2nd Floor West

Philadelphia, PA 19104

Phone: (267) 284-5000

Consumer Protection

A complaint pertaining to potential violations of consumer protection law may be submitted to:

Consumer Protection Division

Office of the Attorney General

200 Saint Paul Place

Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Telephone: 410-528-8662

http://www.oag.state.md.us/Consumer/complaint.htm

Discrimination

A complaint concerning discrimination may be submitted to:

Office for Civil Rights, Philadelphia Office

U.S. Department of Education

100 Penn Square East, Suite 515

Philadelphia, PA 19107-3323

Telephone: 215-656-8541

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/howto.html

Loss of Student Eligibility for Federal Aid Due to Drug-related Offenses

A student who has been convicted of any offense under any federal or state law involving the possession or sale of a controlled substance for conduct that occurred during a period of enrollment in which federal student aid was received shall not be eligible to receive federal student aid (including any grant, loan, or work assistance) during the period beginning on the date of such conviction and ending after the interval specified in the following table:

Students convicted of both possession and sale of a controlled substance may be ineligible for federal student aid for longer periods of time.

Rehabilitation

A student whose eligibility has been suspended regains eligibility the day after the period of ineligibility ends or when the student satisfactorily completes a drug rehabilitation program that is approved by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

Annual Security Report

In accordance with the Clery Act, Goucher College publishes an annual security report disclosing campus security policies and three years of selected crime statistics, as well as information about crimes that might pose a threat to the community, basic rights that must be accorded to victims of sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking, and the college policy regarding alcoholic beverages and substance abuse. A printed copy of the report is available, upon request, at the Office of Public Safety. Goucher’s Annual Security Report includes the Fire Safety Report.

Other Policies

College rules and policies regarding other matters, such as computer use, withdrawal and leave-of-absence procedures, the Student Code of Conduct, and the Academic Honor Code, can be found in the Campus Handbook.

Title II 2012-13 Academic Year Report Card Single-Assessment Pass-Rate Data: Regular Teacher Preparation Program

According to Section 207 of the Title II of the federal Higher Education Act, each Institution of Higher Education is required to publish students’ results on the teacher licensing examination, known as Praxis. The following link describes both undergraduate and graduate students’ scores on the Praxis test(s): http://www.goucher.edu/about/consumer-information.