Student Rights and Responsibilities

Schoolcraft College was established in 1961 by the voters of the College District to make education beyond the high school level available to students interested in, and capable of benefiting from, such an education. The members of the Board of Trustees are the elected representatives of the College District electorate and are charged with making policies to achieve College objectives. Schoolcraft College recognizes its obligation to be responsive to the needs and concerns of the individual student, the student body and the community at large. Schoolcraft College cannot condone or support any action or activity by an individual or group that impinges on the rights of others, whether these individuals are members of the student body or the community at large.

Student Responsibilities

Students should understand that with each right they enjoy comes a corresponding duty and responsibility. No student should take any action that will restrict other individuals from pursuing their educational goals, or that will in any way interfere with the Board of Trustees and its representatives in the performance of their duties and responsibilities. Students are responsible for maintaining satisfactory standards of conduct and/or scholarship. We expect students to familiarize themselves with existing College regulations, including the Student Code of Conduct, and conduct themselves as responsible citizens at all times. Students who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner will be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct that may include suspension and/or dismissal from the College.

Student Rights

Members of the student body enjoy the same rights and privileges guaranteed to them as citizens of the United States and as residents of the State of Michigan. Such basic rights as freedom of speech, freedom of worship and right of due process are in no way curtailed by existing policies and procedures. As a member of the Schoolcraft College community, a student is free to take advantage of all the educational opportunities available and to participate in all extracurricular activities sponsored by the College.

For each course in which they are enrolled, students are guaranteed a fair and proper evaluation of their academic efforts. Students are free to join any group with which they seek to be associated, to examine and discuss matters of particular interest to them and to support any cause—both on and off campus—that does not disrupt the orderly operation of the College.

Student Privacy Rights

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 protects the privacy of educational records, establishes the right of students to inspect and review their educational records and provides guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data. Each year the College notifies students of these privacy rights and outlines the public information that can be released outside the institution.

No one outside the institution shall have access to nor will the institution disclose any information, other than directory information, from students’ educational records without the written consent of the student. (Use the FERPA Information Release Authorization form to give consent.) Exceptions permitted under FERPA include information released to qualified persons within the institution, officials of other institutions in which students seek to enroll, persons or organizations providing student financial aid, accrediting agencies carrying out their accreditation function, persons in compliance with a judicial order and in an emergency to protect the health or safety of students or other persons.

Students wishing to review their educational records must file a written request with the Registrar. Records covered by FERPA will be made available within 30 days of the receipt of the request. The right to a review or hearing under the Act does not include any right to challenge the appropriateness of a grade as determined by the instructor. However, students may use this process to verify that the instructor’s grade has been properly transmitted to the student’s records.

Students may not inspect or review the following as outlined by FERPA: Financial information submitted by their parents; confidential letters and recommendations associated with admissions, employment, job placement or honors to which they have waived their rights of inspection and review; or educational records containing information about more than one student, in which case the institution will permit access only to the part of the record which pertains to the inquiring student.

If an individual student feels that his or her official records are inaccurate, misleading or otherwise inappropriate, the student may discuss his/her concerns informally with the person(s) in charge of the records involved. If these persons agree with the student, the appropriate records will be amended. If not, the student will be notified within a reasonable period of time that the records will not be amended, and also will be informed by the Dean of Student Services of the student’s right to a formal hearing.

At its discretion, the College is authorized to release directory information including the student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, enrollment status, degrees and awards received and the most recent educational agency or institution attended. Students may request that this information be withheld by notifying the Registrar in writing.