Policies

CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT RECORDS

Claflin University informs students of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This act was designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the rights of students to impact and review their education records and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Questions concerning the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act may be referred to the Registrar’s Office.

TRANSCRIPTS

When former students request the institution to send transcripts, the following information should be provided:

• Present name and address;
• Social security number;
• Name when a student at Claflin
• Date of entrance
• Date last attended; and
• All names used since graduation from Claflin.

A fee of $5.00, charged for each transcript after the first request, must be received before the transcript is issued.

STUDENT REGULATIONS

All students are expected to acquaint themselves, immediately upon entrance, with rules and regulations governing Claflin University and to conform to other requirements announced from time to time. A complete copy of regulations (The Student Handbook) is available upon request from the Director of the MBA Program.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Academic dishonesty in schoolwork shall encompass misconduct during testing periods (unauthorized use of eyes, voices, textbooks, papers or any other aids created for use in cheating on an examination, test, or classroom exercise) and inadequate acknowledgement of source material used in term papers, reports and other academic projects. When an instructor is convinced that a student has engaged in dishonest practices in academic work assigned to him/her, the instructor shall make a written report of this violation to the Vice Present of Student Development and Services and the student(s) involved. The report of the instructor shall include a recommendation of one of the following penalties:

• Failing grade on the work relating to the dishonest act;
• Permanent dismissal from the class in which the dishonest act took place; or
• Suspension from Claflin.

Upon receipt of this report, the Vice President for Academic Affairs shall hold a conference, which shall be attended by the accused student or his/her representation, and the instructor involved. All parties will be bound by the ruling handed down by the Vice President of Academic Affairs. However, if the instructor recommends the second or the third penalty from those listed above, the case shall be heard by the Discipline Committee through the Vice President for Student Development and Services, instead of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The foregoing or alteration of official documents shall be treated as academic dishonesty and shall include the recommendation of the third penalty from those listed above.

After a case has been heard and appealed, it may not be heard again unless significant new evidence has been produced by either side. Cases in which the first penalty from those listed above is handed down may not be appealed.

POLICY CONCERNING DRUGS

Claflin forbids the possession, sale, transfer, or use by a Claflin student of any narcotic or intoxicating or hallucinogenic drug made illegal by laws of the United States or the State of South Carolina.

When a Claflin student is convicted by a court of the breach of such drug laws committed away from the institution, Claflin reserves the right to terminate permanently the registration of such student through appropriate disciplinary proceedings instituted against him/her.

Where the violation of said laws shall take place on the campus of the institution, Claflin will institute disciplinary procedure

POLICY CONCERNING SEXUAL ASSAULT

Claflin will not tolerate sexual assault in any form, including stranger rape, date rape or acquaintance rape. Where there is probable cause to believe that the institution’s regulations prohibiting sexual assault have been violated, the institution will pursue strong disciplinary actions through its own channels. This policy applies to all full-time and part-time students. Students who violate this policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action which may include counseling, disciplinary probation, suspension, expulsion and referral to the proper law enforcement authorities for prosecution.

A student charged with sexual assault can be prosecuted under South Carolina criminal statutes and disciplined for violating the Claflin Student Code of Conduct. Even if the criminal justice authorities choose not to prosecute, Claflin can pursue disciplinary action. The institution encourages all members of the Claflin community to be aware of both the consequences of sexual assault and the options available to victims/survivors. For more information, contact the Office of the Vice President for Student Development and Services. Claflin encourages the reporting of all incidents of sexual assault to the Security Office. The off-campus resource is CASA/Family Systems, the local rape crisis center.

POLICY CONCERNING SEXUAL HARASSMENT

It is the policy of Claflin that all employees and students have a right to work, and/or study in an environment free of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender or disability.

Any form of harassment is strongly disapproved, including sexual harassment of employees or students in any form. All faculty, employees and students must avoid offensive or inappropriate sexual and/or sexually harassing behavior at work and will be held responsible for insuring that the workplace is free from sexual or other harassment.

Specifically, Claflin prohibits the following:

Unwelcome sexual advances (such as date rape). Individuals must understand that “No” means “No".

Requests for sexual favors, whether or not accompanied by promises or threats with regard to the employment or academic relationship.

Verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature made to any employee or student that may threaten or insinuate either explicitly or implicitly that any employee’s submission to or rejection of sexual advances will in any way influence any personal or academic decision regarding that person’s employment, evaluation, wages, advancement, assigned duties, shifts or any other condition of employment, career or academic development.

Any verbal or physical conduct that has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with the employees or student’s ability to do his/her job.

Any verbal or physical conduct that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working or academic environment.

Such conduct may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

Other sexually harassing conduct in the workplace, whether physical or verbal, committed by supervisors or non-supervisory personnel is also prohibited. This behavior includes, but is not limited to, commentary about an individual’s body, sexually degrading words to describe an individual, offensive comments, off-color language or jobs, innuendoes and sexually suggestive objects, hooks, magazine, photographs, cartoons and pictures.

Employees and/or students who have complaints of sexual harassment by anyone, including any supervisors, co-employees, faculty/instructors, students or visitors, are urged to report such conduct to the Vice President for Student Development Services. Claflin will investigate all complaints expeditiously and professionally. Where investigations confirm the allegations, appropriate corrective actions will be taken.

Claflin will handle all information relating to the complaint and investigation as confidentially as possible.

There will be no retaliation against employees or students for reporting sexual harassment or assisting in the investigation of a complaint. However, if, after investigating any complaint of harassment or unlawful discrimination, Claflin learns that an employee or student has provided false information regarding the complaint, disciplinary action may be taken against the individual who provided the false information.