Sam Houston State University (SHSU) publishes and disseminates information concerning students’ rights and responsibilities. The current publications are the Student Guidelines [1], published through the Dean of Students’ Office in the Division of Student Affairs, the Academic Policy Manual [2], the Faculty Handbook [3], the undergraduate [4] and graduate catalogs [5], and the SHSU Online website.
Student Guidelines
The Student Guidelines document is the primary publication informing students of their rights and responsibilities and is applicable to all students, regardless of level or modality. All incoming freshmen are informed of this publication and its online location during mandatory New Student Orientation [6]. Transfer students who attend Transfer Orientation [7] are also informed of the Student Guidelines document and its online location. The Student Guidelines is reviewed and revised each year by division administrators to reflect current campus policies and procedures. The Student Guidelines document is available to students online through the Dean of Students’ Office website [8]. Hard copies of the Student Guidelines are available upon request from the Dean of Students’ Office. The Student Guidelines includes policies and procedures on such topics as student rights to due process, privacy rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), rights of victims of sexual offenses (Sexual Misconduct Code [9]), non-discrimination policies, formal mediation, Conceal Carry Campus Policy, The Hazing Act [10], Student Conduct and Discipline, and the Student Right-To-Know and Campus Security Act.
Academic Policy Manual and Faculty Handbook
The Division of Academic Affairs publishes the Academic Policy Manual [2] and the Faculty Handbook [3]. Within the Academic Policy Manual are academic policy statements relating to students’ rights and responsibilities on such topics as academic grievances, admission standards, academic dishonesty, student absences on religious holy days, academic probation and suspension, academic scholarships, prerequisites, and transfer grades and courses. For those student policies in which faculty are closely involved, reference is also provided within the Faculty Handbook. The Faculty Handbook is disseminated to the SHSU faculty and contains information about student rights and responsibilities on such topics as academic grievance procedures, academic dishonesty, academic probation and suspension, and class attendance. Both the Academic Policy Manual and the Faculty Handbook are available via the Academic Affairs website [11].
Academic Catalogs
The undergraduate [4] and graduate [5] catalogs are published annually by the Office of Academic Planning and Assessment. Both catalogs provide descriptions and reference to a variety of student rights and responsibilities. Within the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the catalogs is information relating to such topics as admission standards, registration requirements, scholastic requirements, class attendance, academic probation and suspension, academic grievances, the Academic Policy Manual, and the Student Guidelines [12].
SHSU Online Policies
In addition to the documents as described above, students enrolled in distance learning courses also receive information about rights and responsibilities through the Policies section of the SHSU Online Campus website [13]. Included are references to academic integrity [14], ADA compliance [15], the student complaint process [16], and online attendance and participation [17].