Student Rights

Student Rights and Responsibilities

101.01 A safe, clean, and healthy living/ learning environment at Potomac State College.

The Students of Potomac State College have the right to:

101.01.01Health and Safety

i. Sufficient lighting maintained in all campus areas; including parking areas and common areas

ii. Secure residence halls and buildings

iii. A highly trained and efficient campus Police force

iv. A campus that is free from illegal activity

v. Safe access to campus facilities

vi. Clean and sanitary living conditions that include but not limited to restrooms, dining areas, recreational centers; lounges and Student Unions, work-out centers, visitation areas, but may exclude personal living quarters (all living quarters are the responsibility of the students who are residing in them and they are obligated to maintain a clean and healthy living area as per Potomac State College Housing Policies

vii. Information that is essential to their safety on campus and in the surrounding community in order for students to be able to take steps to ensure their safety. Students should be notified as soon as possible after an event has occurred via PSC Text Alert or Clery Notices

101.01.02Professional Counseling

viii. Students will have access to educational, career, and psychological counseling services from experienced and trained professionals

101.01.03Student Health Services

ix. Students will have campus-based access to physical and mental health services from experienced, licensed professionals

101.01.04Precedence

x. In any dispute arising under this bill, the health, safety, and well-being of the students shall be given precedence

101.02 A relevant and quality education for PSC students.

The Students of Potomac State College have the right to:

xi. Professional and peer tutors though the Academic Success Center

xii. Current, state-of –the-art computer labs, science labs and smart classrooms

xiii. A library that is accessible to students with a wide array of materials

xiv. Receive a syllabus for each course at the beginning of every semester that details and documents what is expected of the course. Changes or modifications to the syllabus must be made to students by the professor in writing

xv. Receive realistic evaluations of academic standards and their performance in a course prior to the point at which one may withdraw from a course

xvi. Be informed of academic records and have access to those records in accordance with FERPA

xvii. Be exposed to an intellectually diverse learning environment that broadens the students’ horizons and provides the free exchange of ideas regarding a variety of political, ideological, and other perspectives

xviii. Teachers who are knowledgeable in their fields

101.03A living and Learning environment free of discrimination and injustice.

The Students of Potomac State College have the right to:

101.03.01Freedom of Association

xix. The students of PSC shall be free to establish clubs, organizations, or associations and join these clubs, organizations, or associations to promote their common interests with compliance with the Potomac State College of WVU Student Conduct Code

xx. Affiliation with an off-campus organization shall not in itself be cause for disqualification of student organization from institutional recognition

xxi. Campus organizations, including those affiliated with off-campus organizations, shall not exclude students on the basis of sex, religion, race, sexual orientation, creed, disability, military status, marital status, parental status, language, political opinion, national origin, social origin, property, birth, major or minor, or other status

xxii. Student clubs, organizations, or associations shall not be held responsible for the actions of its individual members when they act without the permission of that organization. No student club, organization, or association shall be penalized for its philosophies or beliefs

xxiii. If said club, organization, or association wishes to be recognized by Potomac State College’s SGA, they must abide by all rules, regulations, processes and pronouncements of SGA

xxiv. The Office of Student Involvement shall assist potential clubs, organizations, or associations to find advisors for said organization

xxv. Advisors shall advise the organization, club, or association to exercise its responsibilities but the advisor shall not have authority over the policy of that club, organization, or association

xxvi. Student clubs, organizations, or associations shall be required to submit a constitution, statement of purpose, criteria for membership, rules and procedures, and a list of current officers to the Office of Student Involvement each semester. Membership lists shall not be required as a condition of institutional recognition.

101.03.02Freedom of Inquiry and Expression

xxvii. Students shall have the right to a student press that is free of censorship

xxviii. Students shall have the right to be active participants in the governance structure of Potomac State College and to have a voice in decisions impacting student life and academics

xxix. Students have the right to question and to debate

xxx. Students have the right to request any public information in accordance with West Virginia Law, Chapter 29b: Freedom of Information

xxxi. Students have the right to engage speakers of their own choosing

xxxii. Students have the right to not have any record kept which reflects their political activities

xxxiii. Students have the right to not have any record kept on their beliefs

xxxiv. Students have the right not to be subjected to illegal search and seizures

101.04 Petition, bring forth to resolve grievances, and assemble peacefully

The Students of Potomac State College have the right to:

xxxvi. Petition or have SGA petition for them issues that violate any of the student’s rights under the SGA Constitution or that violate their rights as students

Petitions may only be initiated and signed by current students at Potomac State College campus
Only one (1) issue may be brought up at a time on a single petition
Petitioners will be allowed four weeks to complete their petition from the date initiated
The SGA Attorney General and the SGA President must be informed and consulted prior to any petitioning process. Petitions, which are initiated without informing the Attorney General and President, will be considered null and void.
Once the Formal Petition is brought to the Attorney General and President of SGA, the President will add the formal petition to the agenda of the next SGA open student body meeting.
Any issue brought forth by a Formal Petition may not bypass a discussion by the Board of Representatives; however no legislation is required to be initiated for the petition to move forward
Official petition forms are required and shall be provided by the Attorney General upon request

101.05 A Democratically-elected Student Government

The Students of Potomac State College have the right to:

xxxvii. A democratically-elected Student Government Association that represents the interests of the student body

xxxviii. An SGA that has the authority to allocate monies to student organizations via Student Organization Initiative Grants, and to enact bills, amendments, petitions, and other forms of legislation that regarding student life and educational interests of the student body

101.06 Amend

The Students of Potomac State College have the right to:

xxxix. Amend this Student Bill of Rights by a petition signed by not less than 200 of the student body and submitted to the SGA Executive and Legislative Branches

Amendments must be submitted 1 (one) full week before the next open student body meeting
Amendments will pass only when there is a 2/3 majority vote of SGA and students at the student body meetings
Amendments that pass shall become effective upon approval when signed by both SGA Speaker of the House and the SGA President

101.07 Claim our Education

The Students of Potomac State College are expected to:

xl. Attend and actively participate in class

xli. Use all resources that are provided to us to succeed

xlii. Have a positive working relationship with faculty and peers

xliii. Participate in scholarly activities

xliv. Not cheat, nor tolerate cheating

101.08 Be responsible for our actions and behaviors

The Students of Potomac State College are expected to:

xlv. Not engage in destructive behaviors

xlvi. Be a leader and set a positive example for others

xlvii. Be proactive; see something, say something.

xlviii. Not be a bystander and help others in need of assistance

xlix. Represent PSC well in the community

l. Adhere to the Potomac State College Student Conduct Code

li. Adhere to all PSC and WVU policies

101.09 Do our part to maintain a safe, clean, and healthy living and learning environment

The Students of Potomac State College are expected to:

lii. Clean up after yourself and not allow others to leave a mess

liii. Respect all College property and the property of others

liv. Report suspicious and/or illegal activity to authorities

lv. Get medical assistance for a fellow students when needed

101.10 Treat other’s fairly and respectfully

The Students of Potomac State College are expected to:

lvi. Be open to others’ views, beliefs, values, customs, etc.

lvii. Respect oneself and others

101.11 Be engaged in PSC events and activities

The Students of Potomac State College are expected to:

lviii. Join student organizations

lix. Attend College activities and events

101.12 Give back to PSC to ensure that PSC is around for future generations

The Students of Potomac State College are encouraged to:

lx. Invite prospective students to enroll at PSC

lxi. Be a positive role model to first year PSC students

lxii. Volunteer time in the community

lxiii. Remember PSC after you leave; give back financially