Student Rights & Responsibilities

Campus Safety & Clery Act

Guilford Technical Community College is concerned about the safety, welfare, and protection of all students, faculty, staff, visitors, and college property. The college is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for everyone. A college community, like any other community, experiences accidents, crimes, and injuries. No wall exists to protect the college from dangers that exist in the surrounding community. Unfortunately, absolute safety cannot be guaranteed to anyone. Therefore, students, staff, and visitors are also responsible for taking measures to protect themselves and their possessions.

The GTCC Police Department offers crime prevention and other educational programs to help deter crime and raise safety awareness within the college community. For more information about these programs, contact GTCC Police at (336) 334-4822 ext. 52529.

In November 1990, the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act (Title II, Public Law 101-542) was signed into law. This law requires colleges and universities to produce and make available certain policy statements and statistics about campus crime. In November 1999, this Act was renamed The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Crime Statistics Act, more commonly known as The Clery Act.

By October 1 of each academic year GTCC publishes an annual security report that informs current students and employees of:

Safety and security policies, procedures, and practices
Reported crime statistics from previous three years

Members of the GTCC community are encouraged to use this report as a guide for safe practices on and off campus. It is available on the web at: http://www.gtcc.edu/media/190870/AnnualSecurityReport.pdf

Emergencies

Immediately report any threat to the health, safety or well-being of a student, employee or visitor on any GTCC campus to the GTCC Police Department by calling (336) 334-4822 ext. 52529 or 9-1-1 or by activating a campus emergency call box. When deemed safe to do so, College employees may ask students to cease any unlawful or dangerous behavior. Such behavior should also be reported to the Chief Disciplinary Officer (Jamestown) or the Campus Dean (Greensboro and High Point).

Title IX

The Title IX Amendment states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” As a student, Title IX allows you to participate in any club organizations, athletics, or major in any field of study. If you have any questions about Title IX, please contact the Chief Disciplinary Officer in suite 320 of the Medlin Campus Center on the Jamestown Campus.

Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence

Guilford Technical Community College values the health, well-being and safety of every individual on campus and expects its employees and students to treat other persons with respect and dignity. Sexual harassment or violence will not be tolerated.

GTCC has a trained group of counselors available to serve and support students that file a complaint, or experience sexual harassment or sexual assault) and respondents (individuals that are accused of sexual harassment of sexual assault). Information on or access to these services can be obtained by calling (336) 334-4822 ext. 50038 or going to Davis Hall, room 107. Employees should consult the Management Manual at http://www.gtcc.edu/about-gtcc/management-manual.aspx

Employees engaging in sexual violence or harassment are subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. Students engaging in violence or harassment are in violation of the college’s Student Conduct Policy and this type of behavior will result in sanctions against the student ranging from interim suspension to expulsion. Disciplinary action applied to employees or students by the college does not preclude the possibility of criminal charges.

All students, employees, and others on campus have a duty to report incidents of sexual violence or harassment to Campus Police or another college official as soon as possible after they are observed. The college will respond to complaints of sexual violence or harassment by taking immediate action to eliminate the sexual violence or harassment, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects.

In compliance with Title IX regulations, the college has:
1. Disseminated this and other notices of nondiscrimination indicating that the college does not discriminate on the basis of sex.
2. Designated at least one employee to coordinate its efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under Title IX.
3. Adopted and published grievance procedures providing for prompt and equitable resolution of student and employee complaints of sexual discrimination including sexual violence or harassment.

The Chief Disciplinary Officer, located in Medlin Campus Center suite 320, will serve as the college’s Title IX Coordinator for students. The Director of Human Resources (or his/her designee), located in Medlin Campus Center office 370, will serve as the college’s Title IX Coordinator for employees. Any inquiries regarding Title IX will or may be referred to the appropriate college Title IX Coordinator or the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (400 Maryland Avenue SW; Washington, D 20202-1475; 202-453-6020 or OCR.DC@ed.gov)

2. Victims of sexual assault should do the following:

Go to a safe place as soon as possible.
On any GTCC campus, call GTCC Police at (336) 334-4822 ext. 50911. from on campus. Call 9-1-1 if the incident occurred off campus. The appropriate law enforcement agency will respond to assist you.
Stay on the phone with the dispatcher as necessary if you can safely do so. You may also choose to call someone you trust, such as a friend or relative, to help and support you.
The prompt preservation of physical and biological evidence is very important regardless of whether a decision is made to seek criminal charges.
1. Do not change clothes. If you do, put the clothing you were wearing in separate paper bags (not plastic) and take them to the hospital. This clothing may be used as evidence for prosecution. If you wear the clothes to the hospital, bring a change of clothes with you. Most physical evidence cannot be recovered after seventy-two hours.
2. Do not clean your body or your clothes. Preserve all physical evidence. Do not wash, bathe, douche, comb your hair, or use the toilet if you can help it. Washing might be the first thing you want to do, but don’t. You literally might be washing away valuable evidence. Wait until after you have a medical examination.
3. Do not alter or disturb the crime scene. Leave tables, fixtures, grass, etc., as they were after the assault so that investigators may view the area. Ideally, evidence should be collected within twenty-four hours of the assault.
4. Law enforcement officers will need your assistance to make a crime report. You may ask for a victim advocate to be present during the report-taking. GTCC counselors will support you and can assist you in accessing medical and counseling services, and/or reporting the incident. Visit room 107 of Davis Hall or call (336) 334-4822 ext. 50038 to utilize the services of a counselor.
5. You have the right to file a Title IX sex discrimination complaint with the college’s Title IX Coordinator in addition to filing a criminal complaint.
Sexual offenders are subject to arrest, prosecution through the state courts, and incarceration. Students alleged to have committed sexual offenses are subject to college disciplinary proceedings that may result in permanent expulsion from GTCC. (See Student Conduct Policy above)
In any college disciplinary proceeding that may occur pertaining to an incident of alleged sexual discrimination including complaints of sexual violence or harassment, the college will provide:
1. An adequate, reliable, and impartial investigation of the complaint.
2. Changes in the victim’s schedule to try to avoid contact with the accused if necessary and possible.
3. A designated and reasonable prompt time frame for conducting the investigation, being notified of the outcome, and appealing, if applicable.
4. An equal opportunity for both parties to present witnesses and other evidence.
5. If there is a pending criminal charge against the accused or against any witness, the accused or witness against whom such a charge is pending may be accompanied to the hearing by a licensed attorney, who may confer with the accused or witness during the hearing, but may not address the committee, any other parties, or any other witness.
6. Any individual, including an attorney, who delays or disrupts the proceedings, may be excluded from further participation.
7. In its Title IX investigation of a sexual violence or harassment claim, the college will use a “preponderance of the evidence standard” (it is more likely than not that sexual harassment or violence occurred).
8. A notice to both parties of the outcome of the complaint.
9. Assurance that the college will take steps to try to prevent recurrence of any sexual violence or harassment and that the college will not tolerate retaliation relating to such complaints.

Student Grievance Policy

For information regarding student grievances, please visit the GTCC website at http://supportservices.gtcc.edu/student-grievances/

Student Code of Conduct

For information regarding student conduct, please visit the Student Handbook on the GTCC website at http://supportservices.gtcc.edu/student-code-of-conduct/

For more information about these programs or services, contact GTCC Police at (336) 334-4822 ext. 52529 or the Chief Disciplinary Officer at (336) 334-4822 ext. 50572.