Article 2: Student Rights and Responsibilities

Preamble

Academic institutions exist for the transmission of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the development of students, and the general well being of society.  Free inquiry and free expressions are indispensable to the attainment of these goals.  As members of the academic community, students should be encouraged to develop the capacity for critical judgment and to engage in sustained and independent search for truth.

Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom.  The freedom to learn depends upon appropriate opportunities and conditions in the classroom, on the campus, and in the larger community.  Students should exercise their freedom with responsibility.

The responsibility to secure and to respect general conditions conducive to the freedom to learn is shared by all members of the academic community.  The purpose of this statement is to enumerate the essential provisions for the student freedom and responsibility to learn at TAMIU.

The Texas A&M University System Policy

The rights of students are to be respected. These rights include respect for personal feelings, freedom from indignity of any type, freedom from control by any person except as may be in accord with published rules of the system academic institutions, and conditions allowing them to make the best use of their time and talents toward the objectives which brought them to the system academic institutions. No officer or student, regardless of position or rank, shall violate those rights; no custom, tradition or rule in conflict will be allowed to prevail.

Students are expected at all times to recognize constituted authority, to conform to the ordinary rules of good conduct, to be truthful, to respect the rights of others, to protect private and public property, and to make the best use of their time toward an education. Texas A&M University System Policies and Procedures

Texas A&M International University is a part of The Texas A&M University System and is required to follow all System policies and procedures as set forth by The Texas A&M University System.

Student Rights

A student shall have the right to participate in a free exchange of ideas, and there shall be no university rule or administrative rule that in any way abridges the rights of freedom of speech, expression, petition and peaceful assembly as set forth in the U.S. Constitution.

Each student shall have the right to participate in all areas and activities of the university, free from any form of discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, or veteran status in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.

A student has the right to personal privacy except as otherwise provided by law, and this will be observed by students and university authorities alike.

Each student shall be free from disciplinary action by university officials for violations of civil and criminal law off campus, except when such a violation is determined also to be a violation of the provision regarding off-campus conduct in the Student Code of Conduct.

Each student subject to disciplinary action arising from violations of university student rules shall be assured a fundamentally fair process. At all student conduct hearings, an accused student shall be assumed not responsible until proven responsible, and, in initial student conduct hearings, the burden of proof shall rest with those bringing the charges. In all proceedings, the student shall be guaranteed a fundamentally fair process.

Student Responsibilities

A student has the responsibility to respect the rights and property of others, including other students, the faculty and the administration.

A student has the responsibility to be fully acquainted with the published University Student Rules and to comply with them and the laws of the land.

A student has the responsibility to recognize that student actions reflect upon the individuals involved and upon the entire university community.

A student has the responsibility to recognize the University’s obligation to provide an environment for learning.

Definitions

The following definitions will be used throughout the handbook.

a)  the term “university” or “institution” means Texas A&M International University.

b)  the term “student” means any person registered for coursework at the university, pursuing undergraduate, graduate or professional studies, whether full-time or part-time, and who is either currently enrolled or was enrolled the previous semester and registered for a future semester.

c) the term “university official” means any administrator, instructor, staff member and other authorized individuals of the university.

d)  the term “university premises” means buildings or grounds owned, leased, operated, controlled or supervised by the university.

e)  the term “university-affiliated activity” means any activity on or off campus that is initiated, aided, authorized or supervised by the university or by a recognized student organization of the university.

Freedom of Access of Higher Education

Within the physical limits of its facilities, TAMIU will be open to all students, regardless of race, creed, color, religion, sex, handicap, age, or national origin, who qualify according to the admission standards.  The facilities and services of TAMIU will be open to all its enrolled students, and the University supports equal access for all its students to public facilities.

Students have the right to pursue an education without disruptive interference.  No University processes or facilities involved in the student’s access to the pursuit of education are to be interrupted by students or other individuals. Any persons involved in such disruption subject themselves to both University disciplinary action and/or legal action.

Freedom in Class

The professor, in the classroom and in conference, will encourage free discussion, inquiry, and expression as long as such is within the scope of the course he/she is teaching.  Student performance will be evaluated solely on academic basis, not on opinions or conduct in matters unrelated to academic standards.

Protection of Freedom of Expression: Students will be free to take reasoned exception to the data or views in any course of study and to withhold judgment about matters of opinion, but they are responsible for learning the content of any course of study for which they are enrolled.

Students have the right to be evaluated for their participation and work in the classroom in accordance with the parameters as indicated in the course syllabus.  A syllabus will be provided to each student at the first class meeting. In the event that the student believes that he/she has not been accorded the proper evaluation, the student may initiate an appeal as outlined in the Faculty Handbook.