Student Rights and Responsibilities

As members of the Mitchell Tech community, students have both rights and responsibilities. Students have the following rights:

The most essential student right is the right to competent instruction under conditions conducive to learning. The most important responsibilities are to respect the rights of other members of the community and to conform to standards essential to the purposes and processes of the College. The College should endeavor to provide for students those privileges, opportunities, and protections which best promote the learning process in all its aspects. The following statement outlines those academic rights of students essential in helping Mitchell Tech fulfill this responsibility. These principles are designed to facilitate communication, foster academic integrity, and defend freedoms of inquiry, discussion, and expression among members of the Mitchell Tech community. Such principles should safeguard and enhance conditions conducive to learning, and will serve as a guide for students, faculty, and administrators involved in programs of instruction and classroom activities.

Mitchell Tech is committed to serving a wide spectrum of people. Access to the programs and services of the College should be governed by the following principles: Within the limitations of its facilities, resources, and personnel, the College should be open to all persons who are qualified according to admissions standards. Students should not be refused access to any course of study on the grounds of their beliefs or the possible uses to which they may put the knowledge to be gained in a course. Students are responsible for representing themselves truthfully and accurately at all times. Providing false or misleading information violates this responsibility and may result in forfeiture of a student’s rights to academic and support services.

Students have the right to exercise their full rights as citizens without interference or fear of disciplinary action.

Students have the right to be free from discrimination in all programs and activities.

Policies designed to eliminate discriminatory practices have been instituted.

Mitchell Tech does not discriminate in its employment of policies and practices, or in its educational programs on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, disability, national origin, or ancestry, military/veteran status, genetic information or any other category protected by law.

Students have the right to be free from sexual harassment on Mitchell Tech property or off school property during a College-related activity.

Students have the right to be free from racial harassment on Mitchell Tech property or off school property during a College-related activity.

Students have the right to have classes conducted under the following provisions:

Faculty will maintain clear connections between advance descriptions of courses and actual content.
Faculty will clearly state course goals, testing, and grading which should be intellectually justifiable.
Faculty will plan and regulate class time with an awareness of its value for every student and will meet with classes regularly.
Faculty will be available to students and will announce and maintain liberal office hours convenient to students.
Faculty will model respect for each student as an individual. regardless of race, color, creed, religion, age, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, disability, national origin, or ancestry, military/veteran status, genetic information or any other category protected by law.
Faculty will strive to generate respect and understanding for academic freedom by students and at the same time protect students from irrelevant and trivial interruptions or diversions.
Faculty will insure students the right to raise relevant issues, doubts, or alternative opinions during classroom discussion without concern for academic sanctions.
Faculty will be sensitive to students’ personal or political beliefs expressed in a private manner in connection with coursework.
Faculty will not disclose student grades or class standing in a classroom situation without the student’s permission.
Faculty will serve as academic advisers and will assist students with registration, class schedules, graduation requirements, and will work to assure academic progress with the assistance of a Student Success Coach.

Students have the right to a clear statement of their basic rights. They have the right to assist in formulating College policy by representation on various committees. Students also have the right to be represented by a student government.

Other student rights outside the classroom include:

Students may form, join, and participate in groups which promote the common intellectual, social, economic, political, recreational or cultural life of campus. Mitchell Tech believes group activities to be a positive educational vehicle and recognizes the right of student groups to discuss, express opinions, to assemble, write, and publish within state and federal constitutional guarantees and laws.
A student group may be authorized to use Mitchell Tech facilities if its officers and a majority of its members are currently enrolled at Mitchell Tech.
Students who publish student publications have the right to be free from censorship. However, students who publish such documents must observe the recognized canons of responsible journalism, including the avoidance of libel, indecency, undocumented allegations, attacks on personal integrity, and the techniques of harassment and innuendo.
Students have the right to have access to education records maintained by Mitchell Tech concerning the students. The students may review their own records and challenge the accuracy of the records. Students have the right to have the educational records maintained on a confidential basis with only those employees with a legitimate need to know having access to student educational records.

Students have the following responsibilities:

It is the student’s responsibility to comply with the provisions of this publication and the operating policies of the College and the student’s department. It is also a student’s responsibility to:

Review and consider all information about the school’s program before enrolling.
Complete all application forms accurately and submit them on time to the appropriate office.

Students have the responsibility for selecting a major field of study, for choosing an appropriate degree program within the discipline, for planning class schedules, and ultimately for meeting the requirements for his/her degree.

Mitchell Tech will provide advisers and Student Success Coaches to assist students in academic planning, but students are responsible for obtaining copies of appropriate academic bulletins and being thoroughly familiar with all academic requirements that must be met for a degree. Students also have the responsibility to take advantage of the educational opportunities presented by the College, to participate in the learning process in a serious and conscientious manner, and to respect the rights of other members of the Mitchell Tech community.

STUDENT ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students are expected to do their own work unless advised that collaboration is acceptable. When taking a test, students are expected to keep their eyes on their own tests and protect their tests from being copied by classmates.

To avoid plagiarism when using facts, quotes, or ideas from another person or source, students must cite the source they used, even if they rephrase the content in their own words. Failure to use proper citation procedures is considered plagiarism. Mitchell Tech reserves the right to use plagiarism and artificial intelligence checkers if plagiarism or unauthorized use of artificial intelligence in coursework is suspected.

Academic Integrity violations are cumulative throughout a student’s enrollment at Mitchell Tech with incrementally more severe repercussions with each violation, including and up to non-academic suspension from Mitchell Tech.

NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

Policies designed to eliminate discriminatory practices have been instituted.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Mitchell Tech employees and students, as well as groups or individuals not affiliated with the college, may use campus public areas to engage in freedom of expression activities, so long as those activities are not substantially disruptive to the operations, functions, and activities of the college. [See Policy MTC 111.]

SEXUAL HARASSMENT TITLE IX

Mitchell Tech is committed to providing a workplace and educational environment, as well as other benefits, programs, and activities, that are free from sexual harassment. To ensure compliance with federal and state civil rights laws, MTC has adopted Policy MTC 117 and related procedures to provide a prompt, fair, and impartial process for those involved in an allegation of sexual harassment as defined by this policy. MTC values and upholds the equal dignity of all members of its community and strives to balance the rights of the parties during what is often a difficult time for all those involved. For further information, see Policy MTC 117.

STUDENT COMPLAINTS

Mitchell Technical College (MTC) recognizes there may be conditions in need of improvement and students and others should have some means by which their concerns may be effectively expressed, considered, and dealt with fairly. Such means can do much to maintain harmonious relationships between the College and the students, employees, and community.

MTC will follow approved policies and procedures for handling complaints. MTC desires all types of complaints be handled informally at the level closest to the origin of the complaint. However, a process is provided for filing official complaints when resolution is not achieved.

Students with a concern or complaint should start by requesting assistance from staff in the Center for Student Success. CSS staff will work with the student to address the issue through meetings, emails, or other informal communication with involved parties. If efforts to reach a resolution are unsuccessful, or at any point in the process, the student may choose to initiate a formal complaint or appeal. Students wishing to file a formal complaint or appeal with the College should refer to Policy MTC 1045. Students wishing to file a grievance alleging a violation of federal or state civil rights laws, rules, and regulations should refer to Policy MTC 1046. All student written appeals/complaints/grievances should be submitted to Scott Fossum, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Title IX Coordinator, in the Campus Center.

Employees wishing to file an official complaint or appeal with the College should refer to Policy MTC 713. Employees wishing to file a grievance alleging a violation of federal or state civil rights laws, rules, and regulations should refer to Policy MTC 115. All employee written appeals/complaints/grievances should be submitted to Scott Fossum, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Title IX Coordinator, in the Campus Center.

If the matter is not resolved through formal processes, individuals may choose to file a complaint at the state level.

Students who are South Dakota residents or who are attending courses on the Mitchell Tech campus may file unresolved complaints with the South Dakota Board of Technical Education (BOTE). The BOTE office will only handle those complaints that concern educational programs or practices of technical colleges and that have exhausted the individual institution’s formal process for complaints. The office does not handle anonymous complaints, nor does it intervene in matters concerning an individual’s grades or examination results, as these are the prerogative of the college’s faculty.

Students who are not South Dakota residents (except California) who are taking exclusively online courses may file unresolved complaints with the South Dakota NC-SARA State Portal Agency of the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR). The SDBOR will only address complaints after a student has exhausted their appeals at the institutional level. This process is for complaints that the institution has violated deceptive trade practices or consumer protections or that the institution does not meet standards established by the institution’s accrediting agency or the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA). Complaints involving student grades or student conduct violations are governed entirely by institutional policy. (See Section 4 of the SARA Policy Manual for SARA's consumer protection policies.) California residents who are taking exclusively online courses may file unresolved complaints with the California Department of Consumer Affairs.

Mitchell Technical College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. For complaints related to institutional practices that may not meet the Criteria for Accreditation established by The Higher Learning Commission, individuals should direct complaints to HLC.

Allegations about an individual MTC program’s failure to comply with program accreditation standards should be directed to the accrediting body in question.

Culinary Academy
Medical Assistant
Medical Laboratory Technology
Radiation Therapy
Radiologic Technology

A complaint or concern regarding MTC's handling of education benefits for veterans should be directed to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). For any complaints submitted to the VA, all information, including your name unless filed anonymously, will be shared with MTC officials who will follow procedures found in Policies 1045 and 1046.

A complaint of consumer fraud on the part of MTC should be directed to the South Dakota Attorney General’s office.

STUDENT DUE PROCESS

All students are entitled to due process when they are subjected to disciplinary actions such as suspension or expulsion. See Policy MTC 1044. The Board and Mitchell Tech officials have the legal authority to deal with disruptive students and student misconduct. Due process, for most situations, shall be met when:

The student is given oral or written notice of the charges against him/her;
The student is given an oral or written explanation of the facts that form the basis of the proposed suspension disciplinary action;
The student is allowed to have an advisor present during any proceedings, including interviews with Mitchell Tech officials; and
The student is given an opportunity to present his/her version of the incident.

The student may appeal the imposed disciplinary action as specified in Policy MTC 1045.