Equal Opportunity/Nondiscrimination Policy
In compliance with relevant federal and state laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Vietnam-Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974, the Americans for Disabilities Act of 1990, the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act, and the Persons with Disabilities Act, it is the policy of Wayne County Community College District that no person, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, marital status, disability, or political affiliation or belief, shall be discriminated against, excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in employment or in any program or activity for which it is responsible or for which it receives financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education.
Questions or concerns regarding the above should be directed to the Equal Employment/Nondiscrimination Coordinator at:
Director of Human Resources
801 W. Fort Street
Detroit, MI 48226
Telephone: (313) 496-2765
Sexual Harassment Policy
Sexual harassment is an infringement on an employee’s right to work and a student’s right to learn in an environment free from unlawful sexual pressure. It is the policy of Wayne County Community College District to prohibit unlawful sexual harassment of employees and students.
Sexual harassment consists of overt activity of a sexual nature, which has a substantial adverse effect on a person in both the workplace and in the academic setting. It may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Demands for sexual favors accompanied by threats concerning an individual’s employment or academic status;
- Demands for sexual favors accompanied by promises of preferential treatment concerning an individual’s employment or academic status;
- Verbal, written or graphic communication of a sexual nature;
- Patting, pinching, or other unnecessary body contact with another employee or student.
Any employee or student should report, in writing or orally, any and all incidents of such activity. Complaints may be directed to the employee’s supervisor or the Director of Human Resources. Student complainants should report, in writing, or orally, any and all incidents to the appropriate Campus Provost.
There will be no retaliation against an employee or student for making a complaint or taking part in the investigation of a complaint under this policy. To the extent it can, the College will keep matters confidential. The Director of Human Resources shall promptly investigate all incidents of sexual harassment and direct a report with recommendations to the Board of Trustees following the report of an employee. The Campus Provost shall promptly investigate all incidents of sexual harassment and direct a report with recommendations to the Vice President for Educational Affairs following the report of a student. Violation of this policy shall subject the offending party to appropriate disciplinary action up to and including discharge from employment.(Policy adopted by the Wayne County Community College District Board of Trustees 03/25/87, revised 03/27/91, 03/25/92)
Grievance Procedures
If any student believes that Wayne County Community College District or any part of the school organization has not applied the principles and/or regulations of (1) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (2) Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972; (3) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the student may bring forward a complaint, (which shall be referred to as a grievance through this text) to the local Equal Opportunity Compliance Coordinator at the following address:
Director of Human Resources
Wayne County Community College District
Human Resources Department
801 W. Fort Street
Detroit, MI 48226
The appropriate grievance procedures must be followed by the student in order for his/her complaint to be thoroughly reviewed for merit. The full grievance procedure is provided in the Student Handbook, which available online at www.wcccd.edu, or at any campus.
Drug-Free Workplace Policy
Wayne County Community College District will make every reasonable effort to provide a drug-free workplace and environment. The College expressly prohibits the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of any controlled substance in the workplace. The term “controlled substance” shall mean a controlled substance in schedules I through V, of Section 202 of the Controlled Substance Act (21 U.S.C. 812).
Any individual found to be in violation of this policy is engaged in gross misconduct and subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
All employees will, as a condition of their employment, abide by the terms in this policy. In addition, employees engaged in the performance of a federal grant or contract will notify their supervisor and/or personnel department of any criminal drug statute conviction occurring in the workplace no later than five (5) days after such conviction. (Policy adopted by the Wayne County Community College District Board of Trustees 06/28/89, revised 09/23/92)
Smoke-Free Workplace Policy
Wayne County Community College District and its facilities are smoke-free in compliance with the Dr. Ron Davis Law. (Policy adopted by the Wayne County Community College District Board of Trustees 05/26/93)
Workplace Violence
It shall be the policy of the Board of Trustees that the College will provide a safe environment for its employees. Threats, threatening behavior, or acts of violence against employees, visitors, guests, or other individuals by anyone on Wayne County Community College District’s property will not be tolerated. Violations of this policy will lead to disciplinary action which may include dismissal, arrest and prosecution.
Any person who makes substantial threats, exhibits threatening behavior, or engages in violent acts on Wayne County Community College District property shall be removed from the premises as quickly as safety permits, and shall remain off Wayne County Community College District premise pending the outcome of an investigation. Wayne County Community College District will initiate a decisive and appropriate response. This response may include, but is not limited to, suspension and/or termination of employment, and/or seeking arrest and prosecution of the person or persons involved.
In carrying out this policy, it is essential that all personnel understand that no existing College policy, practice or procedure shall be interpreted to prohibit decisions designed to prevent a threat from being carried out, a violent act from occurring or a life threatening situation from developing.
All College personnel are responsible for notifying the designated management representative of any threats which they have witnessed, received, or have been told that another person has witnessed or received. Even without an actual threat, personnel should also report any behavior they have witnessed which they regard as threatening or violent when that behavior is job-related or might be carried out on a College-controlled site, or is connected to College employment.
Employees are responsible for making this report regardless of the relationship behavior between the individuals who initiated the threat or threatening behavior and the person or persons who were threatened or were the focus of the threatening behavior.
This policy also requires all individuals who apply for, or obtain a protective or restraining order which lists College locations as being protected areas, to provide to the designated management representative a copy of the petition and declarations used to seek the order, a copy of any temporary protective or restraining order which is granted, and a copy of any protective or restraining order which is made permanent. The designated management representative for central administration shall be the Director of Human Resources and the Provost for each campus. (approved: 3/27/96)
Grievance Procedure:
The person who believes he/she has a valid basis for a grievance shall discuss the grievance informally on a verbal basis with the Equal Opportunity Compliance Coordinator, who shall in turn investigate the complaint and reply with an answer to the grievant.
The student may begin formal procedures according to the following steps.
Step 1
A written statement of the grievance signed by the student shall be submitted to the Equal Opportunity Compliance Coordinator written five (5) business days of receipt of the answers to the informal grievance. The coordinator shall further investigate the matters of grievance and reply in writing to the student within five (5) business days.
Any complaint submitted under this procedure shall be filed at Step 1 within twenty (20) business days after the student became aware, or reasonably should have become aware of the complaint. If the complaint is not served within that time, the complaint will not be considered. Failure by the student to appeal the complaint from Step 1 to Step 2 within the time limit procedure shall also nullify the complaint.
Step 2
If the student wishes to appeal the decision of the Equal Opportunity Compliance Coordinator, the student may submit an appeal to the President of the College within five (5) business days after receipt of the Coordinator’s response. The president (or his designee) shall meet with all parties involved within (10) ten business days to formulate a conclusion, and response in writing to the student within ten (10) business days.
Step 3
If at this point the grievance has not been satisfactorily settled further appeal may be made to the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20201.
Any complaint submitted under this procedure shall be filed at Step 1 within twenty (20) business days after the student became aware, or reasonably should have become aware of the complaint. If the complaint is not served within that time, the complaint will not be considered. Failure by the student to appeal the complaint from Step 1 to Step 2 within the time limit procedure shall also nullify the complaint.
Clery Act
In compliance with the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act enacted Nov. 8, 1990, later formally renamed the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, and commonly referred to as simply the Clery Act. The Wayne County Community College District Campus Safety Department collects and publishes specific information on campus crime statistics, security policies and services. The WCCCD Campus Safety Department is service-oriented, trained in professional standards and dedicated to the safety and comfort of our students, faculty, staff and visitors. Our primary concern is to protect life and property and to allow the educational process to evolve safely.
All criminal incidents and emergency situations are to be immediately reported to the campus safety officer located at the security station at each of the District’s campus facilities. Depending on the nature of the situation, appropriate police authorities will be contacted. Incident reports are prepared and reviewed by District administrative personnel, and, if warranted, further actions are taken as governed by law, employee labor contracts, and student conduct policies. All staff, faculty, students, and visitors are encouraged to report any suspicious persons, activities, events, as well as actual incidents and emergency situations to the District security personnel immediately.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, FERPA is a federal law that states (a) that a written institutional policy must be established and (b) that a statement of adopted procedures covering the privacy rights of students be made available. The law provides that the institution will maintain the confidentiality of student educational/financial records.
WCCCD accords all the rights under the law to students who are declared independent. No one outside the institution shall have access to, nor will the institution disclose, any information from the student’s educational/financial records without the written consent of the student except to personnel within the institution, to officials of other institutions in which the student seeks to enroll, to persons or organizations providing the student with financial aid, to accrediting agencies carrying out their accreditation function, to persons in compliance with a judicial order, and to persons in an emergency in order to protect the health or safety of students or other persons. All these exceptions are permitted under the Act.
Within the WCCCD community, only those members, individually or collectively, acting in the student’s educational interest are allowed access to student educational records. These members include personnel in the Offices of Admissions and Records, Student Services, and academic personnel within the limitations of their need to know.
At its discretion, the institution may provide Directory Information in accordance with the provisions of the Act to include: student name, address, telephone number, email address, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and weight and height of members of athletic teams. Students may withhold Directory Information by notifying the Vice Chancellor of Student Services in writing within two weeks after the first day of class for the semester.
Requests for nondisclosure will be honored by the institution for only one academic year. Therefore, authorization to withhold Directory Information must be filed annually with the Vice Chancellor of Student Services. Forms utilized to make this request are available in the Office of Admissions and Records at all campus locations.
For additional information regarding the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act please visit our website at www.wcccd.edu and reference the Student Handbook.
Social Security Number Privacy Act
The State of Michigan has recently enacted the Social Security Number Privacy Act that requires all public and private businesses and institutions to enact a policy regarding the protection and disclosure of social security numbers. In compliance with this law and in furtherance of Wayne County Community College District’s commitment to protect the privacy of its students, a Social Security Number Protection Policy has been adopted by the District.
In accordance with this policy, all students should be aware that their social security number will not be publicly displayed with more than four (4) sequential digits, or used as a primary account number by the District. Furthermore, students will not be required to supply their social security number to gain access to any computer system, internet websites or networks administered by the District.
Additionally, in order to avoid inadvertent disclosure, no document will be mailed or electronically transmitted by the District that contains more then four (4) sequential digits of a student’s social security number unless required by state or federal law, a court order or under the other conditions expressly stated in the District’s Policy. Also as part of its Social Security Number Protection Policy, the District has adopted disposal procedures that require all documents that contain a student’s social security number be either eradicated or destroyed.
If students have any questions about this policy, or need clarification on any of the District’s procedures concerning social security numbers, please either consult the District’s Policy Manual online at www.wcccd.edu or contact the Administration.
Student Rights and Responsibilities
The District publishes a document - the Student Handbook which includes the Student Code of Conduct and expects that every student will become familiar with this information. This document is designed to help you successfully navigate through the educational process at WCCCD and outlines our expectations for student behavior. It is the student’s responsibility to become familiar with this publication and refer to it as needed. You may obtain a copy of the Student Handbook on our website at www.wcccd.edu.
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