Ordinance on Student Rights and Activities

I) Interaction of Undergraduate Student Government Committees and Faculty Committees

Whenever the Undergraduate Student Government shall establish a committee parallel to a faculty committee, the parallel committees shall at least once a year meet in joint session. In addition, the chair and one additional member of such committees of the Undergraduate Student Government shall meet with those faculty committees which the president of the University and the officers of the Undergraduate Student Government believe would benefit from such participation. The student representatives on faculty committees shall join freely in committee discussions of matters of concern to students, and shall be responsible for presenting the views of the student committee and the Undergraduate Student Government, when those views are known. Any student participating in the deliberations of a faculty committee is bound by the same rules as the faculty regarding the confidential nature of the proceedings. Within the bounds of this restriction, he or she may discuss the matters under consideration with the Undergraduate Student Government or with other students. Either committee may meet without the participation of members of the parallel committee. Before any final recommendation is made on any matter of general policy concerning students, there will be an opportunity for the student committee to meet jointly with the faculty committee involved. Views of the student committees may be brought to the attention of the full faculty and the University community.

II) Individual Student Appeal from Decisions of Faculty Committees

A student desiring to appeal an action of a faculty committee taken on academic grounds which affects directly his or her academic standing and for which appeal is not otherwise provided, should notify the Dean of Students in writing to that effect, specifying the grounds of appeal. Notification must be made no later than seven days after receipt of the written notice of the decision which the student wishes to appeal. The Dean of Students shall transmit the student’s written statement and any other relevant material directly to the University Senate.
In deciding appeals, the Senate will consider whether other committees have followed established procedures and reached decisions consistent with University rules and practices. In all cases the decision of the Senate shall be final. If an appealed action is judged to have been arbitrary or based on improper or unfair procedures, the appeal will be sustained. In such a case the Senate will determine a course of action to insure an impartial final determination of the merits of the case based on proper and fair procedures.

III) Student Privacy Rights

All students of Dubrovnik International University are awarded certain rights with respect to their education records.
“Education records” is a defined term that does NOTinclude are:

personal files of members of the faculty and administration;
medical records;
security files not available for review by individuals other than security officers and other local law enforcement officials;
employment records that relate exclusively to the individual’s capacity as an employee;
records containing only information concerning a person’s activities after graduation or withdrawal from the University;
material relating to the financial status of parents which is contained in any record maintained by the University;
confidential letters of recommendation placed in a student’s education record; and
confidential letters of recommendation to which a student has waived his or her right of access.
Student education records are located primarily in the offices of the University Registrar and with the Dean of Students. A student may request access to his or her education records by filing a written request with the person who is responsible for maintaining the record which the student wants to review. The request must identify the particular record(s) which the student wishes to inspect. The University official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the University official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

The student has the right to:

Inspect and review his or her education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a written request for access.
Request the amendment of the student’s education record that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. The student is asked to write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed and specifying why it is inaccurate or misleading.
If the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
Consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, within legal limits. In some cases, written requests must be filled with the appropriate University official.

The University has the right to

Disclose the following types of information without restriction unless the student otherwise requests: name; address; telephone number (local); e-mail address; photograph; student identification number; dates of attendance; major field of study; participation in officially recognized activities and organizations; degrees and awards; academic institution attended immediately prior to Dubrovnik International University. A student requesting that some or all directory information be restricted from disclosure must make a written request to the Office of the Registrar specifying which information should be restricted.
Allow relevant faculty or administration members, including each student’s academic and student advisor and the Dean of Students, to review the record of the student in question. Members of the University Senate, the Board of Directors and all disciplinary and other relevant committees may likewise have access to student records. Teacher’s assistants, however, may only have access to student records for their own courses, except for those students for whom they serve as student advisors.
Allow faculty members and other officials of the University who have a legitimate educational interest in a student’s education record may be permitted to review his or her record. A University official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
Disclose information to government agencies entitled to it by law.
Disclose information to the parent(s) or guardian(s) of a student unless the student has filed a statement certifying that he or she is not financially dependent as defined by the federal tax laws.
Disclose information in response to a lawfully issued subpoena, and will ordinarily provide notice to the student involved in advance of complying with the subpoena.
Disclose information when necessary to determine the student’s eligibility for financial aid or to enforce the terms or conditions of financial aid which a student has received.
Disclose information to an organization conducting a study if the organization certifies that the study will not be conducted in a way which will permit the personal identification of the students and that personally identifying information will be destroyed when the study is completed.
Disclose education records without a student’s prior consent to officials of another institution in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. However, the University encourages its departments and offices, at the minimum, to make a reasonable attempt to advise the student of the disclosure either before or after it occurs.
Disclose information to a third party that has been granted permission by the student to request such information. When the student has given written permission for disclosure of information to a third party and subsequent events materially affect the accuracy of the University’s original reporting, permission for the reporting of such additional information is understood in order to make the original reporting accurate.

IV) Undergraduate Student Government

The student body may wish to form an Undergraduate Student Government. In this case, the elected President of the Student Government shall serve as the student representative to the University Senate, along with other Student Government officials when appropriate. However, should students chose to form a student government, it shall be entirely independent from administrative staff and faculty of the University.

Organization of a Student Government
Should the student body chose to establish a student government, it shall be the direct responsibility of that organization to prepare and adopt a charter that shall specify the procedures, committees and responsibilities of the Student Government. However, the charter must be in line with all University regulations as well as state legal obligations. The University Senate shall maintain the right to review the charter of the Student Government. If the Senate objects to any section of the Student Government charter, or finds the language of the charter vague, imprecise or offensive, it shall call for a meeting with representatives of the Student Government to review the matters in question. If after meeting with student representatives the Senate finds certain tenets of charter unacceptable under University regulations, it may mandate that those tenets be removed. Any further dispute that cannot be resolved through meetings between the Senate and student representatives may be appealed directly to the President of the University.

Purpose of a Student Government

to serve as the representative of the undergraduates student body to the faculty, administration, and Senate and Board members of the University;
to represent the undergraduate body to persons or groups outside of the University whenever such representation is called for;
to exercise leadership in all activities affecting the life of the undergraduate student body;
to provide services for the University and members of the University community;
to discuss, deliberate, and vote on any question relating to or affecting undergraduate life at Dubrovnik International University, or any other question of interest to the undergraduates.

Class Officers
Each class may elect a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and/or social chair. They are mostly responsible for coordinating social and service activities for the class they represent.

V) Campus Associations and Activities

Students engaging in extracurricular activities on campus are free to form organizations devoted to a wide variety of objectives, and, as individuals or members of organizations, to express their views on issues of University and public interest. In these matters the University policy is to encourage free and responsible behavior of students, to hold to a minimum those regulations essential to the orderly conduct of extracurricular activities, and to seek in all ways to maintain the freedom enjoyed by students as participants in the life of the Dubrovnik International University community.
University recognition will not be withheld from any group pursuing lawful objectives, so long as they do not violate University or state polities. Student organizations may invite outside speakers of their choice, and are free to hold meetings and in other ways to express their views, subject only to prudent conditions regarding the protection of people and property and to reasonable regulations concerning time, place, and notice of meetings and other public exercises.
Still, candor and openness must be recognized as fundamental in an academic community, and the University does not look with favor on clandestine organizations. The University must ask student organizations which expect recognition by the University, identification through the use of the name of the University, and normal use of University facilities, to register the names of their officers and their basic objectives or purposes.
Demonstrations and the distribution of leaflets, statements, or petitions are permitted on the campus unless, or until, they disrupt the regular and essential operations of the University or significantly infringe upon the rights of others. If it becomes necessary to prevent a demonstration from exceeding these guidelines, the University will first attempt to use persuasion; the University will then, if necessary, call in outside law enforcement officials only as a last resort.
Upon filing a request with the appropriate University official, nonprofit and profit-making campus-based organizations will usually be granted permission to distribute literature, solicit donations, and seek customers on campus, subject to the general University regulations prohibiting obstruction of University activities or interference with individual rights. Authorization for such activities must be obtained from the Office of the Dean Students. Authorization to solicit in academic buildings or University offices will be granted only after consultation with the responsible academic and administrative officers. Profit-making activities are generally not permitted on University grounds, but may be allowed based on approval from the Dean of Students and the vice president.

VI) Student Publications

Student publications enjoy the freedom of the press. At the same time, the editorial freedom of student editors and managers entails a corollary obligation to be governed by the canons of responsible journalism.

VII) Peaceful Dissent, Protests, and Demonstrations

Free speech and peaceable assembly are basic requirements of the University as a center for free inquiry and the search for knowledge and insight. These rights involve a concurrent obligation on the part of all members of the University, guests, and visitors to maintain an atmosphere conducive to scholarly pursuits and to respect the rights of all individuals.
In view of DIU’s obligation to promote the free expression of all views, the campus is open to any speaker whom students or members of the faculty have invited and for whom official arrangements to speak have been made with the University. The right of free speech in a university also includes the right to acts of peaceful dissent, protests in peaceable assembly, and orderly demonstrations which include picketing and the distribution of leaflets. However, demonstrations are not permitted inside the offices, lecture halls and common spaces of the University, as they disrupt regular and essential operations of the University or significantly infringe on the rights of others, particularly the right to listen and participate in lecture and seminar groups, and concentrate on their work.
It is a violation of these policies whenever any individual prevents, or willfully attempts to prevent, the orderly conduct of a University function or activity, such as lectures, meetings, interviews, ceremonies, and public events; or blocks, or willfully attempts to block, the legitimate activities of any person on the campus or in any University building or facility.
Whenever a member of the University community, that is a member of the faculty, staff or student body, violates these policies, that individual will be subject to University discipline and/or arrest. Whenever a nonmember of the University community violates these policies, that individual will be subject to arrest. Decisions to invoke University disciplinary action or arrest in the course of a protest or demonstration will be made after due warning and, wherever possible, such decisions will be made by officers of the University Disciplinary Board.

VIII) Distribution of Written Materials by Members
of the University Community

Free inquiry, free expression, and civility within this academic community are indispensable to the University’s objectives. However, anonymous public postings without sponsorship of a registered University member or organization shall be removed or deleted if a complaint by a member of the University is lodged with the Office of the Dean of Students. All written materials are subject to the rules and guidelines governing DIU’s anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies. Offensive material may be removed at the discretion of the Dean of Students.

IX) Building Regulations

Entering mechanical areas (rooms, tunnels, etc.) construction sites, or other restricted areas is prohibited. Entering upon exterior elevated surfaces of campus buildings (roofs, fire escapes, terraces, balconies, parapets, or ledges above the first floor) is prohibited except in emergencies.
These regulations are intended to prevent injuries to members of the University community, and to prevent physical damage to surfaces, areas or equipment not designed for traffic or public use.
No items, including antennas and wire, lights, flags, banners, etc., may be placed on or affixed to the outside of any building. No items may be placed on fire escapes at any time under any circumstances.
Because of the seriousness of the regulations regarding safety in campus buildings, the University will take disciplinary action on a first offense.

X) Drug Policy

Dubrovnik International University does not condone the possession, use, manufacture, or distribution of illegal substances or drug paraphernalia of any kind in any amount. Students in violation of this policy may be jeopardizing their own well-being as well as the well-being of the University community.
In general, a student who uses or possesses drugs or drug paraphernalia for the first time will be placed on probation. Discipline for a second offense will be more serious and may involve lengthening of probation or campus service. Students should expect to be suspended for a third offense.
Among those violations considered to be most serious are the manufacture, sale, or distribution of illegal drugs; any involvement in illegal drug use or traffic with minors, particularly from the local area; and possession or use of the more dangerous or highly addictive drugs. Students manufacturing, selling, or distributing illegal drugs should expect a lengthy separation or expulsion from the University.
Students possessing, using, selling, or manufacturing illegal substances may also be subject to mandatory penalties prescribed by the state.

DIU