Campus Security

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Pursuant to the requirements of the College and University Security Information Act and the Campus Security Act, the following information is available and will be provided to you upon request: (1) Annual crime statistics and rates for crimes occurring on this campus, and (2) Copies of Tennessee Board of Regents and/or institutional security related policies and procedures. Contact the Office of the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs to obtain information. This information is available on the web at www.northeaststate.edu.

1. All student travel will be processed through the division office. Travel arrangements made by anyone other than the division secretary or designated college personnel will not be accepted. Students traveling must be accompanied by the faculty sponsor or designated college personnel.
2. Student travel must be submitted to the division office by the faculty sponsor at least three weeks in advance of the anticipated trip. The secretary will complete the Travel Authorization and other necessary forms such as Request for Field Trip, Student Travel Absence, and Student Driver Release for Campus Activity, and Release/Hold Harmless Agreement. The sponsor is responsible for notifying students and securing signatures. Completed forms must be returned to the division office for approval. The President’s approval is required for any out-of-state travel. A Travel Claim must be completed after the students return from the trip. All receipts must be submitted with the Travel Claims.
3. The faculty sponsor may request that each student be provided with a 100% travel advance. Students are responsible for picking up their travel advance at the Business Office cashier window.
4. The division secretary will make all reservations for travel (vehicle rentals, airline tickets, etc.). Only full-time faculty and staff are allowed to drive leased vehicles. The driver must present a valid driver license and certification of appropriateness as a driver to the college approving authority. Only under emergency situations (staff driver incapacitated) may students drive a leased vehicle. Additionally, twelve passenger vans shall be loaded with no more than eight passengers and luggage/equipment. Fifteen passenger vans shall be loaded with no more than ten passengers and luggage/equipment.
5. There are four ways faculty sponsors may obtain and disburse payment for lodging:

   Option 1) Charges for lodging may be placed on a sponsor’s personal credit card or personal corporate card.

   Option 2) The faculty sponsor may request 100% advance for the lodging expenses of all persons going on the trip. Sponsors will need to obtain all necessary information from the lodging source including the exact room rate, tax rate, and any extra charges that may not ordinarily be quoted. Travel advances should be indicated on the Travel Authorization and Travel Claim of the faculty sponsor. The total amount of pre-payment should be shown on the travel claim form.

   Option 3) Students may receive 100% travel advance for lodging. Sponsor will need to obtain all necessary information from the lodging source, including the exact room rate, tax rate and any extra charges that may not ordinarily be quoted. Travel advances should be noted on the Travel Authorization and Travel Claim.

   Option 4) Payment to be made directly to the hotel/motel can be requested on the Travel Authorization. Attach documentation to the travel Authorization from the hotel/motel indicating room rate, tax rate and any extra charges that may not be ordinarily quoted. The faculty sponsor’s Travel Claim should indicate when the lodging expense was paid directly to the hotel/motel. In order to approve a Request for Excessive Rates, the conference/convention brochure which indicates lodging rates must be included with the Travel Authorization and Travel Claim.

   For all options, receipts must be obtained from the hotel/motel at the time of check out and be attached to the faculty’s Travel Claim when submitting for reimbursement. Expenses for lodging with multiple persons in a room may be indicated on the Travel Authorization and Travel Claim of the person designated responsible for the room receipt. Each individual responsible for a room must submit an itemized receipt for lodging. The sponsor should submit a list of room assignments indicating who will be staying in each room and who is responsible for the room receipt.

6. If prepaid expenses or lodging/activity reservations are involved and a student decides not to go on an approved trip, the faculty sponsor should contact Accounts Payable and Student Development and Activities (if applicable) by e-mail or memo. The sponsor must ensure that any travel advancement is returned to the Business Office and should initiate refund for registration fees according to the conference policy.
7. After completion of the travel, all relevant receipts (airline, lodging, etc.) should be collected by the faculty sponsor and turned in to the Division Office with the Travel Claim no later than one week after the trip. When using the Student Activity Fee account for travel, all claims should be processed through the Center for Student Development and Activities. For complete “Guidelines on Student Travel,” please contact the Business Office/Account Payable Office.

Sexual Harassment - Sexual harassment and racial harassment have been held to constitute forms of discrimination prohibited by Title VI, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended and Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972. Other types of harassment are prohibited by applicable law.

Generally, sexual harassment may be defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when one of the following criteria is met:

1. Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of the individual’s employment or of the individual’s status in a program, course or activity;
2. Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for employment decisions, a criterion for evaluation, or a basis for academic or other decisions affecting such individual;
3. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work educational environment.

Whether the alleged conduct constitutes sexual harassment depends upon the record as a whole and the totality of the circumstances, such as the nature of sexual advances in the context within which the alleged incident occurred.

Racial Harassment - student’s status or performance by creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or educational environment. Harassment on the basis of race, color, or national origin, includes offensive or demeaning treatment of an individual, where such treatment is based typically on prejudiced stereotypes of a group to which that individual may belong.

It includes, but is not limited to, objectionable epithets, threatened or actual physical harm or abuse, or other intimidating or insulting conduct directed against the individual because of his/her race, color, or national origin. Title VII requires employers to take prompt action to prevent bigots from expressing their opinions in a way which abuses or offends their coworkers.

Any student, applicant for employment or employee who believes he or she has been subjected to harassment at the college shall present the charge to the designated EEO/AA or Title IX officer responsible for compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The Director of Human Resources serves as the EEO/AA officer at Northeast State. All charges should be taken to his/her office in the Pierce Administration Building, Room P308.

Where the charge of harassment is against the EEO/AA, the President will identify an individual who has been trained in investigating such claims to investigate the claim and carry out the responsibilities assigned to the EEO/AA pursuant to the within guideline.

Where the charge of harassment is by one student against another student, the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs will investigate and resolve the complaint in accordance with student disciplinary procedures as described in this handbook.

Hazing means any intentional or reckless act in Tennessee on or off the property of any higher education institution by one (1) student acting alone or with another, which is directed against any other student, that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of that student, or which induces or coerces a student to endanger such student’s mental or physical health or safety. Hazing does not include customary athletic events or similar contests or competition, and is limited to those actions taken and situations created in connection with initiation into or affiliations with any organization.

Northeast State recommends that students use their own discretion in attending classes when snow and icy conditions exist. Additional information on the cancellation of classes or alternate schedules due to inclement weather is available from the local media each day.

Northeast State officials have the authority to conduct warrantless searches of persons and property in order to ensure compliance with school rules prohibiting contraband substances or items. Written authorization to implement a search of a student or his/her property will be made by either the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs or the President, in that order, and should, if possible, be based upon a signed statement setting forth in detail the facts and underlying circumstances justifying the search.

In exceptional circumstances a search may be made and Northeast State personnel may proceed with the search without a written authorization. Such circumstances are limited to those where the fruits of violation of the college’s regulation on contraband can be said to be in imminent danger of disappearance, destruction, or removal.

When the student voluntarily consents to a search, no written authorization for the search is required. A voluntary consent in writing will be requested, however, from the student. In addition, in all cases where a search is to be made of a student’s property, the student should be present for the search whenever possible.

In the event that police or other law enforcement officials not employed by Northeast State request permission to search a student or his property, the college will notify the student of the request. All questions concerning this subject should be directed to the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs or the President of Northeast State.

Northeast State Technical Community College strives to maintain an environment that is free of intimidation and encourages education of students to their fullest extent. Therefore, the college will not tolerate acts or threats of acts of sexual assault, physical assault, or any type of violence.

A student who individually, or in concert with others, participates or attempts to participate in a sexual offense including, but not limited to sexual assaults or abuse, threats against, or the unwarranted touching of an intimate area, or any student, is subject to disciplinary action by the College notwithstanding any actions that may or may not be taken by civil authorities.

Anyone who is a victim of sexual assault should contact the Northeast State Security Office. Reporting such an assault does not mean the victim must press charges or take the incident to criminal court. The reporting does establish a record of the incident for later use by the college and civil authorities. If requested, Northeast State security officers will assist the student in contacting local police. In a case of sexual assault, the victim must make every effort to preserve evidence at the scene of the crime and compose an accurate description of the events leading up to, and during, the attack.

Assaults against a student by staff or faculty should be reported to the Vice President for Business Affairs. Assaults against a student by a student should be reported to the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs. In either case, the assault should be reported as soon as possible after the action.

• The college disciplinary procedures include the right for the accused and the complainant to be present at any hearing.
• The right to have a support person present during the hearing. This person is not entitled to represent the complainant nor to assist in the testimony.
• The right not to have evidence of his/her past sexual history with third parties admitted as evidence.
• The right to have a hearing closed to spectators unless both the accused and the complainant consent in writing to have the hearing open to the public.
• The right to know the outcome of the hearing as defined by the Federal Education Right and Privacy Act.
• The discipline for acts of sexual assault may include suspension or dismissal from college.
• If requested by victims of alleged sexual offenses, the college will adjust class schedules or other reasonable actions that will reduce fear or concern.

Students involved in sexual abuse or violent situations are encouraged to seek assistance from college counselors in Student Affairs, Safety and Security, or Health Services personnel.

Students who may have committed sexual assault may need off-campus counseling and assistance. The following organizations are located in the Northeast Tennessee area:

• Sexual Response Center
  Hotline - 423/928-4710
  Johnson City - 423/928-8522
  Elizabethton - 423/542-1080
  Erwin - 423/743-0777
  E-mail - sarc@suit.net
• Safe Passage Inc.
  Hotline - 423-926-0144 or 423/926-7233
  Pager - 423/461-0268
  Fax - 423/926-8920

Northeast State provides college-wide programs that focus on sexual abuse and assault situations. These programs focus on prevention strategies and available options in the event or assaults or difficult situations.

In the event of illness or injury to an employee, student, or visitor, the office of Safety and Security should be contacted immediately. Security officers will manage all emergency situations involving illness or injury. Depending upon the nature and seriousness of the illness/injury, the office of Safety and Security will contact an external agency which provides emergency medical care. If an external agency responds to a request from the campus and provides emergency medical care, the individual receiving the care is financially responsible for the cost of the medical service.