Pocahontas Campus
1410 Highway 304 East
Pocahontas, AR 72455
Paragould Campus
1 Black River Drive
Paragould, AR 72450 |
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General Information
The Ambassador Program is composed of students selected by faculty adn staff recommendations. These individuals represent the college, both on and off campus, at various events. The Ambassadors are responsible for working 160-200 hours per semester for Black River Technical College.
Any student who has an accident or becomes ill and needs health services should inform his/her instructor immediately. Although the college does not provide student health insurance, company brochures are available in the Student Services Office which give information about available health services.
BRTC is a designated regional testing center for the ACT program. Tests are administered on specified national testing dates. Students wishing to take the ACT test should contact the Director of Admissions/Counseling for testing dates. Test dates are also listed in the ACT package available in the Office of Student Services.
The college bookstore stocks all required textbooks and some required supplies for classes, as well as a variety of miscellaneous items. Graduation caps and gowns are also distributed through the bookstore.
Financial aid charges are allowed during the first week of Fall and Spring semesters and during the first day of Intersession and the first two days of Summer terms. Financial aid returns can be made during this time with a receipt. See "Financial Information" section of the catalog for detailed Bookstore Return Policy.
Normal buy-back days are scheduled for the end of finals for both the Fall and Spring Semesters.
Bookstore hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during regular semesters. During the first week of the semester, the bookstore has extended hours.
Title II of the Crime Awareness, Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act requires the collection and dissemination of certain information regarding murder, robbery, sex offenses, forcible or nonforcible, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, liquor law violation, drug abuse violation, weapon possessions, arson, and manslaughter. A report must be made/filed with the security officer within 72 hours of its occurrence. Access to campus facilities should be directed to Scott, Chief Security Officer at (870) 248-4000, ext. 4034.
Club advisors are full-time employees of BRTC and provide proper supervision at all college functions. They must have the approval of the college president to act in an advisory capacity. Off-campus student activities may be permitted with the approval of the administration, and will be properly supervised by appropriate club advisors.
In order to give opportunity for many students to participate in an activity and in order to lend opportunity for students to select from a diversity of activities, the administration will encourage the development of clubs representing a variety of interests. Clubs and organizations shall be established and governed in accordance with the provisions and guidance of the advisor of the club or organization, and the approval of the recommendations by the administration.
The college board will encourage opportunities for students to participate in the activities of the communities of the college district if they are educationally sound, and if they lead to a better understanding of community responsibility.
Some programs offered at BRTC afford the opportunity for the students to participate in state and national competition. BRTC realizes the particular values obtained from these competitions and encourages the involvement of the students.
Career Planning personnel work closely with area business and industry to locate potential employment for BRTC graduates.
The Office of the Coordinator of Student Retention and Placement offers a wide range of services to current students and alumni in the career decision making and the job search process. Students are required to register with the Coordinator of Student Retention and Placement at the beginning of their last semester at Black River Technical College. Students will fill out an application which gives authorization by the student to release information to employers, recruiting representatives, and educational institutions. Services provided by the Office of Coordinator of Student Retention and Placement are:
o Referrals for part-time jobs on and off campus
o Referrals for full-time career jobs
o Referrals for summer jobs
o Job search strategies and interview skills
o Job posting and referral to all career jobs
o Accurate and up-to-date job information including salaries, locations, qualifications, etc.
The Office of the Coordinator of Student Retention and Placement is located in the Administration Building in Student Services.
Individual students are discouraged from giving gifts to faculty members. Staff members, particularly those in positions where decision making is a primary part of their duties, shall not accept personal gifts from those who would profit from such decisions.
The president may cancel classes in the event of severe weather. Announcements of cancellations will be aired on radio stations KPOC, Pocahontas; KFIN, Jonesboro; KTMO, Kennett, MO; and on the television station KAIT, Channel 8, Jonesboro.
BRTC has many computer labs that contain some of the latest PCs and software. LCD projectors are available in these labs for hands-on instruction. All registered students at BRTC will be given a computer account and be able to access the Internet and e-mail from the computer labs.
The BRTC Library contains approximately 25,000 volumes of books and audiovisual materials and provides access to thousands of journals and magazines through its Internet and CD-ROM databases. Remote access is available to the online catalog and the Internet databases. The student identification card is used for checking out materials. Library hours during fall and spring semesters are 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays. Summer hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Students who wish to change their name or address must request this change in Student Services. Students wanting to change their name must present their driver's license and Social Security card.
All students must obtain a registration/parking permit for any vehicle driven on the college campus. New permits effective for one year are issued in the Fall Semester each year. There is no charge for the first parking permit, available at the STUDENT PAYMENT WINDOW. There will be a $5.00 charge for each additional parking permit. Parking fines are $5.00 for the first violation and increase by $5.00 for each successive violation. A list of violations may be obtained at the cashier's window. Students are required to park in the YELLOW painted areas designated for student parking. WHITE painted parking areas are reserved for faculty and staff. Back-in parking is only allowed in Handicap Parking areas.
There is a Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society chapter on the BRTC campus, and members are entitled to attend local, regional, and national meetings and events. Established in 1918, Phi Theta Kappa is the only internationally recognized honor society serving two-year colleges, and its purpose is to recognize and encourage scholarship, service, and leadership among associate degree students. Students must meet eligibility requirements based on hours earned and GPA before being invited to join. Induction ceremonies are held each semester.
The college recognizes that students derive many values through participation in student activities associated with the college program. Therefore, the administration will direct efforts toward the promoting, supporting, and proper directing of such activities as an integral part of the education program.
Sufficient time will be provided by the administration to afford adequate sponsorship of the student government and proper direction and assistance to all student activities. The administration will assure that staff direction and assistance do not interfere with or curb the exercising of appropriate initiative, leadership, and responsibility of students.
Physical examinations may be required of students enrolled in some programs offered at BRTC. If an examination is required before enrolling in a class or program, it will be at the student's expense.
Academic Dishonesty--Students are expected to do their own work on examinations and in preparation of all assignments. They are also expected at all times to uphold high standards of integrity. Plagiarism, cheating, and any other form of theft of intellectual property are all examples of academic dishonesty and are prohibited.
Cheating--is an attempt to deceive the instructor in his or her efforts to evaluate an academic exercise. Cheating includes copying another student's homework, classwork, or a required project, whether in part or whole, and presenting this material to the instructor as the student's own work. It also includes giving, receiving, offering, selling, buying, and or/soliciting information on a quiz, test, or examination.
Plagiarism--is the intentional copying of any published work whether from a book, magazine, audiovisual program, electronic media, films, or manuscripts belonging to another student or another writer. It also includes purchasing written assignments from another person, company, or through an electronic paper-writing business. It will be deemed plagiarism when a student uses direct quotations without the proper usage of quotation marks and necessary attribution or when he or she uses the ideas of another without giving proper credit.
In fairness to all students, each instructor must enforce strict regulations to ensure honesty. Any student who violates the regulations may receive the letter grade of "F" in the specific assignment or examination. The instructor will also submit a written report of the incident to the appropriate Division Chair. The Division Chair will notify Student Services for documentation in the permanent record.
In case of repeated infractions, other disciplinary sanctions will be imposed. Under the specific circumstances of multiple incidents, the student may be dropped from the class for academic dishonesty; and the circumstances leading to this removal from the class be entered in the student's permanent record. Continued infractions of this policy will result in the student's expulsion from the college and the reason for this expulsion will be entered on his or her permanent collegiate record.
If the student believes an erroneous accusation of academic misconduct has been made and the final course grade lowered as a result, the student may submit an appeal under the guidelines for Academic Appeals.
As a general rule, a student's academic record is confidential and will not be released to unauthorized persons without written approval from the student. However, under 34CFR 99.31 (a) (2) BRTC can release a student's information to another institution in which the student seeks or intends to enroll.
The following items are considered public information and may be made available upon inquiry unless the student requests nondisclosure: name, address, phone number, enrollment status, degrees obtained and dates conferred, and dates of attendance.
Request for nondisclosure are effective until the student notifies the Registrar, in writing, that the request is to be voided. BRTC intends to comply fully with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 which was designed to protect the privacy of educational records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their educational records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students also have the right to file complaints with the FERPA office concerning alleged failures by the institution to comply with the Act. Questions concerning the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act should be referred to the Vice-President for Student Services.
Classes meet at any time between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday; specific class times will be set at registration.
Smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco is not permitted inside any building. Smoking is banned within 25 feet of all building entrances.
Each student is required to have a Social Security number when registering for class(es).
During registration, an advisor will be assigned to each student. The advisor will be a faculty member in the area most closely related to the student's major, and will help the student choose appropriate courses before registration each semester, and will direct students to information on financial aid, testing, etc.
The following procedure will be utilized for any appeal, including academic appeals, that are generated from a student or the student population at Black River Technical College.
Step 1. The appeal shall be presented, in written form, within five (5) working days after the occurrence of the situation. A student(s) wishing to appear before the appeals committee must state her/his request in writing. This request must be submitted to the Registrar, who is designated to the Student Appeals Officer. The student(s) will be notified of the committee's meeting time and date by the Student Appeals Officer.
Step 2. The Student Appeals Officer will submit the appeal to the Student Appeals Committee for the committee's consideration. If the Student Appeal Committee cannot reach a majority decision, the appeal will be presented to the Administrative Appeals Committee. If the appeal involves grades, policies, or procedures, the Student Appeals Officer will present the appeal directly to the Administrative Appeals Committe for consideration. The Student Appeals Committee has no authority, in any circumstance, to overturn grades or to change the policies and/or procedures of this college. The Student Appeals Officer will notify the student(s) in writing of the decision rendered within (5) working days.
Step 3. If the appeal has not been resolved, the student(s) may appeal the decision of the Student Appeals Committee within five (5) working days from the date of notification. This appeal shall be in written form and shall be submitted to the Student Appeals Officer.
Step 4. The Student Appeals Officer will submit the appeal to the Administrative Appeals Committee for the committee's consideration. The Administrative Appeals Committee will derive at a conclusion regardless of the vote and will submit the decision to the Student Appeals Officer. The Student Appeals Officer will notify the student(s) in writing of the decision rendered within five (5) working days.
Step 5. In the event a student(s) is dissatisfied with the decision of the Administrative Appeals Committee, she/he may petition within 5 working days (in writing) the governing board, through the president, the review the case. Upon receipt of tehe appeal by the president, a meeting date and time will be established within 14 to 21 days (or earlier if possible) with the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee of the BRTC Board of Trustees (or appointees by the president if unavailable) will review the appeal. A majority vote of the Executive Committee will be the final decision. If the Executive Committee does not derive at a majority decision, the appeal will be presented to the full board and the decision shall be final.
Student(s) having concerns pertaining to the compliance with Title VI (ethnicity), Title IX (gender), or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (disability), may submit their concern directly to: Office of Civil Rights, U. S. Office of Education, 1200 Main Tower Building, Dallas, TX 75202.
Copies of the above stated Acts may be obtained in the Office of the Vice-President for Student Services, as well as copies of the institutional policies pertaining to sexual harassment.
Student Appeals Committee will consist of the following individuals:
o Financial Aid Director
o President of the Faculty Forum
o Student Ambassador
Administrative Appeals Committee will consist of the following:
o Vice-President for Academic Affairs
o Vice-President for Finance
o Vice-President for Student Services
If, for any reason, a member of the Student Appeals Committee or a member of the Administrative Appeals Committee cannot be present to hear the appeal, or is deemed to be biased in the situation, the President of the college may substitute the committee member.
Students are expected to be mature and responsible in their general behavior. They are expected to attend all classes and to be punctual. After an unexpected absence due to illness or emergency, students are responsible for contacting instructors on their first day back to arrange to make up work. Excessive absenteeism may result in loss of course credit. Excessive is calculated as twice the number of times the class meets each week.
Students are expected to obey national, state, and local laws; respect the rights and privileges of others; be forthright and honest in all their social and academic conduct; and, in general, to conduct themselves in a manner which brings credit to themselves and to the college.
BRTC reserves the right to dismiss any student whose behavior is considered undesirable or harmful to the institution. The administration may dismiss, or suspend, students who have not upheld the social or academic standards of the college, following the due process guidelines. Students who are dismissed or suspended for disciplinary or academic reasons may apply for readmission after a stated period of time set by the administration. BRTC, at the discretion of the administration, may remove from classes any student who is convicted of a felony, or who is felt to be a threat to the campus community (student body/faculty/staff).
Students, employees, or guests are prohibited from possession of any type of firearm on the campus unless specifically exempted by state law. Offenders are in violation of Arkansas Criminal Code Annotated 5-73-119 through 5-73-122.
No student, employee, or guest may bring any intoxicant or harmful/illegal drug on to the campus, or appear on campus under the influence of such substances. BRTC will not tolerate use, possession, or sale of such substances on campus, or at institutional functions. All first-time and entering transfer students receive a copy of BRTC's Drug and Campus Security Policy when completing the application process.
Student identification cards are issued to new students in the fall and spring semesters. The cards can be used for discounts with various local merchants. Student ID cards are used as library cards and may also be required in conjunction with other school functions when identification as a BRTC student is necessary. Student ID cards are issued through the Student Services Office. Replacement ID's will cost $5 each.
The basic fundamentals of procedural due process will be followed in the adjudication of student violation of college regulations. Procedural due process does not provide for legal representation, a public hearing, confrontation and cross examination of witnesses, warning about privileges, self-incrimination, applications of double jeopardy, or any of the remaining features of federal criminal jurisprudence. Circumstances, however, may require provision of one or more of these features in a particular case to guarantee the fundamental concepts of due process. A copy of the Judicial Process is available from the Registrar.
Clubs and organizations on the campus may have off-campus speakers address their members. It shall be the responsibility of the appropriate faculty advisor to screen speakers in advance to ensure that reasonable standards of decency and morals will not be violated, and the speakers are not known to advocate illegal or unlawful activities.
Currents, an in-house Creative Arts Journal publication, is produced each Spring Semester by Black River Technical College, and features students' literary and fine art pieces. Literary submissions in the categories of formal essay, informal essay, poetry, drama, short story, and art work from any media should be submitted with an official cover sheet available from the English or Art faculty. All students are eligible to submit their work; however, a faculty committee will choose the final pieces to be included.
The Student Services division supports and augments the philosophy, purpose, and goals of the college. In its concern for the individual and his/her progress toward educational and occupational goals, the college will provide a comprehensive program of services and activities to assist each student in making full use of the total educational program available to them.
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 requires that all transcript requests be in writing, signed and dated by the person to whom the record belongs. Transcript request forms are available in the Student Services Office. Students may also obtain a transcript by mailing a written request that includes the following information:
o FULL NAME as it appears on your record. Please include your maiden name, if married, or any other name used while enrolled at BRTC.
o SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
o YOUR LAST TERM AT BRTC
o ADDRESS to which the transcript is to be mailed
o YOUR RETURN ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER
Please sign and date your request and mail or fax it to: Office of the Registrar, Black River Technical College, Post Office Box 468, Pocahontas, AR 72455. Fax number: (870) 240-4100.
Most institutions prefer the transcript to be mailed directly to their office. There is no charge for a transcript. All transcripts are mailed out within one working week after receiving the request. BRTC will not honor a transcript request if the student is on either an academic or financial hold.
BRTC is an approved school for veterans and their beneficiaries, and they are required to meet the same admission criteria as other students. Veterans, dependent children, and others entitled to educational assistance payments from the Veterans Administration should contact the Office of Financial Aid for detailed information and application forms.
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Copyright © 2007
Black River Technical College |
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