Northwest Indian College is committed to and practices equal opportunity in education and participation in college activities without regard to race, color, gender, age, religion, political ideas or affiliation, national origin or ancestry, marital status, and physical or mental handicap. With regard to employment, Northwest Indian College supports and practices equal opportunity and the Indian Preference Act as authorized by Title 25, US Code, Section 473, and respective Tribal laws and or regulations.

The Northwest Indian College Sexual Harassment Policy forbids sexual harassment of students by faculty, staff, or administration. Sexual harassment of employees by other staff, supervisors or students is also prohibited. Handicapped students should be aware that room assignments for classes will be changed and other appropriate accommodations made in order for them to take classes originally scheduled in non-accessible locations.

Inquiries or complaints regarding discrimination should be directed to: the Office of Human Resources at the Northwest Indian College, Main Campus.

Northwest Indian College acknowledges all employees and students as role models representing the College and is therefore committed to maintaining the Lummi campus and all Tribal sites served as environments that are free of alcohol and drugs.

To ensure the safety and well being of all employees, students, and members of Tribal communities, Northwest Indian College endorses a drug and alcohol free workplace and campus(s) in support of academic excellence, work performance and quality of life, as well as the future well being of all members in the communities the college serves.

The Northwest Indian College policy for a drug and alcohol free workplace encompasses these principles:

The safety and well-being of all employees, students, and members of Tribal communities, Northwest Indian College endorses a drug and alcohol free workplace and campus. Unlawful possession, manufacture, use or distribution of illicit drugs or alcohol by students or employees on Northwest Indian College property or as part of college activities is prohibited. Any violation of Tribal, local, state, or federal law regarding the unlawful possession, manufacture, use or distribution of illicit drugs or alcohol may result in referral for prosecution and imposition of penalties.

The college will impose sanctions consistent with Tribal, local, state and federal law and adopted regulations on students and employees found to have violated this policy. Such sanctions may include recommendation for completion of an appropriate rehabilitation program, expulsion from the college or termination of employment and referral for prosecution. Student disciplinary action will be initiated in accordance with these laws.

The College adheres to a “Zero-Tolerance” policy. The definition of Zero-Tolerance is providing the employee one opportunity for rehabilitation; should the employee choose to
use alcohol/drugs after the initial intervention, the employee will be terminated. Drug and alcohol issues are not part of the grievance process. This policy is in compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989, P.L. 102-226.

Board of Trustees Approved 3/29/04

Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code). These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement. Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or statutory damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For willful infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorney fees. For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504, 505. Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense.

For more information, please see the website of the US Copyright Office atwww.copyright.gov.

Under Public law 104-208, Northwest Indian College is directed by the federal government to provide the armed forces such information as names, addresses, telephone numbers, date of birth, level of education, major and/or degrees received and prior military experience for all our students. Students who do not wish this information to be released should submit a written request to the Enrollment Services Office.

Northwest Indian College affirms a commitment to freedom from discrimination for all members of the College community. NWIC provides equal opportunity in education and employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status or the presence of any physical, sensory, or mental disability. The responsibility for, and the protection of the commitment extends to students, faculty, administration, staff, contractors and those who develop or participate in college programs. It encompasses every aspect of employment and every student and community activity. The College complies with federal and state statutes and regulations. Northwest Indian College supports and practices equal opportunity and the Indian Preference Act as authorized by Title 25, US Code, Section 473, and respective Tribal laws
and or regulations.

The Northwest Indian College Sexual Harassment Policy forbids sexual harassment of students by faculty, staff, or administration. Sexual harassment of employees by other staff, supervisors or students is also prohibited. Handicapped students should be aware that room assignments for classes will be changed and other appropriate accommodations made in order for them to take classes originally scheduled in non-accessible locations.

Inquiries or complaints regarding discrimination should be directed to: the Office of Human Resources at the Northwest Indian College, Main Campus.

A student’s social security number is confidential and will not be used for identification except for the purposes of employment, financial aid, transcripts, assessment / accountability research, or as otherwise required by state or federal law. In compliance with Pubic Law 93-579 and SB 5509, disclosure of a social security number is optional. If a student chooses not to provide it, he/she will not be denied any rights or benefits as a student. Students must provide their social security number to the admissions office for financial aid, and for the HOPE and Lifetime Learning Tax Credit.

All students will be assigned a student identification number to be used to identify educational records. Students use this number to register for classes, to order transcripts, etc. The student identification number is considered confidential and will not be released without written authorization signed by the student.

Under law, Northwest Indian College is required to protect the confidentiality of student records. As a result, in response to inquiries about students, NWIC will confirm only directory information including, name, address, phone number, dates of enrollment, area of study, and degrees or certificates earned, unless the student provides a signed release permitting disclosure of additional information. To protect student privacy, picture identification is required to view and/or receive copies of educational records. Students who do not want directory information released may contact the Enrollment Services Office.

Northwest Indian College complies with the Student Right to Know Act, a federal mandate for colleges to publicly disclose graduation rates and safety statistics and other information. NWIC has provided this information annually since 1998 to the Integrated Post-Secondary Educational Data System, also known as IPEDS. IPEDS is sponsored by the US Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics.

Students and interested parties can access this information by going to the College Navigator website: http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator. Type Northwest Indian College in the Name of School search box, choose WA from the state drop-down menu and press the Enter key. The search will provide the following information about NWIC:

• General Information
• Financial Aid
• Admission
• Programs/Majors
• Accreditation
• Estimated Expenses
• Retention/Graduation
• Athletics
• Campus Security

In order to promote the condition whereby both the student and the instructor may have the freedom to search for the truth and its free expression, Northwest Indian College adopts the following principles expressed by the American Association of University Professors:

• The College instructor is entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing his/her subject matter, but he/she should be careful not to introduce into his/her teaching controversial subject matter, which has no relation to his/her subject.
• The College instructor is a citizen, a member of a learned profession, and an officer of an educational institution. When an employee of the College speaks or writes as a citizen, he/she should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but his/her
  special position in the College community imposes special obligations. As a person of learning and an educational officer, he/she should remember that the public may judge his/her profession and institution by his/her utterances. Hence, he/she should show respect for the opinions of others, and should indicate that he/she is not an institutional spokesperson.

In addition, Northwest Indian College adopts a policy of respectful practice and responsibility regarding cultural information that requires all instructors and students to refrain from:

• Inappropriate use of culturally sensitive information, especially spiritual information;
• Unauthorized commercial or other exploitative use of Tribal and cultural information;
• Unauthorized infringement of individual, family, or group ownership rights for songs, stories, or other information; and
• Potential conflicts or harm resulting from cultural research, specifically coming from inappropriate interpretation of cultural information, inappropriate intrusions into community life, and breaches of confidentiality and friendship (adapted from Tribal College Journal, fall 1996, p.19).

Academic integrity is a shared responsibility at Northwest Indian College. Therefore the faculty, staff, and administration promote a high standard of academic honesty and strive to educate students by creating an ethical learning environment that accepts only the highest quality of academic work.

Academic dishonesty in connection with any Northwest Indian College activity threatens personal, academic and institutional integrity and is not tolerated. Academic dishonesty includes; cheating, plagiarism, and knowingly furnishing any false information to the College. In addition, any commitment of the acts of cheating, lying, and deceit in any form such as the use of substitutes for taking exams, plagiarism, and copying during
an examination is prohibited. Knowingly helping someone to committing dishonest acts is also in itself dishonest.

The following are more specific examples of academic dishonesty:

• Substituting in a course for another student or having another substitute for you in a course
• Having someone else write a paper and submitting it as one’s own work
• Giving or receiving answers by use of signals during an exam
• Copying with or without the other person’s knowledge during an exam
• Doing class assignments for someone else
• Plagiarizing published material, class assignments, or lab reports
• Turning in a paper that has been purchased from a commercial research firm or obtained from the internet
• Padding items of a bibliography
• Obtaining an unauthorized copy of a test in advance of its scheduled administration
• Using unauthorized notes during an exam
• Collaborating with other students on assignments when it is not allowed
• Obtaining a test from the exam site, completing and submitting it later
• Altering answers on a scored test and submitting it for a re-grade
• Accessing and altering grade records
• Stealing class assignments from other students and submitting them as one’s own
• Fabricating data
• Destroying or stealing the work of other students

Plagiarism is a type of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism occurs when a person falsely presents written course work as his or her own product. This is most likely to occur in the following ways:

Submitting the exact text of someone else without the use of quotation marks and without giving proper credit to the author.

• Presenting ideas or using the material of someone else even when it is in the student’s own words, without giving appropriate acknowledgment
• Submitting an assignment written by someone else but representing it as the student’s own work.

Before formal action is taken against a student who is suspected of committing academic dishonesty, instructors are encouraged to meet with the student informally and discuss the facts surrounding the suspicions. If the instructor determines that the student is guilty of academic dishonesty the instructor can resolve the matter with the student through punitive grading.

Examples of punitive grading are:

• A lower or failing grade on the assignment,
• Having the student repeat the assignment,
• Additional assignment(s),
• A lower or failing grade for the course

Students who feel they were unfairly accused or punished for academic dishonesty may follow the grievance procedures outlined in the Student Handbook and the student rights section of this catalog. Additionally, instructors are encouraged to document and refer academic dishonesty cases to the Registrar, the Dean for Student Life and/or the Vice President of Instruction and Student Services. The Office of Instruction and Student
Services will follow established procedures as provided in the Student Handbook. If a student is found guilty, possible penalties include a warning, probation, suspension, or expulsion.

NWIC complies with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) Teach-Out Plans and Teach-Out Agreements Policy which requires that a teach-out plan be submitted to the NWCCU and implemented in the event that the college ceases to operate or ceases instruction in a degree program.

In such an event, NWIC still submit a plan which will be approved if it:

1. is consistent with applicable standards;
2. provides that the institution will maintain the necessary experience, resources, and support services to provide an educational program that is of acceptable quality and reasonably similar in content, structure, and scheduling to that promised to the students upon enrollment;
3. demonstrates the institution’s stability and the ability to carry out its mission and meet all obligations to existing students; and
4. offers the program to students without additional charge over what had been previously in place, when the institution conducts the teach out without involving another entity, or if another entity is involved, provides notification to students of any additional charges.

Purpose of the Policy
There is an expanding reliance on electronic communication at Northwest Indian College. This is motivated by the convenience, speed, cost-effectiveness, and environmental advantages of using e-mail rather than printed communication. Because of this increasing reliance and acceptance of electronic communication, e-mail is considered one of the College’s official means of communication within the Northwest Indian College community.

Implementation of this policy ensures that students have access to this critical form of communication. It will ensure that all students can access, and be accessed by e-mail as the need arises.

A NWIC student e-mail account is a privilege and must be treated as such. Any abuse of this privilege will have consequences.

Policy

1. College use of e-mail
   • E-mail is an official means for communication within Northwest Indian College. Therefore, the College has the right to send communications to students via e-mail and the right to expect that those communications will be received and read in a timely fashion. If you have an Internet Service Provider, you can access the College’s e-mail system from on campus and off-campus.
2. E-mail communications expectations
   • Students are expected to check their official e-mail address on a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current with College communications. The College recommends checking e-mail once a week at a minimum; in recognition that certain communications may be time-critical.
3. Educational uses of e-mail
   • Faculty may determine how e-mail will be used in their classes. It is highly recommended that if faculty has e-mail requirements and expectations they specify these requirements in their course syllabi. Faculty may expect that students’ official e-mail addresses are being accessed regularly and faculty may use e-mail for their courses accordingly.
4. Appropriate use of e-mail
   • In general, e-mail is not appropriate for transmitting sensitive or confidential information unless an appropriate level of security matches its use for such purposes. The e-mail system is not designed to be a record retention system. In addition, it is suggested that important documents be sent with a return receipt. The following criteria relate to e-mail use:
     • All use of e-mail will be consistent with local, state, and federal law, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). All use of e-mail, including use for sensitive or confidential information, will be consistent with FERPA. To ensure compliance with FERPA regulations, all correspondence which concerns confidential or sensitive information should utilize official Northwest Indian College e-mail addresses. E-mail correspondence from students that requests confidential or sensitive information will not be answered if the e-mail is not from a Northwest Indian College e-mail address.
     • Communications sent to a student’s official Northwest Indian College e-mail address may include notification of College-related actions. E-mail shall not be the sole method for notification of any legal action. Official College communications sent by e-mail are subject to the same public information, privacy and records retention requirements and policies as other official College communications.
     • A prepared statement of confidentiality is available for students to add to their e-mail messages if desired. The message below may be copied and pasted into the signature line of e-mail messages:
     • CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.
5. Abuse of e-mail privileges
   • A NWIC e-mail account is a privilege, not a right, and can be revoked if used for any unacceptable purpose. Unacceptable e-mail use includes, but is not limited to:
     • unsolicited unauthorized mass e-mail (spam)
     • offensive language or threats
     • obscene material or language
     • infringement on others’ privacy
     • interference with others’ work
     • copyright infringement
     • illegal activity

Penalties for unacceptable e-mail use can range from deactivation of the account through college judicial action or referral to law enforcement authorities.

Approved by the Board of Trustees March 19, 2009