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All students at Polk State College have the right to:
1. Adhere to to the College’s requirements and policies based on the catalog in effect at the time the student first entered the College, provided the student maintains continuous enrollment. The College reserves the right to change policies and procedures based on changes in state or federal guidelines, best practices, or in the interest of student success. Students are subject to any changes in policy or procedure.
2. Access student records and to the protection afforded them under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which is outlined in this College Catalog/Student Handbook.
3. Know how the College uses their Social Security Numbers. This information is outlined in the document Notification of Social Security Number Collection and Usage.
4. Access an ombudsman who will help the student understand policy, procedure, and give direction. The Deans of Student Services will direct the student to the ombudsman.
Should any guarantee be denied, or a student feel that his or her rights have been violated in the administration of policy, procedure, or academics, the student has the right of appeal. As outlined in Polk State College Rule 4.26, Student Appeal/Complaint Policy, the following are Polk State College’s appeal processes:
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Matters regarding grading issues and classroom policies and procedures may be appealed to the instructor or the administrator who is the instructor’s immediate academic supervisor (Procedure 1018).
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Matters of interpretation of academic rules whether applied to students in face-to-face or distance learning classes may be appealed to the Petitions Committee (Procedure 5023). Students may visit an advisor on any campus for assistance in completing a petition. Online@PolkState students may send a request for assistance to their online advisor.
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Matters regarding student services for students with disabilities may be appealed with the assistance of the designated counselor for students with disabilities. (The avenues of appeal are specified in Board Rule 4.23 and College Procedure 5008.) Contact the following office for assistance: Valparisa Baker, Director, Equity & Diversity (Title IX Coordinator), 999 Avenue H, N.E., Winter Haven, FL 33891-4299, Office: WAD 227 863.292.3602 Ext 5378, vbaker@polk.edu.,polk.edu/equity.
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Matters regarding financial aid and scholarships may be appealed to the Student Services/Financial Aid Committee. Contact the Quality Assurance and Compliance Coordinator, Ketsia Alexandre, at kalexandre@polk.edu.
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Matters regarding the conduct of other students may be appealed to the Campus Dean of Student Services, or his or her designee; this individual assists with the provisions and procedures in District Board of Trustees Rule 4.01 Student Conduct, Discipline, and Due Process. Students may visit the Campus Dean on the Winter Haven or Lakeland campus or email a request for assistance to advising@polk.edu.
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Matters of discrimination, discriminatory policies, or discriminatory actions (other than matters of discipline or student employment) may be appealed to the College’s Equity Committee. Claims of employment discrimination may be appealed using Procedure 6054, Equity Complaint. Contact Valparisa Baker, Director, Equity & Diversity (Title IX Coordinator), 999 Avenue H, N.E., Winter Haven, FL 33891-4299, Office: WAD 227 863.292.3602 Ext 5378, vbaker@polk.edu, polk.edu/equity.
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Matters of complaint against an employee may be appealed to the employee’s supervisor. If the complaint is not resolved at this level, the next step in the formal process is listed below in item 2. Contact Human Resources at hr@polk.edu to find an employee’s supervisor.
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Matters involving sexual harassment may be appealed using Procedure 6076, Sexual Harassment. Contact Valparisa Baker, Director, Equity & Diversity (Title IX Coordinator), 999 Avenue H, N.E., Winter Haven, FL 33891-4299, Office: WAD 227 863.292.3602 Ext 5378, vbaker@polk.edu.,polk.edu/equity.
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Matters regarding the denial of the in-state residency rate for tuition and fees may be appealed to the Residency Committee as noted in Procedure 1025, Admission Procedure. Students may contact the Assistant Registrar on the Lakeland or Winter Haven campuses or may send a request to registrar@polk.edu.
All other matters should be processed as listed below:
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In matters of complaint against an employee, the first step is an informal appeal to the employee’s supervisor.
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In matters of complaint against an institutional policy or practice, the first step is an informal appeal to the administrator responsible.
If the appeal or complaint is not resolved, a formal appeal/complaint process must be followed:
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A written statement of the complaint must be submitted to the President’s Staff member responsible for the organizational unit in which the complaint originated.
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The President’s Staff member is responsible for investigating and resolving the complaint in a reasonable amount of time. The President’s Staff member’s decision is final. A written decision statement is issued to the parties involved.
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If the complaint is against the President’s Staff member responsible for the organizational unit, the President shall assign an appropriate person to review the complaint.
Online Education Student Grievances Not Satisfied through the College’s Procedure for Online Education Matters
Out-of-state distance education students, who have completed Polk State’s internal institutional grievance process as stated above and the applicable state grievance process found on the webpage listed above, may appeal non-instructional complaints to the FL-SARA Postsecondary Reciprocal Distance Education (PRDEC) Council. For additional information on the complaint process, please visit the FL‐SARA Complaint Process page at www.FLDOE.ORG\SARA.
Student Grievances Beyond Polk State College
Information about filing grievances to the state of Florida can be found on the Florida College System website here.
Copies of Polk State College Rules and Procedures referenced above are available on the College’s Rules and Procedures websites.
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