You are in the official 2007-2008 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
You are in the official 2007-2008 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. 1232g) and regulations adopted thereunder (34 C.F.R. 99) afford students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights are outlined on the following Web site: www.csufresno.edu/ClassSchedule/07fall/policy/privacy-comm/ferpa.shtml.
The statute and regulations govern access to certain student records maintained by the campus and the release of such records. The law provides that the campus must give students access to records directly related to the student, and must also provide opportunity for a hearing to challenge the records if the student claims they are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise inappropriate. The right to a hearing under this law does not include any right to challenge the appropriateness of a grade determined by the instructor. The law generally requires the institution to receive a student's written consent before releasing personally identifiable data about the student. The institution has adopted a set of policies and procedures governing implementation of the statute and the regulations. Copies of these policies and procedures may be obtained at the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students. The vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students is the custodian of all student records maintained by the university.
Among the types of information included in the campus statement of policies and procedures are the following: (1) the types of student records maintained and the information they contain, (2) the official responsible for maintaining each type of record, (3) the location of access lists indicating persons requesting or receiving information from the record, (4) policies for reviewing and expunging records, (5) student access rights to their records, (6) the procedures for challenging the content of student records, (7) the cost to be charged for reproducing copies of records, and (8) the right of the student to file a complaint with the Department of Education.
The Department of Education has established an office and review board to investigate complaints and adjudicate violations. The designated office for this purpose is Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4605.
The campus is authorized under the Act to release "directory information" concerning students. "Directory information" may include the student's name, address, telephone listing, electronic mail address, photograph, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, grade level, enrollment status, degrees, honors, and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student.
The above-designated information is subject to release by the campus at any time unless the campus has received prior written objection from the student specifying what information the student requests not be released. Written objections should be sent to the Office of Admissions or notated on an Admissions Address Change Form.
The campus is authorized to provide access to student records to campus
officials and employees who have legitimate educational interests in such
access. These persons have responsibilities in the campus's academic, administrative
or service functions and have reason for accessing student records associated
with their campus or other related academic responsibilities. Students'
records may also be disclosed to other persons or organizations under certain
conditions (e.g., as part of accreditation or program evaluation; in response
to a court order or subpoena; in connection with financial aid; or to other
institutions to which the student is transferring).
Use of Social Security Number. Applicants
are required to include their correct Social Security numbers in designated
places on applications for admission pursuant to the authority contained
in Section 41201, Title 5, California Code of Regulations, Section 6109
of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 6109). The university uses the Social
Security number to identify students and locate their records. The Social
Security number is used to determine financial aid eligibility and disbursement
and to identify the student's repayment of financial aid and other debts
payable to the institution. Also, the Internal Revenue Service requires
the university to file information returns that include the student's Social
Security number and other information such as the amount paid for qualified
tuition, related expenses, and interest on educational loans. This information
is used by the IRS to help determine whether a student, or a person claiming
a student as a dependent, may take a credit or deduction to reduce federal
income taxes.
Taxpayers who claim Hope Scholarship or Lifetime Learning tax credit
will be required to provide their name, address, and Taxpayer Identification
Number to the campus.
California State University, Fresno has adopted provisions for the conduct
of research that employs or influences humans. All research at the university
must comply with these provisions. Students must familiarize themselves
with the provisions by inquiring in the departmental offices or the office
of the dean of their school.
Entering CSU students are required to present proof of the following
immunizations to the CSU campus they will be attending before the beginning
of their first term of enrollment.
Measles and Rubella. All new and readmitted students born after January
1, 1957 must provide proof of full immunization against measles and rubella
prior to enrollment.
Hepatitis B. All new students who will be 18 years of age or younger
at the start of their first term at a CSU campus must provide proof of full
immunization against Hepatitis B before enrolling. Full immunization against
Hepatitis B consists of three timed doses of vaccine over a minimum four-
to six-month period. If you need further details or have special circumstances,
please consult the Student Health Center, 559.278.2734.
Each incoming freshman who will be residing in on-campus housing will be
required to return a form indicating that they have received information
about meningococcal disease and the availability of the vaccine to prevent
contracting the disease and indicating whether or not the student has chosen
to receive the vaccination. These are not admission requirements, but are
required of students as conditions of enrollment in CSU.
Persons subject to these health screening provisions include new students
enrolling fall 1987 and later; readmitted students reenrolling fall 1987
and later; students who reside in campus residence halls; students who obtained
their primary and secondary schooling outside the United States; students
enrolled in dietetics, medical technology, nursing, physical therapy, and
any practicum, student teaching, or fieldwork involving preschool-age children,
school-age children, or taking place in a hospital or health care setting.
The Student Health Center provides immunizations without cost to those students
unable to obtain acceptable proof of immunizations.
California State University, Fresno is committed to a program of equal
opportunity for all. The California State University does not discriminate
in the educational programs or activities it conducts on the basis of race,
color, national origin, gender, age, marital status, religion, mental or
physical disability, sexual preference, pregnancy, or special disabled veteran
status (Vietnam era or other covered veteran status). California State University,
Fresno's Policy Statement (in the Equal Employment and Education Opportunity
Plan and the Equal Opportunity Plan for Individuals with Disabilities, Disabled
Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans) addresses
equal opportunity in employment, admissions, recruitment, financial aid,
placement counseling, curricula, and housing for students. These are recognized
by the university as basic to our equal opportunity goals.
Persons who are aggrieved may pursue a complaint or seek information by
contacting Janice A. Parten, director of Human Resources, 559.278.2364,
Joyal Administration Building, Room 148; Janette Redd-Williams, the interim
associate vice president for Academic Personnel and reviewer for faculty
concerns, 559.278.3027; or Paul Oliaro, vice president for Student Affairs/dean
of students and reviewer for student concerns, 559.278.2541.
Sexual Harassment. Discrimination on the basis of sex is prohibited
by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act as well as Title IX of the Education
Act. Sexual harassment is a violation of Section 703 of Title VII. Sexual
harassment refers to the unwanted imposition of sexual attention usually
in the context of a relationship of unequal power, rank, or status, as well
as the use of one's position of authority in the university to bestow benefits
or impose deprivations on another. This applies equally to all students,
staff, faculty, and managers at California State University, Fresno. Harassment
includes verbal, nonverbal, and/or physical conduct that has the intent
or effect of unreasonable interference with individuals' or groups' education
or work performance. This may also include actions that create an intimidating,
hostile, or offensive working or learning environment. Both men and women
can be the victims of sexual harassment.
Students who believe they are victims of sexual harassment should contact
the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students,
559.278.2541. The staff can explain the complaint procedures available to
students on our campus. For more information about the complaint process,
please contact Janice A. Parten, director of Human Resources, 559.278.2364.
Other resources include the deans and associate deans who are trained to
respond to inquiries.
Race, Color, and National Origin. The California State University
complies with the requirements of Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 as well as other applicable federal and state laws prohibiting
discrimination. No person shall, on the basis of race, color, or national
origin be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or
be otherwise subjected to discrimination in any program of the California
State University.
Disability. The California State University does not discriminate
on the basis of disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment
in, its programs and activities. Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and various state
laws prohibit such discrimination. The director of human resources has been
designated to coordinate the efforts of California State University, Fresno
to comply with all relevant disability laws. Inquiries concerning compliance
may be addressed to Janice A. Parten, director of Human Resources, Joyal
Administration Building, Room 148, phone 559.278.2364.
If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) and need course materials in alternate formats, immediately notify
your course instructor or Carole Snee, director of Services for Students
with Disabilities, 559.278.2811. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate
your special needs.
Sex/Gender. The California State University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, or sexual orientation in the educational programs or activities it conducts. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and certain other federal and state laws prohibit discrimination on these bases in education programs and activities operated by California State University, Fresno. Such programs and activities include admission of students and employment.
Inquiries concerning the application of these laws to programs and activities
of California State University, Fresno may be referred to Janice A. Parten,
director of Human Resources, Joyal Administration Building, Room 148, 559.278.2364;
Paul Oliaro, vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students, Joyal
Administration Building, Room 262, 559.278.2541; the director of Human Resources,
Auxiliary Services, 4910 N. Chestnut, 559.278.0860; or the regional director
of the Office for Civil Rights, Region 9, 220 Mail Street, 10th Floor, San
Francisco, CA 94105.
The California State University is committed to providing equal opportunities
to male and female CSU students in all campus programs, including intercollegiate
athletics.
Age, Marital Status, Religion, or Sexual Orientation. The California
State University does not discriminate on the basis of age, marital status,
religion, or sexual orienation.
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193), also known as the Welfare Reform Act, includes provisions to eliminate eligibility for federal and state public benefits for certain categories of lawful immigrants as well as benefits for all illegal immigrants.
Students who will require a professional or commercial license provided by a local, state, or federal government agency in order to engage in an occupation for which the CSU may be training them must meet the immigration requirements of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act to achieve licensure. Information concerning these requirements is available from the Financial Aid Office 559.278.2182.
Procedure for the establishment or abolishment of a student body fee. The law governing the California State University provides that fees defined as mandatory, such as a student body association fee and a student body center fee, may be established. A student body association fee must be established upon a favorable vote of two-thirds of the students voting in an election held for this purpose (Education Code, Section 89300). A student body center fee may be established only after a fee referendum is held which approves by a two-thirds favorable vote the establishment of the fee (Education Code, Section 89304). The student body fee was established at Fresno State by student referendum. The campus president may adjust the student body association fee only after the fee adjustment has been approved by a majority of students voting in a referendum established for that purpose (Education Code, Section 89300). The required fee shall be subject to referendum at any time upon the presentation of a petition to the campus president containing the signatures of 10 percent of the regularly enrolled students at the university. Once bonds are issued, authority to set and adjust student body center fees is governed by provisions of the State University Revenue Bond Act of 1947, including, but not limited to, Education Code Sections 90012, 90027, and 90068. Student body association fees support a variety of cultural and recreational programs, childcare centers, and special student support programs.
The process to establish and adjust other campus-based mandatory fees requires consideration by the campus fee advisory committee and a student referendum. The campus president may use alternate consultation mechanisms if he/she determines that a referendum is not the best mechanism to achieve appropriate and meaningful consultation. Results of the referendum and the fee committee review are advisory to the campus president. The president may request that the chancellor establish the mandatory fee.
41301. Standards for Student Conduct. The university is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy living and learning environment for students, faculty, and staff. Each member of the campus community must choose behaviors that contribute toward this end. Student behavior that is not consistent with the Student Conduct Code is addressed through an educational process that is designed to promote safety and good citizenship and, when necessary, impose appropriate consequences.
Student Responsibilities. Students are expected to be good citizens and to engage in responsible behaviors that reflect well upon their university, to be civil to one another and to others in the campus community, and contribute positively to student and university life.
Unacceptable Student Behaviors. The following behavior is subject to disciplinary sanctions:
1. Dishonesty, including the following:
a. Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty that are
intended to gain unfair academic advantage.
b. Furnishing false information to a university official, faculty member,
or campus office.
c. Forgery, alteration, or misuse of a university document, key, or identification
instrument.
d. Misrepresenting oneself to be an authorized agent of the university or
one of its auxiliaries.
2. Unauthorized entry into, presence in, use of, or misuse of university property.
3. Willful, material, and substantial disruption or obstruction of a university-related activity, or any on-campus activity.
4. Participating in an activity that substantially and materially disrupts the normal operations of the university or infringes on the rights of members of the university community.
5. Willful, material, and substantial obstruction of the free flow of pedestrian or other traffic, on or leading to campus property or an off-campus university-related activity.
6. Disorderly, lewd, indecent, or obscene behavior at a university related activity, or directed toward a member of the university community.
7. Conduct that threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person within or related to the university community, including physical abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, or sexual misconduct.
8. Hazing, or conspiracy to haze, as defined in Education Code Sections
32050 and 32051: "Hazing" includes any method of initiation or
pre-initiation into a student organization, or any pastime or amusement
engaged in with respect to such an organization which causes, or is likely
to cause, bodily danger, physical harm, or personal degradation or disgrace
resulting in physical or mental harm, to any student or other person attending
any school, community college, college, university or other educational
institution in this state; but the term "hazing" does not include
customary athletic events or other similar contests or competitions.
A group of students acting together may be considered a "student organization"
for purposes of this section whether or not they are officially recognized.
Neither the express nor the implied consent of a victim of hazing, nor the
lack of active participation while hazing is going on, is a defense. Apathy
or acquiescence in the presence of hazing is not a neutral act and is also
a violation of this section.
9. Use, possession, manufacture, or distribution of illegal drugs or drug-related paraphernalia (except as expressly permitted by law and university regulations), or the misuse of legal pharmaceutical drugs.
10. Use, possession, manufacture, or distribution of alcoholic beverages (except as expressly permitted by law and university regulations), or public intoxication while on campus or at a university-related activity.
11. Theft of property or services from the university community, or misappropriation of university resources.
12. Unauthorized destruction, or damage to, university property or other property in the university community.
13. Possession or misuse of firearms or guns, replicas, ammunition, explosives, fireworks, knives, other weapons, or dangerous chemicals (without the prior authorization of the campus president) on campus or at a university-related activity.
14. Unauthorized recording, dissemination, or publication of academic presentations (including handwritten notes) for a commercial purpose.
15. Misuse of computer facilities or resources, including the following:
a. Unauthorized entry into a file, for any purpose.
b. Unauthorized transfer of a file.
c. Use of another's identification or password.
d. Use of computing facilities, campus network, or other resources to interfere
with the work of another member of the university community.
e. Use of computing facilities and resources to send obscene or intimidating
and abusive messages.
f. Use of computing facilities and resources to interfere with normal university
operations.
g. Use of computing facilities and resources in violation of copyright laws.
h. Violation of a campus computer use policy.
16. Violation of any published university policy, rule, regulation, or presidential order.
17. Failure to comply with directions of, or interference with, any university official or any public safety officer while acting in the performance of his/her duties.
18. Any act chargeable as a violation of a federal, state, or local law that poses a substantial threat to the safety or well-being of members of the university community, to property within the university community, or which poses a significant threat of disruption or interference with university operations.
19. Violation of the Student Conduct Procedures, including the following:
a. Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information related
to a student discipline matter.
b. Disruption or interference with the orderly progress of a student discipline
proceeding.
c. Initiation of a student discipline proceeding in bad faith.
d. Attempting to discourage another from participating in the student discipline
matter.
e. Attempting to influence the impartiality of any participant in a student
discipline matter.
f. Verbal or physical harassment or intimidation of any participant in a
student discipline matter.
g. Failure to comply with the sanction(s) imposed under a student discipline
proceeding.
20. Encouraging, permitting, or assisting another to do any act that could subject him or her to discipline.
Application of this Code. Sanctions for the conduct listed above can be imposed on applicants, enrolled students, students between academic terms, graduates awaiting degrees, and students who withdraw from school while a disciplinary matter is pending. Conduct that threatens the safety or security of the campus community, or substantially disrupts the functions or operation of the university, is within the jurisdiction of this article regardless of whether it occurs on or off campus. Nothing in this code may conflict with Education Code section 66301 that prohibits disciplinary action against students based on behavior protected by the First Amendment.
Procedures for Enforcing this Code. The chancellor shall adopt procedures to ensure students are afforded appropriate notice and an opportunity to be heard before the university imposes any sanction for a violation of the Student Conduct Code.
41302. Disposition of Fees: Campus Emergency; Interim Suspension. The president of the campus may place on probation, suspend, or expel a student for one or more of the causes enumerated in Section 41301. No fees or tuition paid by or for such student for the semester, quarter, or summer session in which he or she is suspended or expelled shall be refunded. If the student is readmitted before the close of the semester, quarter, or summer session in which he or she is suspended, no additional tuition or fees shall be required of the student on account of the suspension.
During periods of campus emergency, as determined by the president of the individual campus, the president may, after consultation with the chancellor, place into immediate effect any emergency regulations, procedures, and other measures deemed necessary or appropriate to meet the emergency, safeguard persons and property, and maintain educational activities.
The president may immediately impose an interim suspension in all cases
in which there is reasonable cause to believe that such an immediate suspension
is required in order to protect lives or property and to insure the maintenance
of order. A student so placed on interim suspension shall be given prompt
notice of charges and the opportunity for a hearing within 10 days of the
imposition of interim suspension. During the period of interim suspension,
the student shall not, without prior written permission of the president
or designated representative, enter any campus of the California State University
other than to attend the hearing. Violation of any condition of interim
suspension shall be grounds for expulsion.
Cheating. Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving a grade or obtaining course credit. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations. It is the intent of this definition that the term cheating not be limited to examinations situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means.
Plagiarism. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating that consists
of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works of others by misrepresenting
the material so used as one's own work.
The Career Services Office may furnish, upon request, information about the employment of students who graduate from programs or courses of study preparing students for a particular career field. Any such data provided must be in a form that does not allow for the identification of any individual student. This information may include data concerning the average starting salary collected from graduates of the campus or of the CSU system.
In case of an emergency, students can dial "911" from campus pay phones for assistance. Blue light/yellow light emergency phones provide a direct line to the police dispatcher. Practice safety measures: be aware of who is nearby, never open the door without checking who is there, have car keys in hand and check inside the car before entering, use well-traveled routes well-lighted areas, and keep outside doors locked. During hours of darkness, the University Police Department will provide an escort on campus or to a nearby residence upon request. For more information, see the Class Schedule.
Education at California State University, Fresno includes the opportunity to serve the people of California. This is partially accomplished by the link of academic study to community service. Service-learning is a method by which students learn and develop through active participation in organized service, which is conducted in and meets the needs of the community. This service is integrated into and enhances the academic curriculum and provides students with structured opportunities for critical reflection on their service experience. It also enhances students' appreciation of themselves and societal and civic issues, as well as encourages students' commitment to be active citizens throughout their lives.
The university reserves the right to select its students and deny admission
to the university or any of its programs as the university, in its sole
discretion, determines appropriate, based on an applicant's suitability
and the best interests of the university.
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