Georgetown University's commitment to diversity is fundamental to its educational mission. Georgetown University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law in the administration of its educational policies or in the provision of access to its programs, facilities, services, and activities.

Students who have concerns about treatment they have experienced are encouraged to discuss those concerns with a representative of the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action (IDEAA).  Students wishing to pursue a formal complaint of discrimination in a non-academic matter may do so through the IDEAA (http://ideaa.georgetown.edu/) or the Office of Student Conduct (http://studentconduct.georgetown.edu/).

If a student believes that there has been discrimination in such academic matters as coursework, grading, class participation, qualifying or comprehensive examinations, or the evaluation of theses, dissertations, or any other degree requirements, the matter should be presented to the chair of the department (or equivalent administrator) on an informal basis. If, after the preliminary investigation by the chair (or equivalent administrator), or through discussion with the student, the faculty member, and other relevant individuals, the complaint is resolved satisfactorily, no record of the complaint will be placed in the file of the student or the faculty member. If the complaint is not resolved, the student may submit a formal written complaint to the Dean of the Graduate School; a copy of this formal written complaint should also be sent for information purposes to the University's Special Assistant to the President for Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action.

Upon receipt of the formal written complaint, the Dean of the Graduate School will establish a board of three faculty members to review the complaint. The review board will:

1. hear and consider the student's complaint;
2. accept and consider further evidence concerning the complaint;
3. forward its decision in the case to the Dean of the Graduate School.

Every effort will be made to insure the student fundamental fairness in the complaint process. It should be emphasized, however, that the review board is an educational hearing board and not a court of law.

The student will be expected to attend the review board's hearing of the complaint. If because of extraordinary circumstances the student is unable to attend, he or she may submit a written summary of the case. When presenting the complaint to the review board, the student may bring individuals to assist in presenting the complaint. The student may be present for all stages of the review board's hearing except for the final deliberation by the board.

The review board shall have at the hearing all available information pertaining to the student's complaint and his/her academic record. The board will accept and review written statements submitted by the student and/or other relevant individuals. The board may also, at its discretion, entertain oral testimony from witnesses.

The general outline of the hearing will be as follows:

1. the board will review the complaint and academic record of the student;
2. the student will have the opportunity to present the case and any attending circumstances;
3. the board may request specific people to appear before it;
4. the board will deliberate and render its decision.

When the board has completed its review and has forwarded its decision to the Dean of the Graduate School, the Dean will notify the student in writing and will send copies of the board's decision to the Special Assistant to the President for Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action Programs and to the Affirmative Action Officer of the relevant campus.

If any party to the complaint wishes to appeal the review board's decision, a written appeal should be filed with the Dean of the Graduate School, with a copy sent to the University's Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action office. The written appeal should indicate the grounds for the appeal and any new evidence not submitted to the review board. The Dean will accept or reject the appeal, based on the grounds so stated, and will render a decision within 30 days.

Although the University encourages students to avail themselves of these internal mechanisms for discrimination complaints, all students have the right to contact external enforcement agencies such as the District of Columbia Human Rights Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education, and the Department of Labor. Reprisal or retaliation against an individual for making a complaint regarding discrimination, or for using or participating in internal or external processes, is prohibited.

This Policy on Sexual Harassment will be widely disseminated to members of the University community, and will be consistently enforced. The policy will be reexamined, updated as appropriate, and distributed regularly to all students, faculty, and staff.

For the purposes of this policy, sexual harassment is defined as any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favors or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

1. Submission to such conduct is made explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment or academic advancement; or
2. Submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as a basis for making an employment or academic decision affecting an individual; or
3. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering with an individual's work or educational performance, or of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment for work or learning.

Sexual harassment may involve the behavior of a person of either gender toward a person of the same or opposite gender when that behavior falls within the operative definition of sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment is especially serious when it occurs between teachers and students or supervisors and subordinates. In such situations, sexual harassment unfairly exploits the power inherent in a faculty member's or supervisor's position. Although sexual harassment often occurs when one person takes advantage of a position of authority over another, the University recognizes that sexual harassment may also occur between people of equivalent status. Regardless of the form it may take, the University will not tolerate conduct of a sexual nature that creates an unacceptable working or educational environment.

It is contrary to University policy for the University or any officer, administrator, dean, department chair, faculty member, or any other employee to base an adverse academic or employment-related action affecting a person on an unsubstantiated allegation or rumor of sexual harassment.

The University recognizes that supervisors bear an important responsibility to deter sexual harassment, to investigate any such allegation that is brought to their attention and if warranted, to consult with the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action about the situation. In addition, the Supervisor must report the matter to a higher authority responsible for ensuring a prompt review and taking strong remedial action.

The "Grievance Procedures to Investigate Allegations of Unlawful Discrimination," administered by the Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action Office, is a confidential process that is available to any member of the University community, who wishes to file a complaint of sexual harassment. The process is administered by trained counselors in the Office of Affirmative Action Programs. Students, faculty members, or non-teaching academic employees who believe that they have been sexually harassed and wish either additional information or assistance in filing a complaint can contact Rosemary Kilkenny, Esq., Vice President, Institutional Diversity & Equity; or Marjorie Powell, Director, Affirmative Action Programs. Staff employees seeking information or assistance can contact Michael W. Smith, Associate Director or Tonya Hinds, Assistant Director. The Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action office is located at M-36 Darnall Hall. The telephone number is (202) 687-4798. Office hours are Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

Georgetown faculty and academic administrators are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner. Allegations of serious lapses of professionalism therefore merit careful review by the institution. Established procedures exist for investigating alleged unprofessional conduct involving sexual harassment and/or discrimination. The procedures outlined here are intended to address serious lapses in professionalism which fall outside of those two areas. It is impossible to provide a completely adequate definition or itemization of such conduct. However, this category would include committing or inciting acts of physical violence against individuals or property, or acts which interfere with the academic freedom of other persons within the University, or interfere with the freedom of speech or movement of such persons.

If a student believes that he or she has been subjected to serious unprofessional behavior in an academic context on the part of either faculty or academic administrators, the matter should be brought to the attention of the relevant director of graduate studies, program director, or administrative head. The person to whom the complaint is brought should first try to resolve the matter on an informal basis involving both the student and the faculty member or academic administrator in conversation. If such a resolution is not reached, the student may submit a written complaint to the Dean of the Graduate School. The complaint should be accompanied by all documentation or written evidence, and by the identification of those with relevant knowledge. It is expected that all complaints will be accompanied by materials sufficient to support the allegation of a serious breach of professionalism. Mere dissatisfaction with a grade received or with an administrative decision does not constitute adequate support. There are, in addition, other mechanisms for appealing grades or administrative actions (See Section III, "Academic Regulations and Procedures"). The faculty member or administrator involved will receive copies of all of the material submitted in connection with the complaint and will also have the opportunity to respond to the complaint in writing and to offer any countervailing materials, including the identification of those with relevant knowledge. The Dean will then appoint a committee of three faculty members to review the complaint. Normally, the faculty members will be drawn from the Graduate division which houses the student's department or program. If either the student or the faculty member or academic administrator objects to the appointment of one or more members of the committee, the grounds for this must be made clear to the Dean in writing prior to any review.

The Faculty Committee is charged with reviewing the facts and, where necessary, making recommendations for appropriate actions. The Committee will interview both the student and the faculty member or academic administrator and may, at its discretion, interview others. Both the student and the faculty member or academic administrator shall have the right to be present as observers when witnesses are interviewed. Where the complaint involves a grade and where the student has already completed the departmental process of grade appeal, the Committee is charged with reviewing only the adequacy of the procedures used in conducting the grade appeal. Where the complaint involves a grade, in cases where the student has not made use of the departmental grade appeal process, this Committee may refer the grade appeal to the appropriate department or program or it may serve as the functional equivalent of the departmental grade appeal committee and assume that committee's power to sustain, raise or lower the grade. The student is entitled to select the preferred procedure. However, in requesting that this Committee conduct a substantive grade review as part of its consideration of the complaint, the student waives access to a separate departmental procedure. If the Committee conducts the substantive review of the student's grade, it is free to solicit the commentary of other faculty members with expertise in the area in which the course was offered.

If the Committee finds that the faculty member or academic administrator has indeed breached standards of professional conduct in a serious way, it may recommend appropriate action. Such recommendations may include a letter of reprimand to be placed in the faculty member's or academic administrator's file or other additional actions as warranted. Recommendations will be forwarded to the Dean of the Graduate School for appropriate action. Both parties will be notified of the results of the review within seven days of the Committee's completion of its review.

Either party has a right to submit a request for review of the disposition of the complaint to the Dean of the Graduate School. Such appeals should be submitted in writing within thirty days of the date of the letter notifying the parties of the results. Requests for appeals must be accompanied by descriptions of new materials to be considered. Dissatisfaction with the original decision does not by itself constitute adequate grounds for granting an appeal.

If the request for an appeal is granted, an appeal committee of three new faculty members will be appointed by the Dean. This Committee will have the right to make its decision on the basis of the written materials alone or it may elect to conduct interviews along the lines provided for in the original review. The decision of this Committee is final.

In compliance with the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act, it is the policy of Georgetown University to make readily available information concerning the completion or graduation rate of all certificate- or degree-seeking, full-time undergraduate students entering the University, as well as the average completion or graduation rate of students who have received athletically-related student aid. This information is available upon request from the Department of Athletics, 1 McDonough Gym, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057. Telephone (202) 687-2435.

The Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 requires that the University prepare information on current campus law enforcement policies, crime prevention programs, and campus security statistics. This information is available upon request from Department of Public Safety, Ground Level-Village C, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057. Telephone (202) 687-4343.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (also known as the Buckley Amendment) is a federal law which states that a written institutional policy with respect to student records must be established and that a statement of adopted procedures covering the privacy rights of students must be made available annually. The law provides that the University will maintain the confidentiality of student educational records.

Georgetown University accords to its students all rights under this law. No one outside the University shall have access to students' educational records, nor will Georgetown disclose any information from these records without the written consent of the student, except to:

1. personnel within the University, on a need-to-know basis;
2. persons or organizations providing student financial aid;
3. accrediting agencies carrying out their accreditation function;
4. persons in compliance with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena (provided that the University will first make a reasonable attempt to notify the student);
5. organizations conducting studies to develop, validate, and administer predictive tests;
6. authorized representatives of federal or state government agencies for the purpose of audit and evaluation of government programs; and
7. persons in an emergency in order to protect the health and safety of students or other persons.

All of these exceptions are permitted under the Act. Information will be released only on the condition that the party to whom the information is released will not disclose it to a third party without the written consent of the student. Furthermore, the University will maintain records of any access provided without the expressed consent of the student, and these records will be made available to the student on request. The University expects that students dependent on their parents will normally wish to share academic and other information with them. This information will not be provided directly to them, however, without the student's consent.

Within the University community only those members individually or collectively acting in the student's educational interest are allowed access to student educational records. These members include personnel in the offices of the Deans and the Registrars, directors of admissions and directors of financial aid, personnel in counseling offices, and academic personnel within the limitations of their need to know.

The University will provide directory information at its discretion. This information includes the student's name, addresses and telephone numbers, date and place of birth, parents' names, major fields of study, dates of attendance, enrollment status, expected date of graduation, degrees and awards received, the most recent previous educational institution attended, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and height and weight of members of athletic teams. Students may instruct the Registrar to withhold the release of directory information by providing written notice to the Office of the University Registrar by the second week of classes of the Fall semester. Since instructions will be honored for only one academic year, such notice must be filed annually with the Registrar.

The law provides students with the right to inspect and review information contained in their educational records, to challenge the contents of their educational records, to have a hearing if the outcome of the challenge is unsatisfactory, and to submit explanatory statements for inclusion in their file if they find the decision of the hearing panel to be unsatisfactory. The word "student" in this context is defined to include all current and former students, but not applicants for admission.

Academic files are maintained on the Main Campus by the graduate and undergraduate Deans' offices and the University Registrar. These files contain admission credentials and records of current and previous academic work. Records are also contained in certain instances by the following offices or departments: the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, the MBNA Career Education Center, the Office of Student Financial Services, the Office of International Programs, the Center for Minority Student Affairs, the Office of Student Accounts, and certain academic departments.

Students who wish to review their educational records must make a written request to the custodian of these records. The information will be made available within 45 days of the request. Students may have copies made of the records with certain exceptions (e.g., a copy of an academic record on which a hold has been placed because of an unsatisfied financial obligation to the University). These copies will be made at the student's expense, at the rate of fifteen cents per page.

Copies of transcripts or an original permanent record from another institution submitted to Georgetown University as admission credentials will not be released to the student or to other institutions. The Graduate School does not retain in its files letters of recommendation submitted in support of a student's application once a student matriculates at Georgetown.

It should be noted that educational records do not include the following:

1. records of instructional, administrative and educational persons which are in the sole possession of the maker and which are not accessible or revealed to any individual except to a temporary substitute;
2. records of the Campus Public Safety Department;
3. student health records;
4. employment records; or
5. alumni records.

A master's thesis or a doctoral dissertation submitted to the Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a graduate degree is not an educational record as defined herein but a scholarly document intended for disclosure and publication by inclusion in the University's library and by other means, and the student's act of submitting it to the Graduate School is deemed to be consent to its disclosure and publication.

Health records, including those maintained by members of the Student Health Service, the Counseling Center, and the Department of Psychiatry, may be personally reviewed by a physician or other appropriate professional of the student's choice.

Students may not inspect or review these records, which are specifically excluded by federal law:

1. financial information submitted by their parents;
2. confidential letters and recommendations associated with admission, employment or job placement, or honors, to which they have waived their rights of inspection and review;
3. confidential letters and recommendations which were placed in the records prior to January 1, 1975; and
4. educational records containing information about more than one student, in which case access will be permitted only to that part of the record which pertains to the inquiring student.

Students who believe that their educational records contain information that is inaccurate or misleading, or is otherwise in violation of their privacy or other rights, should discuss their concerns informally with the custodian of those records. In most cases this will be the Dean of the School or the University Registrar. If this discussion does not lead to a resolution of the student's concern, the student has a right to an informal hearing. During this process the student will be afforded a full and fair opportunity to present relevant evidence. If the result of the hearing process is in agreement with the student's request, the appropriate records will be amended. If not, the student will be notified within a reasonable amount of time that the records will not be amended; the student will then be informed of his or her right to a formal hearing.

The Provost, through the graduate and undergraduate Deans will, when necessary, establish committees charged with the responsibility of adjudicating challenges to the contents of student records. Each committee will be composed of three permanent and three alternate members, who will be nominated by the Dean and appointed by the Provost. Requests for a formal hearing must be made in writing to the appropriate Dean's office within one calendar year after the initial denial of the student's request. This petition must be dated and signed by the petitioner and must contain a brief and concise explanation of the item being challenged and the basis for the challenge. It must also contain a statement that the petitioner's initial request to a University official was denied, naming the official and stating the date of the denial. The petition must further specify what relief is being requested.

The Dean will forward the petition to the chairperson of the appropriate committee, the hearing will be convened within a reasonable time, and all concerned parties will be notified in writing of the date, place, and time of the hearing; the hearing will be closed to the public. The chairperson may request a written response to the petition prior to the hearing from the University official who initially denied the student's request. The student will receive a copy of any written response prior to the hearing. The chairperson may also request written verification of the item in question from the author.

The hearing will include an informal presentation of arguments from both sides. The student will have a full and fair opportunity to present evidence relevant to the issues and may be assisted and represented by individuals of his or her choice at his or her expense, including an attorney. Evidentiary rules will be disregarded. Committee members have the obligation to disqualify themselves if there is any indication of personal bias. Additionally, the student has the right to disqualify any member of the committee, after giving adequate reasons to the chairperson; in such cases an alternate will be appointed. After both parties have presented their cases, the committee will have 48 hours to render its decision.

The written findings and conclusion of the committee will be provided in writing to both parties within a reasonable time and will include a summary of the evidence and the reasons behind the decision. Minutes of the hearings will be kept on file in the appropriate Dean's office. The powers of the committee shall include but not be limited to:

1. ordering the destruction of the document;
2. ordering the removal of the document from the file and its return to the author;
3. ordering the denial of the student's request.

After the decision of the committee has been rendered, the student whose request has been denied will have ten days to file a written appeal to the Dean. If the Dean is an interested party to a particular action, the Dean shall appoint a surrogate. Failure to file an appeal within ten days after the decision shall constitute a waiver of appeal rights.

After assessing the grounds for the appeal, the Dean of the Graduate School will decide to accept or reject the request for a further review of the case. Upon allowing an appeal, the Dean will review the hearing record and any new evidence submitted. The Dean is empowered to sustain, reverse or alter the board's decision. The Dean's decision will be communicated in writing within 30 days of receipt of the request for an appeal and this decision will be final.

In the instance of a challenge to a student record maintained by a department which reports to the Vice President and Treasurer, procedures parallel to those outlined above will be followed but a committee appointed by the Vice President and Treasurer will be substituted for those appointed by the Provost.

The above procedures constitute general guidelines for these committees. The committees, however, may establish additional procedures as deemed necessary and appropriate to insure fairness and to facilitate the hearing process. All time limits are to be determined without counting Saturdays, Sundays, and University holidays and vacation periods.

It should be noted that a student may challenge a recorded grade only on the grounds that it was inaccurately recorded, not on the grounds that it was lower than what the instructor ought to have awarded.

Students who believe that the adjudication of their challenges was unfair or was not in keeping with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 may submit a written request for assistance from the appropriate Vice President of the University. Further, students who believe that their rights have been abridged may file complaints with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC 20201.

The Georgetown University community is encouraged to make innovative and creative use of information technologies in support of education and research. Access to information representing a multitude of views on current and historical issues should be allowed for the interest, information and enlightenment of the Georgetown University community. Consistent with other University policies, this policy is intended to respect the rights and obligations of academic freedom. The University recognizes that the purpose of copyright is to protect the rights of the creators of intellectual property and to prevent the unauthorized use or sale of works available in the private sector. Also consistent with other University policies, an individual's right of access to computer materials should not be denied or abridged because of race, creed, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

The University cannot protect individuals against the existence or receipt of material that may be offensive to them. As such, those who make use of electronic communications are warned that they may come across or be recipients of material they find offensive. Those who use e-mail and/or make information about themselves available on the Internet should be forewarned that the University cannot protect them from invasions of privacy and other possible dangers that could result from the individual's distribution of personal information.

Georgetown University computing and network resources are to be used only for University-related research, instruction, learning, enrichment, dissemination of scholarly information, and administrative activities. The computing and network facilities of the University are limited and should be used wisely and carefully with consideration for the needs of others. Computers and network systems offer powerful tools for communications among members of the community and of communities outside the University. When used appropriately, these tools can enhance dialog and communications. When used unlawfully or inappropriately, however, these tools can infringe on the beliefs or rights of others.

The following examples, though not covering every situation, specify some of the responsibilities that accompany computer use at Georgetown and/or on networks to which Georgetown is connected.

1. Users may not attempt to modify the University system or network facilities or attempt to crash systems. They should not tamper with any software protections or restrictions placed on computer applications or files.
2. Users may use only their own computer accounts. Users may not supply false or misleading data nor improperly obtain another's password in order to gain access to computers or network systems, data or information. The negligence or naivete of another user in revealing an account name or password is not considered authorized use. Convenience of file or printer sharing is not sufficient reason for sharing a computer account. Users should not attempt to subvert the restrictions associated with their computer accounts.
3. Users are responsible for all use of their computer account(s). They should make appropriate use of the system and network-provided protection features and take precautions against others obtaining access to their computer resources. Individual password security is the responsibility of each user.
4. Users may not encroach on others' use of computer resources. Such activities would include, but are not limited to, tying up computer resources for excessive game playing or other trivial applications; sending harassing messages; sending frivolous or excessive messages, including chain letters, junk mail (spam), and other types of broadcast messages, either locally or over the Internet; using excessive amounts of storage; intentionally introducing any computer viruses, worms, Trojan Horses, or other rogue programs to Georgetown University hardware or software; physically damaging systems; or running grossly inefficient programs when efficient ones are available.
5. Users are responsible for making use of software and electronic materials in accordance with copyright and licensing restrictions and applicable university policies. Georgetown University equipment and software may not be used to violate copyright or the terms of any license agreement. No one may inspect, modify, distribute, or copy proprietary data, directories, programs, files, disks or other software without proper authorization.
6. Users must remember that information distributed through the University's computing and networking facilities is a form of publishing, and some of the same standards apply. For example, anything generated at Georgetown University that is available on the Internet represents Georgetown University and not just an individual. Even with disclaimers, the University is represented by its students, faculty and staff, and appropriate language, behavior and style is warranted.

The University encourages all members of its community to use electronic communications in a manner that is respectful to others. While respecting users, confidentiality, and privacy, the University reserves the right to examine all computer files. The University takes this step to enforce its policies regarding harassment and the safety of individuals; to prevent the posting of proprietary software or electronic copies of electronic texts or images in disregard of copyright restrictions or contractual obligations; to safeguard the integrity of computers, networks, and data either at the University or elsewhere; and to protect the University against seriously damaging consequences. The University may restrict the use of its computers and network systems for electronic communications when faced with evidence of violation of University policies, or federal or local laws. The University reserves the right to limit access to its networks through University-owned or other computers, and to remove or limit access to material posted on University-owned computers.

All users are expected to conduct themselves consistent with these responsibilities and all other applicable University policies. Abuse of computing privileges will subject the user to disciplinary action, as established by the applicable operating policies and procedures of the University. Abuse of networks or computers at other sites through the use of Georgetown University resources will be treated as an abuse of computing privileges at the University. When appropriate, temporary restrictive actions will be taken by system or network administrators pending further disciplinary action; the loss of computing privileges may result.

The University and users recognize that all members of the University community are bound by federal and local laws relating to civil rights, harassment, copyright, security and other statutes relating to electronic media. It should be understood that this policy does not preclude enforcement under the laws and regulations of the United States of America or the District of Columbia.

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