/Institutions/The-University-of-Texas-Permian-Basin/json/2023-2024/Graduate-Studies-Catalog-local.json

/Institutions/The-University-of-Texas-Permian-Basin/json/2023-2024/Graduate-Studies-Catalog.json

Regulations Governing Student Conduct

The University reserves the right to restrict the enrollment of any student for disciplinary or academic reasons.

Disciplinary Procedures

All students at The University of Texas Permian Basin are subject to all the Rules and Regulations of the UT System Board of Regents of The University of Texas System and all institutional rules and regulations. Rules regarding students conduct and discipline are included in Series 50101 of the Regents' Rules and Regulations, The University of Texas Permian Basin Handbook of Operating Procedures.

According to the Regents' Rules and Regulations, the Dean of Students has the authority to take interim disciplinary action when the continuing presence of the student poses a potential danger to persons or property or a potential threat of disrupting any authorized University activity.

Disciplinary action could include:

• Disciplinary probation;
• Withholding of grades, official transcript, and/or degree;
• Bar against readmission;
• Restitution or reimbursement for damage to or misappropriation of institutional or System property;
• Suspension of rights and privileges, including participation in athletic or extracurricular activities;
• Failing grade for an examination or assignment or for a course and/ or cancellation of all or any portion of prior course credit;
• Denial of degree;
• Suspension from the institution for a specified period of time;
• Expulsion (permanent separation from the Institution);
• Revocation of degree and withdrawal of diploma; and/or
• Other penalty as deemed appropriate under the circumstances.

Drugs/Narcotics

Any student who is guilty of the illegal use, possession, and/or sale of a drug or narcotic on the campus of UT Permian Basin or any other UT System component institution is subject to discipline. If a student is found guilty of the illegal use, possession, and/or sale of a drug or narcotic on campus, the minimum penalty shall be suspension from the institution for a specified period of time and/or suspension of rights and privileges.

Intoxicating Beverages

The use of intoxicating beverages is prohibited in classroom buildings, laboratories, auditoriums, library buildings, museums, faculty and administrative offices, intercollegiate and intramural athletic facilities, and all other public campus areas. State law will be strictly enforced at all times on all property controlled by the System and its component institutions.

Solicitation

No individual, organization, group, association, or corporation may use the grounds, buildings, or facilities owned or controlled by any component institution or by the System except as permitted by the provisions of the Regents' Rules and Regulations and approved institutional rules and regulations. Campus facilities are not otherwise open to the public. Exceptions include collection of memberships dues by faculty, staff and student organizations and approved fund-raising performed by registered student organizations.
 

The term "solicitation" means the sale, lease, rental or offer for sale, lease, rental of any property, product, merchandise, publication, or service, whether for immediate or future delivery; an oral statement or the distribution or display of printed material, merchandise, or products that is designed to encourage the purchase, use, or rental of any property, product, merchandise, publication, or service; the receipt of or request for any gift or contribution; or the request to support or oppose a vote for or against a candidate, issue, or proposition appearing on the ballot at any election held pursuant to State or federal law or local ordinance.

Hazing

The 70th Texas Legislature enacted a law concerning hazing which became effective on September 1, 1987. Under the law, individuals or organizations engaging in hazing could be subject to fines and charged with a criminal offense.

According to the law, a person can commit a hazing offense not only by engaging in a hazing activity, but also by soliciting, directing, encouraging, aiding, or attempting to aid another in hazing; by intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly allowing hazing to occur; or by failing to report in writing to the Vice President for Student Services firsthand knowledge that a hazing incident is planned or has occurred. The fact that a person consented to or acquiesced in a hazing activity is not a defense to prosecution for hazing under this law. In an effort to encourage reporting of hazing incidents, the law grants immunity from civil or criminal liability to any persons who report a specific hazing event to the Vice President for Student Services and immunizes that person from participation in any judicial proceeding resulting from that report. The penalty for failure to report is a fine of up to $1,000.00, up to 180 days in jail, or both. Penalties for other hazing offenses vary according to the severity of the injury which results and range from $500.00 to $10,000.00 in fines and up to 2 years confinement.

The law does not affect or in any way restrict the right of the University to enforce its own rules against hazing. Hazing with or without the consent of the student is prohibited by UT System, and a violation of that prohibition renders both the person inflicting the hazing and the person submitting to the hazing subject to discipline.

The law defines hazing as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, occurring on or off the campus of an educational institution, by one person alone or acting with others, directed against a student, that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of pledging, being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization whose members are or include students at an educational institution.

Hazing includes but is not limited to:

A.  Any type of physical brutality, such as whipping, beating, striking, branding, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on the body, or similar activity;

B.  Any type of physical activity, such as sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, calisthenics, or other activity that subjects the student to an unreasonable risk of harm or that adversely affects the mental or physical health       or safety of the student;

C.  Any activity involving consumption of food, liquid, alcoholic beverage, liquor, drug, or other substance which subjects the student to an unreasonable risk of harm or which adversely affects the mental or physical health of the student;

D.  Any activity that intimidates or threatens the student with ostracism, that subjects the student to extreme mental stress, shame, or humiliation, or that adversely affects the mental health or dignity of the student or discourages the student from entering or       remaining registered in an educational institution, or that may reasonably be expected to cause a student to leave the organization or the institution rather than submit to acts described in this subsection; and

E.  Any activity that induces, causes, or requires the student to perform a duty or task which involves a violation of the Penal Code.

Student due process procedure covers discrimination, sexual and racial harassment, and gives procedures for filing grievance and grounds for non-academic appeals. Please see the Falcon Guide for procedures about filing of a grievance for non-academic issues.

Use of Copyrighted Materials

It is the policy of UT Permian Basin to follow the United States Copyright Law of 1976, as amended, (Title 17, United States Code, hereinafter, the "Copyright Act"). Accordingly, all faculty, staff, and students of UT System and its component institutions should follow these policy guidelines: Only copyrighted materials are subject to the restrictions in this Policy Statement. Materials not copyrighted may be copied freely and without restriction. Because a copyright notice is not required for copyright protection of works published on or after March 1, 1989, most works (except those authored by the United States Government) should be presumed to be copyright protected, unless further information from the copyright holder or express notice reveals that the copyright holder intends the work to be in the public domain. Works published prior to March 1, 1989, generally require a copyright notice to be protected. The Copyright Office Circular 22 explains how to determine the copyright status of a work.

Copyrighted software may be copied without the copyright owner's permission only in accordance with the Copyright Act. Section 117 of the Act permits making an archival back-up copy. Most software, however, is licensed to the user and the terms of the license agreement may give the user permission to make copies of the software in excess of the archival copy permitted by the Copyright Act. Each software license agreement is unique. As a result, the user's rights to copy licensed software beyond that permitted under the Copyright Act may only be determined by reading the user's license agreement. Any copying or reproduction of copyrighted software on UT System or component institution computing equipment must be in accordance with the Copyright Act and the pertinent software license agreement. Further, faculty, staff and students may not use unauthorized copies of software on UT System or component institution owned computers or networks or computers housed in UT System or component institution facilities. Copyrighted materials may be copied or otherwise used without the copyright owner's permission where such copying constitutes "fair use" under the Copyright Act. In order to copy or otherwise use materials, including software, where (a) the materials are copyrighted, (b) use exceeds what is permitted by license or the Rules of Thumb, and (c) the four-factor fair use test indicates that the use is likely not fair; permission should be obtained from the copyright owner. (The University of Texas System Policies)

Copyright Issues

File-sharing applications make it easy for you to share music, videos, movies, software, text, and other files. However, unless you have the explicit permission of the copyright owner to possess or distribute the material, you may be in violation of federal copyright law. It is best to assume that all material is copyrighted. The University cannot protect you from a copyright complaint. You are not insulated from legal action because of your status as a student or because you use University network resources. In fact, we may be legally required to assist a complainant in pursuing action against you. The penalties can range from University sanctions to civil and criminal prosecution. Individual copyright owners and the entertainment industry are quite active in pursuing legal actions. You are not protected just because you received material at no cost or are distributing material with no charge. Your only protection is to not possess or distribute any unlicensed copyrighted material.

Gang-Free Zones

Premises owned, rented, or leaded by UT Permian Basin, and areas within 1,000 feet of the premises are "gang-free" zones. Certain criminal offenses, including those involving gang-related crimes, will be enhanced to the next highest category of offense if committed in a gang-free zone by an individual 17 years or older. See Texas Penal Code, Section 71.028.

Campus Carry

As of August 1, 2016, persons who have a license to carry a concealed weapon may carry their concealed weapon subject to exclusion zones. The exclusion zones will be identified with decals. Failure to comply with the laws pertaining to concealed carry may result in disciplinary action.