KWU Policies

KWU Online Privacy Policy

Kansas Wesleyan University is committed to protecting your privacy. KWU respects and protects personally identifiable information stored on the University’s information systems in accordance with legislative mandates, regulatory requirements, and University policy.

This Online Privacy Statement applies only to this website, which is owned and published solely by Kansas Wesleyan University. By choosing to continue to use this KWU website, you agree to KWU’s collection and use of personal information and non-personal information as described in this document. This Online Privacy Statement only governs the use and disclosure of information collected through this website:

www.kwu.edu

KWU collects the following types of information:

Tracking information

KWU may use technologies such as cookies, applets, scripts, server logs, custom URL parameters, tracking images, information and correspondence, or web analytics to collect information and optimize your web experience. Information obtained may include, IP address, browser type, pages visited and other details of the site visit. Depending on your browser you may be able to disable certain collection methods. This may limit your ability to use some of the features of these websites.

Voluntarily submitted information

When a visitor to this site completes a form and submits information (such as a request for information about KWU, its programs or courses), KWU will use your personal data on a lawful basis to fulfill a legitimate interest of Kansas Wesleyan University, including the fulfillment of the initial request.

By submitting information via a form on the KWU website, you authorize KWU to contact you by email, telephone or text message regarding KWU’s educational programs, and store that information for future use related to the ongoing business functions of the university.

Third Parties, External Sites, and Other KWU-controlled Sites

KWU utilizes various advertising companies to place advertising on websites across the Internet. These companies may collect anonymous information about your visit to the sites described in this Online Privacy Statement. You may opt-out of these services by changing the Ad Settings on your browser.

The KWU website described in this Online Privacy Statement also include links to other websites hosted by third parties. When accessing any third-party website; use of any information you provide will be governed by the operator of the site you are visiting.

Your consent

By using these websites, you consent to allow Kansas Wesleyan University to collect and use all information described above, and any additional information you voluntarily provide, for the purpose of responding to your requests for more information about programs, enrollment, and other aspects of doing business with KWU.

Any privacy statement changes will be posted on this page. If you have questions about this Privacy Statement, please contact us.

How we use this information

If you submit information on these sites, that information will be used to complete the process for which the form was intended. In addition, information provided to KWU may be shared among offices within the university and outside entities as necessary or appropriate in the conduct of legitimate university business and consistent with applicable law.

Manners in which KWU may use this information include:

• Tracking how often KWU web content is accessed over time
• Facilitating additional communications and managing KWU publication subscriptions
• Inviting you to (or registering you for) events that may be of interest to you
• Personalizing your KWU website experience
• Fulfilling your online requests
• Conducting research or surveys
• Monitoring website performance and behavior
• Exercising KWU’s legal rights, defending against legal claims, or responding to subpoenas, court orders, or other legal processes.

KWU may aggregate information collected from your visit to this website, including but not limited to, name, username, email address, mailing address, telephone numbers, or social network account information, with other information at Kansas Wesleyan University.

We may also provide anonymized, aggregated statistical data about web visitors and prospective students who voluntarily submit their information to reputable third-party vendors.

We do not sell, trade or rent your personal information to others.

Kansas Wesleyan University is committed to complying with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

Certain student information has been determined as public information under the terms of the act. This may include release of name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in university sports and activities, weight and height of athletic team members, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received and previous educational institutions attended. (A more complete description of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act may be found in the Student Development Office.)

Kansas Wesleyan University does not discriminate on the basis of gender, disability, age, race, color, religion, sexual orientation/preference, national or ethnic origin, nor veteran status in the recruitment and admission of students, the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of any of its educational programs and activities, as specified by federal laws and regulations. Kansas Wesleyan University’s Equal Opportunity Officer, who coordinates compliance with these various laws and regulations, is the Vice President for Finance and Administration.

Background

Kansas Wesleyan University is a community of people from diverse backgrounds committed to providing equal access for all community members to learn and work together regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation/preference, national origin or citizenship status, age, disability, or veteran status. As a place for the active examination and exchange of ideas, Kansas Wesleyan University strives to maintain a climate of justice marked by mutual respect for each other. We are committed to the highest standards of civility and decency, and we are committed to promoting and supporting a community where all people can work, learn, and live together in an atmosphere free of abusive or demeaning treatment.

Policy

KWU is not a place for threats or intimidation of others on any basis. KWU rejects acts of discrimination or harassment based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, veteran status, and political beliefs.  The University encourages faculty, staff, and students to report any behavior which targets individuals or groups based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation/preference, national origin or citizenship status, age, disability, or veteran status.

All reported incidents of alleged violations of this policy will be investigated according to University procedure. Violations could result in disciplinary measures.

Kansas Wesleyan University is in compliance with the Equity in Athletic Disclosure Act of 1994, Section 360B of Public Law 103-382. Information required in this act is available for inspection in the Enrollment & Financial Services Office by students, prospective students, or the public.

It is the policy of Kansas Wesleyan University to provide all students with access to the benefits of services in admission, registration, counseling, and instruction. In order to receive the needed assistance, an individual with a diagnosed disability must inform the university of the disability through official documentation. For information on assistance with learning in the classroom, contact the Director of the Student Success Center (785-827-5541 ext. 4160 or e-mail). In order to be provided with reasonable accommodations, students with special needs and disabilities must identify themselves privately to the Director of the Student Success Center, ext. 4160 in the Memorial Library, during or prior to the first week of classes.

KWU Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (PDF)

Examples of services that may be offered include the following:

• The university policy provides for retrieval of authorized library, admission, registration, counseling, and instructional materials for any student who, because of limited mobility, is unable to readily access such material.
• The Enrollment & Financial Services Office will move classes for students whose mobility is limited to accessible rooms. This includes, but is not limited to: wheelchair-bound students, students who need ambulatory assistance, or students with heart conditions (as required by a physician).
• Advisors, faculty, and other offices of the University not on ground level or accessible by elevator will consult in prearranged locations with disabled students or prospective students.
• The university library will offer personal retrieval assistance for books and periodicals for mobility-impaired or sight-disabled students.
• For students with auditory disabilities, the university will authorize, in conjunction with social service agencies, classroom accessibility to paid or volunteer sign language interpreters.
• For students with visual impairment, the university will, in conjunction with social service agencies, provide classroom accessibility to paid or volunteer note takers and/or readers. The university will authorize, in consultation with individual faculty members, and with respect to relevant copyright laws, permission for audio tape recordings of lectures.
• The university is able to provide limited services to learning disabled students. Available services include some tutorials, reading and writing skills assistance, taping lectures and textbooks, and modified testing.

Kansas Wesleyan University strongly supports the provisions of The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989 (Public Law 101-226).

The unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students or employees on the property of Kansas Wesleyan University or as part of any of the activities of the university is strictly prohibited.

Kansas Wesleyan University is committed to having a positive learning and working environment for its students and employees, and will not tolerate sexual misconduct (which includes sexual violence or unwanted sexual physical contact) nor will it tolerate unlawful harassment, which would include, among other things, requests for sexual favors, unwanted physical contact, visual displays of degrading sexual images, sexually suggestive conduct, or offensive remarks of a sexual nature.

Sexual misconduct and unlawful harassment are a violation of federal and state laws, and therefore will not be tolerated. In addition, consensual relationships between faculty or staff and students, or between employees and supervisors are problematic, and should generally be avoided. The power differential inherent in such relationships may render any apparent consent void and create grounds for an unlawful harassment complaint.

Individuals who believe that they are the victims of sexual misconduct or unlawful harassment are encouraged to step forward and file either an informal or formal complaint with the Executive Vice-President/Provost or the Director of Student Development. An informal complaint may be in either verbal or written form and is for the purpose of providing a way for the behavior to stop without formal disciplinary action. A formal complaint may be initiated by filing a signed, written complaint, which will be promptly investigated by the Director of Student Development or the Executive Vice-President/Provost, and forwarded to the appropriate judiciary body for a ruling. Kansas Wesleyan bars attorneys from all formal proceedings, including the judiciary hearing. Retaliation against anyone reporting sexual misconduct or unlawful harassment, or someone who is a witness or otherwise involved, is prohibited.

Students and employees should consult the full text of the Kansas Wesleyan University Policy on Sexual Misconduct and Unlawful Harassment, which may be found on the college website or in the office of the General Counsel of Kansas Wesleyan University. This formal policy takes precedence over any and all other statements of policy relating to sexual misconduct or unlawful harassment.

The IRB is an administrative body established to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects recruited to participate in research activities conducted under the auspices of KWU, in accordance with the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (45 CFR 46) and The Belmont Report. The responsibilities of the committee shall include the training of individuals in the ethical treatment of human subjects, the review and approval of proposals for research involving the use of human subjects and the keeping of appropriate records to document such research activities. Please direct questions to:

• Institutional Review Board Policies (PDF)
• Title 45 CFR Part 46: Protection of Human Subjects (PDF)
• IRB Submission Form (DOC)
• Consent Template (PDF)
• IBR Training Modules (PDF)

IRB Training Modules

The following training and education modules are designed for personnel proposing to conduct, or those reviewing research involving human subjects. Research using human subjects is heavily regulated by the federal government and requires targeted training and documentation of that training.

The following is an excerpt of a message about education and training from Jeffery Cohen, Office for the Protection from Research Risks (OPRR), the federal office responsible for oversight and compliance with human subjects research regulations and guidelines (May 1999):

“There are two basic features of an education program that OPRR looks for – that it is ongoing and that it reaches everyone involved in human subjects research at an institution. The necessity to train IRB members is obvious, as without proper training the IRB cannot make informed decisions. Equally important is the necessity to train the individuals who actually conduct the human subjects research. Unless the IRB can be sure that these individuals understand the issues involved in human subjects research (informed consent, risk/benefit, confidentiality, etc.) it cannot be sure that the subjects in the research are being adequately protected.”

Consequently, it is the responsibility of the institution and the IRB to adequately train and educate researchers and IRB members in topics pertinent to the programs ongoing at that institution. The following training and education modules provide that material. Each module targets a different aspect of human subjects research. There is some redundancy between modules, but the information that is found to be in common among the modules is important to the overall understanding of the critical issues involved.

Special thanks are given to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at Kansas State University and the national OPRR website for assistance in the development of these training modules.

Kansas Wesleyan University prohibits sexual misconduct, stalking, dating violence, and domestic violence.  Individuals who believe a Title IX sexual misconduct incident may have occurred on KWU’s campus or involving the KWU community, should discuss their concerns and/or file a report with:

Title IX Coordinator, Bridget Weiser, 785-833-4325, [email protected], Pioneer Hall, Room 125 or 100 E Claflin Ave Box 30, Salina, KS 67401
Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Becky Mathews, 785-833-4303, [email protected], Pioneer Hall, Room 185 or 100 E Claflin Ave, Salina, KS 67401
Director of Campus Safety, Lonnie Booker, 785-833-4360, [email protected]
Campus Security, 785-829-6017, [email protected]

Training for all Title IX Officials

KICA Title IX Training (PDF)

Commission Policy FDCR.A.10.090:

An institution has a responsibility to remain in good standing with each state in which it is authorized or licensed as well as with any other institutional or programmatic accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education by which it is accredited or pre-accredited up to the point that it voluntarily withdraws from such relationships. An institution shall fairly represent to the Commission and to the public its history or current or previous status with other institutional or programmatic accrediting bodies and with each state in which it is authorized or licensed. An institution shall disclose to the Commission any pending or final state actions that affects the institution’s legal status or authority to grant degrees or offer programs and any pending or final actions by an accrediting agency to withdraw accredited or pre-accredited status, impose a sanction or deny an application for such status. Such disclosure shall take place at the time of the action by the other entity and on the Commission’s Institutional Update as well as in preparation for a comprehensive evaluation by the Commission.

The United States Federal Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008, Public Law 110-315, requires Kansas Wesleyan University put processes in place through which we establish that the student who registers in an online course is the same student who participates in and completes the course and receives the academic credit. Kansas Wesleyan University fulfills this requirement by restricting student access to online courses through the university portal which requires a secure login and password. Some of the online courses offered at KWU correspondingly require that students take their exams in a proctored environment. This policy applies to all credit-bearing distance education courses or programs offered by Kansas Wesleyan University, beginning with the application for admission and continuing through to a student’s graduation, transfer, or withdrawal from study.

Policy Procedures:

Verification of a student’s identity begins at the time of admission or initial course registration. Procedures related to student identity verification include registration, advising and transcript procedures as well as generation of a unique Jenzabar ID for each student. To authenticate identities, Kansas Wesleyan University will use one or more of the following methods for verification:

• A secure login with user name and password
• Proctored examinations
• New or emerging technologies and practices that are effective in verifying student identification

When a student is initially registered, a unique login and password is created that provides access to the secure university intranet (myKWU) and that information is communicated to the student. If a student does not receive or misplaces this information, they are required to bring photo identification to the Registrar’s Office. Student access to the course management system is through myKWU and requires the use of this login and password. Data transmission of login information is secured using standard encryption technology. Students are given information regarding best practices related to setting up and maintaining the security of the passwords on the myKWU login screen.

When a student first logs in, they are prompted to set up security questions that allow them to retrieve their password if they forget it. Student who cannot retrieve their password electronically may contact the KWU Help Desk for assistance. Personally identifiable information collected by the University may be used, at the discretion of the institution, as the basis for identity verification. For instance, a student requesting that their myKWU login password be reset may be asked to provide two or more pieces of information for comparison with data in our records.

Student Responsibility:

The Code of Conduct in the Kansas Wesleyan University Student Handbook specifically prohibits all forms of cheating, plagiarism and academic dishonesty. The Code of Conduct also proscribes any misuse of university computer resources such as:

Theft or other abuse of computer facilities and resources, including but not limited to:
a. Unauthorized entry into a file, to use, read, or change the contents, or for any other purpose.
b. Unauthorized transfer of a file.
c. Use of another individual’s identification and/or password.
d. Use of computing facilities and resources to interfere with the work of another student, faculty or staff member or University Official.
e. Use of computing facilities and resources to send obscene or abusive messages.
f. Use of computing facilities and resources to interfere with normal operation of the University computing system.
g. Use of computing facilities and resources in violation of copyright laws.
h. Any violation of the University Computer Use Policy
(2015-2016 Code of Conduct, pp. 3-4)

Students are responsible for maintaining the security of usernames, passwords and any other access credentials assigned to them. This information may not be shared or given to anyone other than the person to whom they were assigned. Users are responsible for any and all use of their account. KWU recommends that all users change their password when necessary to maintain security. Users are held responsible for knowledge of the information contained within the most recent KWU catalog as well as the KWU Student Handbook. Failure to read and comply with university guidelines, requirements and regulations will not exempt users from responsibility.

DATE: January 8, 2015

STATUS: Agreed to in principal at Cabinet on January 8, 2015

The employee tuition remission benefit for faculty and staff and their dependents will be extended to include online course offerings given capacity exists in the course section in question. Approval of exceptions are made at the discretion of the provost.

DATE: January 8, 2015

STATUS: Passed unanimously at Cabinet on January 8, 2015

Online course offerings are not considered as part of the full-time, undergraduate face to face student’s in-load assignment for billing purposes. The full-time, face to face student participating in athletics, and residential students may take online courses, but only as an overload, billed at the full, undiscounted tuition rate with associated fees set annually by the institution.

Further, those who achieve full-time status through a combination of face to face and online courses will be billed the individual credit hour rate, but will be ineligible for institutionally funded and/or controlled financial assistance programs.

Deviations or exceptions to this policy can be made at the discretion of the provost.

The U.S. Department of Education and the KWU Student Financial Planning Office want you to know:

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT

• to know what financial assistance programs are available at your school
• to know the deadlines for submitting applications for each of the financial assistance programs available.
• to know how your financial need was determined. This includes how costs for tuition and fees, room and board, travel, books and supplies, personal and miscellaneous expenses, are considered in your budget.
• to know what resources, such as parental contribution, other financial assistance, your assets, etc., were considered in the calculation of your need.
• to know how much of your financial need, as determined by the institution, has been met.
• to request an explanation of the various programs in your student assistance package.
• to know your school’s refund policy.
• to know what portion of the financial assistance you receive must be repaid and what portion is grant assistance. If the assistance is a loan, you have the right to know what the interest rate is, the total amount that must be repaid, the repayment procedures, the length of time you have to repay the loan,
• to know how the school determines whether you are making satisfactory progress and what happens if you are not.
• to obtain other consumer information concerning student retention and completion rate which is available upon request.
• to information concerning academic programs, facilities and faculty, which is located in the Kansas Wesleyan University catalog.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• You must complete all application forms accurately and submit them on time to the right place.
• You must provide correct information. In most instances, misreporting information on financial assistance application forms is a violation of law and may be considered a criminal offense, possibly resulting in indictment under the U.S. criminal code.
• You must return all additional documentation, verification, corrections, and /or new information requested by either the Enrollment and Financial Services office or the agency to which you submitted your application.
• You are responsible for reading and understanding all forms that you are asked to sign and for keeping copies of them.
• You must accept responsibility for all agreements that you sign.
• You must perform the work that is agreed upon in accepting a Federal Work Study Award.
• You must be aware of and comply with the deadlines for application or reapplication for assistance.
• You should be aware of your school’s refund procedures.
• All schools must provide the information to a prospective student about the school’s past student retention and the completion rates of various programs. You should consider this information carefully before deciding to attend a school.