Institute Compliance and Other Guidelines

Polytechnic Institute of NYU Code of Conduct

The Polytechnic Institute of NYU Code of Conduct, edited and administered by the Department of Student Development, notifies the NYU-Poly community of prohibited behavior and outlines the procedures to be followed in the event of a breach of the Code. This code is dedicated to protecting and promoting the academic enterprise and is indispensable in maintaining an academic environment conducive to teaching, learning and the development of individuals.

The complete Institute Code of Conduct is available to students and all members of the NYU-Poly community. For further information contact the Department of Student Development at (718) 260-3800 or visit Room 158 in the Jacobs Building.

Institute Policy on Academic Dishonesty

All members of the community are expected to exhibit honesty, integrity and fairness in their academic work and interaction with others. The entire community shares the responsibility to secure and respect general conditions conducive to academic honesty. Individual academic departments may develop and publicize supplemental guidelines, in conformity with Institute policies, for academic competence and honesty appropriate to their fields of study. Academic dishonesty is treated as a moral and intellectual offense against the academic community and is not tolerated. Students are responsible for reading and familiarizing themselves with the Institute Policy on Academic Dishonesty. All members of the community are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the Institute’ s academic procedures, for preventing acts of academic dishonesty and for taking steps to prevent such acts from recurring.

Every student is expected to be familiar with, and abide by, the Institute Policy on Academic Dishonesty.

The Polytechnic Institute of NYU Anti-Harassment Policy for Employees and Students

The Polytechnic Institute of NYU is committed to a work and learning environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each individual has the right to work and learn in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal employment and academic opportunities and prohibits discriminatory practices, including harassment. Therefore, NYU-Poly expects that all relationships among persons at the Institute (in the workplace and in the classroom) will be business-like and free of bias, prejudice and harassment.

The complete Institute Anti-Harassment Policy for Employees and Students is available online.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student-education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

The procedures used by Polytechnic Institute of NYU to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment are detailed below. Under FERPA, NYU-Poly students have certain rights regarding their education records. A student is defined as any individual who is or has been in attendance at NYU-Poly and regarding whom NYU-Poly maintains education records.

These rights include:

• The right to inspect and review the student’ s education records within 45 days of the day the Institute receives a written request for access. Students should submit the request to the Office of the Registrar that identifies the record to be inspected. The Institute official will arrange access and notify the student about when and where records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the Institute official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed. The Institute has the right to prohibit students from reviewing and inspecting education records that include the financial records of their parents, as well as those records consisting of confidential letters and recommendation about their admission to the Institute, their application for employment or their receipt of an honor or honorary recognition.
• The right to request the amendment of education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading or in violation of his/her right to privacy. Students may ask the Institute to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. They should write the Institute official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed and specify why it is inaccurate. If the Institute is in agreement with the student’ s request to amend his/her record, the record in question will be amended accordingly and the student will be informed of the amendment in writing. If the Institute decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the Institute will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his/her right to a hearing on the request for amendment. Additional information about the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
• The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’ s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes the Institute to disclosure without the student’ s consent. Consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information must be done by the student in a written request to the Registrar’ s Office.
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the Institute to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
• Release of Information: Polytechnic must have written permission from the student to release any personally identifiable information from his/her education records. In addition, the Institute may disclose personally identifiable information, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):
• School officials with legitimate educational interest in such information to fulfill their professional responsibility. (A school official is a person employed by the Institute in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position [including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff]; a person or company with whom the Institute has contracted [such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent]; a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.)
• Other schools to which a student seeks enrollment
• Where disclosure is to certain federal, state and local authorities
• Where disclosure is in connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or received.
• Where disclosure is in connection with studies being conducted for or on behalf of the Institute.
• Where disclosure is made to accrediting organizations
• To comply with a judicial order or lawful subpoena
• Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies
• Information designated as “directory information”
• Where the information disclosed is the final results of a disciplinary hearing, and the disclosure is made to an alleged victim of a crime of violence or non-forcible sex offense.
• To parents or legal guardians regarding a violation of any federal, state, local law or Institute policy governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance if a student is under the age of 21 and if the Institute deter mines that the student has committed such violation.

FERPA permits the release of directory information to third parties outside Polytechnic without prior written consent, provided that students have received the opportunity to withhold such disclosure. Polytechnic reserves the right to disclose the following directory information related to a student without consent:

• Student’ s name
• Class year
• Major field of study, as well as similar information (e.g., title of master’s or doctoral dissertation, distinguished academic performance)
• Participation in recognized activities and sports
• Dates of attendance and enrollment status (full-time, half-time or part-time) at NYU-Poly
• Degrees, honors

For more information on student rights regarding their education records, release of information, parental disclosure and directory information, please see the complete Institute Policy Regarding FERPA.

For questions about FERPA and an individual’s rights as a student at Polytechnic Institute of NYU, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

Information Technology and Electronic Resources Acceptable Use Policy

Information technology systems and electron resources are provided with the understanding that the members of the Polytechnic community will use them with a sense of compliance/adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, mutual respect, cooperation and collaboration. These resources are finite, and must be shared with an understanding that with any established interconnection of electronic resources, the effect of one individual can have a dramatic effect on others within the network. As such, the use of the Polytechnic Institute of NYU network and electronic resources is a  revocable privilege. All constituents will benefit if all users of the NYU-Poly electronic systems avoid any activities which cause problems for other users of the same systems. NYU-Poly reserves the right to monitor , limit and restrict electronic messages, network/systems traffic and the public or private information stored on computers owned, maintained, or managed by NYU-Poly. Computers not owned, maintained, or managed by NYU-Poly staff that abuse campus services may be denied access to campus resources. Email/voice mail, web pages, electronic data and digital content are subject to archiving, monitoring, or review, and/or disclosure by others than the intended recipient.

To that end, Polytechnic Institute of NYU expects that all individuals including, but not limited to, Institution students, faculty , and staff, using its electronic resources will abide by the Acceptable Use Policy.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Polytechnic Institute of NYU supports Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Institute makes every effort to provide full and barrier-free program accessibility. The Institute also does not discriminate in its admissions practices and bases acceptance primarily on academic records.

NYU-Poly is committed to assisting students with disabilities in developing the personal and academic skills necessary to participate fully in student programs. To that end, the Institute provides services to students with disabilities based on individual needs. The Institute is particularly interested in helping these students to become effective self-advocates.

Accommodations for students with disabilities do not include the waiving of academic course requirements.

Although not every student with a disability requires accommodations, registering with the Department of Student Development is advised. More information regarding accommodations is available here.

Alcohol and Drugs

NYU-Poly, in compliance with New York State law, prohibits the unlawful possession, manufacture, use or distribution of alcohol and illicit drugs on its property or as part of any of its activities, unless otherwise noted. Violations of this policy will result in disciplinary actions under the Institute Code of Conduct. Furthermore, NYU-Poly will not protect those who violate these laws, nor will it interfere with law-enforcement agencies that pursue violators of these laws.

All student organizations or groups wishing to hold events where alcohol is served must obtain permission from the Dean of Student Affairs or designee, who will be solely responsible for making that decision and applying conditions and obligations for the event.

Health and Accident Insurance

NYU-Poly is concerned about student health and seeks to protect students against the high cost of medical care. Many students and their parents are unable to afford the added expense of an unexpected injury or sickness. To ensure all students are covered, the Institute requires that all students with 9 or more credits, or those who are considered full-time students, carry health insurance. If students do not have their own coverage, the Institute offers a plan to provide necessary health insurance. Part-time students also may enroll in accident and sickness coverage. To ensure that part-time students are covered at the start of the semester , they must complete the online enrollment information and mail the confirmation statement to the Institute’ s insurance broker. The broker will process the application and issue insurance cards.

Even students with private insurance plans may want to consider supplementing those plans, as many policies exclude or limit coverage. However, domestic students with comparable coverage may elect to waive the Institute-provided insurance plan by the designated deadlines. To do so, they need to provide information on current coverage to the insurance broker to ensure coverage is comparable.

Domestic students may waive out of the plan if they have comparable private insurance; NYU-Poly’ s carrier will review student waivers (applying for a waiver does not automatically waive someone out of the plan). The insurance carrier will contact students about any questions regarding a waiver. If students do not waive by the designated deadlines, they will be responsible for the fee.

All international students are required to be enrolled in the Institute-sponsored plan as part of their enrollment at NYU-Poly. They must complete insurance enrollment by the designated deadlines.

In addition, all full-time students (graduate and undergraduate) are covered by accident insurance.

Immunization

New York State law requires students to show proof of immunity to measles, mumps and rubella. NYU-Poly complies fully with the provisions of this law. The law applies to all students (graduate and undergraduate) born on or after January 1, 1957.

Immunization status is checked as part of registration for new students. New first-year, transfer and graduate students who fail to comply (1) are barred from attending class (and are not entitled to any tuition refund); (2) do not receive grades; and (3) are denied further registration.

For forms or more information on this requirement, or to submit the required proof, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions or the Graduate Center.

Guidelines on Student Observances

The faculty of the Polytechnic Institute of NYU has adopted the following guidelines on student religious observances, as recommended by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities. The intent of these guidelines is to encourage independent colleges and universities to reasonably accommodate individual students’ religious obligations and practices without penalty.

• Students will not be expelled or refused admission to the Institute if they are unable to participate in any examination, study or work requirement because of their religious obligations and practices.
• Students who are absent from school because of their religious obligations and practices will be given an opportunity to make up any examination, study or work requirement that was missed because of such absence.
• Students must notify their instructors and Student Development in writing, no later than the 15th day after the first day of the semester, that they will be absent from a class scheduled on a day that conflicts with their religious obligations and practices.
• In effecting these provisions, NYU-Poly’ s administration and faculty agree to exercise the fullest measure of good faith, and agree that students who follow these guidelines on religious observances will suffer no adverse or prejudicial effects.

Student Identification

All students are required to carry and maintain at all times photo-identification cards issued by the Office of Facilities Management. ID cards must be presented and/or surrendered to any official of the Institute upon request.

The Institute uses a student ID number to identify a student’s records (grades, accounts, etc.) from the time of the admission application process through the completion of his or her degree. This number is computer generated and used solely by NYU-Poly.