Student Rights and Responsibilities

Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities

UFV is a learning community committed to providing a safe and civil environment which is respectful of the rights, responsibilities, well-being and dignity of all its members. As a member of the UFV community students can expect to be a part of a respectful, engaging, collaborative, creative and innovative environment. UFV's culture is based on critical inquiry, collegial debate, knowledge generation, freedom of expression, diversity, and environmental stewardship and sustainability.

UFV has established policies and procedures to ensure that all members of the University community may benefit from the promotion of its core values. The University upholds and will take reasonable steps to ensure that students, as members of the university community, are aware of their rights and responsibilities, as follows:

Student Rights

1. Every student has a right to pursue their education in an environment that is safe, secure and conducive to learning. Students have a right not to be subjected to harassment, sexual harassment, bullying or discrimination, indignity, injury or violence.
2. Students have the right to free inquiry, expression, belief, political association and assembly, provided they do not interfere with the rights of others, with the effective operation of the University or violate other University policies and procedures.
3. Every student has a right to due process and procedural fairness in any investigation of allegedly improper student conduct or alleged violations of policy.
4. Every student has a right to a protection of privacy consistent with UFV policy and existing privacy legislation.
5. Students have the right to reasonable and legitimate access to the University's buildings and facilities.
6. Students have the right to reasonable access to statements of policies, procedures, and guidelines of the University and student organizations.
7. Students have the right to form clubs and committees through the Student Association and to associate with other organizations to promote common interests.

Student Responsibilities

Along with rights come certain responsibilities. Academic and non-academic integrity are inherent in student responsibilities.

1. Students at UFV are expected to act consistently with the values of the university community and to obey local, provincial and federal laws.
2. Every student is responsible for abiding by all UFV policies.
3. Students are responsible for exercising their freedoms with honesty, integrity, and respect for the principles of justice, equality, and human rights.
4. Every student is responsible for contributing to making the UFV community safe, respectful, and inclusive. Students must refrain from conduct that threatens or endangers the health, safety, well-being, or dignity of any person.
5. Students are expected to be individually responsible for their actions whether acting individually or in a group. UFV considers that students have an obligation to make legal and responsible decisions concerning their conduct and to model and convey the university's expectations of conduct to their guests.
6. Every student is responsible to resolve academic and personal problems by communicating with the appropriate UFV personnel.
7. Every student is responsible to keep UFV informed of their current contact information and any change of name.
8. Every student is responsible to observe and obey all health and safety procedures outlined for classrooms, laboratories, field trips and practica.
9. Students are responsible to become familiar with course outlines, content, evaluation methods, timelines and methodology.
10. Students are responsible for reading emails directed to their UFV-assigned email account, and for responsible use of technology.
11. Students are reminded that images, postings, dialogues, and information about themselves or others posted on the Internet are public information. UFV officials do not actively monitor these sites. But content that is brought to their attention and describes or documents behaviour that reasonably suggests breach of UFV policy (i.e. Conduct, Human Rights, Information and Educational Technology Usage, Violence in the Workplace) is subject to further investigation. UFV reserves the right to appropriately respond to these incidents, including taking disciplinary action.

Please contact the Office of the Vice President, Students if you need assistance with issues arising out of Student's Rights and Responsibilities.