All of life is prayer: Practice the presence of God by being mindful of God's presence in all of life.

Notre Dame College
Prayer Book
Page 4

Core Component: Notre Dame College upholds and protects its integrity.

The Board exercises its responsibilities to the public to ensure that the organization operates legally, responsibly and with fiscal honesty.

The Board Bylaws give the Board members the following powers:

  • To oversee and approve the budget of the College, and to establish policy guidelines for the endowment and major fund-raising efforts,

  • To authorize recommended construction of new buildings and major renovations of existing buildings,

  • To authorize recommended incurring of debts by the College,

  • To authorize any changes in tuition and fees, and

  • To authorize officers or agents of the College to accept gifts or bequests on behalf of the College.

Further, Article XI of the Bylaws insures that no Board member will urge the College to take action that will financially benefit that Board member’s family, business or any other personal interest. Each Board member agrees to inform the other members of any such conflict of interest and does not vote in connection with the matter.

Notre Dame College continued its accredited status by The Higher Learning Commission after a comprehensive evaluation in 2000 - 2001.

Notre Dame College understands and abides by local, state, and federal laws and regulations applicable to it (or bylaws and regulations established by federally recognized sovereign entities).

Notre Dame College complies with all the regulations and policies of all the agencies required for our programs, buildings and activities. Listed here are the major agencies and the location of the documentation.

Institutional Notre Dame College continued its accredited status by The Higher Learning Commission after a comprehensive evaluation in 2000 – 2001. No progress reports, contingency reports, or other visits were required. A monitoring report on enrollment and strategic planning was required by November 1, 2003.

The monitoring report was submitted on October 27, 2003. On January 28, 2004 The Higher Learning Commission responded that no progress reports, contingency reports, or other visits were required. A monitoring report to include evidence of an inclusive strategic planning process that makes use of assessment and program review data was required by December 1, 2004.

The monitoring report was submitted on November 17, 2004. In a letter dated January 22, 2005 The Higher Learning Commission accepted the report as evidence of an inclusive strategic planning process that makes use of assessment and program review data. No further reports were required.

Academics In 2005 the Education Division received accreditation for its professional education program from NCATE. Documentation is in the Education Division Office, Room 408.

Ohio Board of Regents documentation is in the VPAA office.

Documentation of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Completion Program and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program is available in the Director of Nursing office located on the second floor of the Clara Fritzsche Library. Documentation includes Ohio Board of Regents approval of June 15, 2006; The Higher Learning Commission approval of June 27, 2006; and the Ohio Board of Nursing of November 16, 2006. The College is preparing to seek accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and/or the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC).

The College reviews any written surveys or other experiments involving human subjects to guarantee informed consent and that the survey will have no harmful effects. Members of the Institutional Review Board are the Executive Dean, an experimental psychology professor, and an ethics professor.

Athletics: The U.S. Department of Education requires an annual Gender Equity in Athletics report. This report is completed by the Director of Athletics and files are available in the Athletic Office located in the Keller Center.

The College abides by all Title IX requirements regarding athletics.

Notre Dame College is a member of the American Mideast Conference (AMC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and abides by all its regulations. Copies of the AMC constitution, bylaws, and guidelines are provided to the Director of Athletics and the Assistant Director of Athletics on an annual basis. The official handbook and policy manual of the NAIA are accessed online at http://naia.cstv.com/

Student Affairs and Counseling: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 provide for equal access to higher education for students with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights enforces civil rights laws which represent a national commitment to end discrimination in education programs for individuals with disabilities. Under the direction of the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Student Services through the Dwyer Learning Center implements these laws for students with documented disabilities. The Academic Support Center provides enhanced professional tutoring and other study aids for students with documented learning disabilities.

James Drozdowski, Esq., of Hahn Loesser and Parks, a local law firm presented a workshop regarding the Jeanne Clery Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Disclosure Act on June 14, 2006. The staff and faculty who attended were likely to be in positions where their knowledge would require them to report crimes in accordance with the Clery Act. Approximately 40 College staff attended.

Additionally, as part of the review of policies and procedures in Student Life, the College created a committee to review the College’s sexual assault policy and procedures. Two initiatives resulted. One is the Policies and Procedures on Sex Offenses. This is a valuable addition to the Employee Handbook as an enhancement to existing sexual harassment policies. This document defines sex offenses, details procedures for responding to sex offenses, and makes clear the rights of both complainants and accused persons.

The second initiative was the creation of the Sexual Assault Resource Committee (SARC), a group of campus employees who volunteer to be educated advocates for survivors of sexual assault. These people do not serve as police, ministers, or counselors; rather they serve as advocates for sexual assault survivors. SARC members will be provided with regular periodic training. The training will also include all campus security officers, the Director of Campus Ministry, the Director of Counseling, all coaching staff, and Resident Assistants.

All other federal, state and local ordinances related to campus safety are printed in the Student Handbook and enforced in the residence halls and everywhere else on campus. Records of enforcement are found in the office of the Director of Residence Halls. Records of criminal reports are found in the Office of Campus Safety.

Annual reports regarding campus crime statistics (Clery reports) are submitted on a timely basis and are made available on the College website. The Office of Campus Safety prepares this report with the assistance of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and local law enforcement.

Every person who seeks counseling from the professional counselor signs a release form so that he or she can seek further advice. Records of students who visit the counseling center are considered as educational records and are protected by FERPA and the privileged nature of the client-therapist relationship.

The Career Services Office is required to abide by equal opportunity laws when posting positions for student employment. All students are informed of all positions without discrimination. This applies to all part-time, co-op and internship positions.

Neither Career Services nor the Education Department assigns a co-op position or school placement to a student. In order to prevent institutional liability, each student chooses the site where he or she will complete the internship or student teaching.

...in accordance with Federal and State law, Notre Dame College does not discriminate in any term or condition of employment including hiring, training, compensation, benefits, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, discipline, or discharge because of an individual's race, color, creed, age, sex, religion, national origin, veteran status or nondisqualifying disability except when permitted by law to allow selection of Roman Catholics for certain permissible positions such as campus minister, theology instructor, and chaplain.

The Employee Handbooks for Administrative Staff and Support Staff state in Sections 2.1 that in accordance with Federal and State Law, Notre Dame College does not discriminate in any term or condition of employment including hiring, training, compensation, benefits, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, discipline, or discharge because of an individual’s race, color, creed, age, sex, religion, national origin, veteran status or non-disqualifying disability except when permitted by law to allow selection of Roman Catholics for certain permissible positions such as campus minister, theology instructor, and chaplain.

Sexual harassment is addressed in the Employee Handbooks for Administrative Staff and Support Staff. An addendum was approved by the President’s staff and communicated to the College community on May 9, 2006.

Ohio Labor Law regulates wages, work hours, and leaves of absence; policies are included in the Employee Handbooks for Administrative Staff and Support Staff.

Financial Management and Financial Aid: The Vice President for Finance and Administration oversees the annual audit. The audit reports are available in the Finance Office, first floor of the Administration Building.

Notre Dame College is a tax exempt 501 (c) (3) organization and provides annual reports to the Internal Revenue Service. Documents are available in the Finance Office.

The Financial Aid Office and Career Services Office follows the procedures identified in the packet, Operating a Federal Workstudy Program.

The College participates in the following federal and state financial aid programs and abides by all rules and regulations established by these entities:

Federal Financial Assistance Programs
Federal Pell Grant
Federal Subsidized Stafford Student Loan
Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Student Loan
Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students
Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant
The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program
Federal Perkins Loan Program
Federal Work Study Program

State Financial Assistance Programs
Ohio Instructional Grant (OIG)
Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG)
Ohio Choice Grant
Ohio Academic Scholarship
Ohio War Orphans Scholarship
Michigan State Grant
Pennsylvania State Grant

Admissions Notre Dame College is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and abides by their Statement of Principles of Good Practice (SPGP). Notre Dame College admissions counselors attended Fall and Spring national college fairs. In addition, the admissions counselors and the Dean of Admissions attended the national conferences the past two years held in Tampa, Florida and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. These conferences offer major presentations by noted authorities, more than 100 professional sessions, seminars and workshops, and an exhibit area with more than 150 vendors.

Through the Admissions Office, Notre Dame College is a member of the Ohio Association for College Admission Counseling (OACAC) and it follows their Principles of Good Practice. OACAC is a network of over 1900 professionals dedicated to assisting high school students in the transition from high school to college. Notre Dame College participates in the OACAC sponsored events every year. These events include:

  • Summer Institute: a three day training workshop for new counselors. Every new counselor in the Office of Admissions attends the Summer Institute.

  • Notre Dame College is represented at Fall Articulations Workshops, which are one-day workshops held throughout Ohio, designed to facilitate communication between college admission professionals and high school guidance counselors.

  • Notre Dame College participated in the Counselor of Color Workshop: a one-day workshop specifically designed to address serving students of color.

  • Every year the Office of Admissions at Notre Dame College takes part in the Spring Conference, a two-day workshop covering a variety of topics for all areas of the college admission counseling profession.

The Dean of Admissions is a member of the Board of the National Catholic Colleges Admissions Association (NCCA). The Board volunteered to assist in the clean-up after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in June, 2006.

Advancement The Advancement Office is a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and follows their ethical guidelines.

Buildings, Grounds and Maintenance: The City of South Euclid Zoning and Building Commissions are contacted for any changes on buildings or grounds. A regulatory review is performed by the city before permits are issued. These permits and records are on file in the office of the Director of Maintenance, located on the ground floor of the Administration Building.

Annual inspection by local and state elevator experts are conducted. Local fire officials conduct annual training on site for new and refresher groups.

There is a full range of opportunities for growth outside of the classroom, from Intramural and Intercollegiate athletics to student government, clubs, and organizations.

Notre Dame College consistently implements clear and fair policies regarding the rights and responsibilities of each of its internal constituencies.

Faculty rights are listed in the Faculty Handbook, section 4.8. and includes rights, responsibilities, sanctions, and the Code of Professional Ethics (Article 4.8.13). In the fall of 2006, the Faculty Senate clarified the voting rights of emeriti faculty. These rights were not clear or consistent as listed in the Faculty Senate Constitution and Faculty Senate Bylaws. This, and other issues, has been resolved in a timely way, giving evidence that faculty governance is working.

Employee rights and responsibilities are outlined in the Employee Handbooks for Administrative Staff and Support Staff . Legal changes are appended as they arise. It is the responsibility of the Vice President for Finance and Administration to monitor compliance with laws affecting payroll, benefits, and employment practices.

The Student Handbook outlines the rights and responsibilities of the Notre Dame College students.

Notre Dame College’s structures and processes allow it to ensure the integrity of its co-curricular activities.

There is a full range of opportunities for growth outside of the classroom, from Intramural and Intercollegiate athletics to student government, clubs, and organizations. Activities held on campus vary from bonfires and formal dances to Sumo wrestling and holiday celebrations. The Director of Campus Activities consults with students to develop new activities for the diverse population of students.

Notre Dame College offers 17 scholarship athletic teams. To strike a balance among academics, athletics, and community service responsibilities, there are strict policies that:

  • Prevent athletes from missing class for practice,

  • Require them to make up work missed because of away games,

  • Assign required study table hours,

  • Require athletes to give their coaches frequent faculty comments onacademic performance, and

  • Require students to meet in the Dwyer Learning Center for additional assistance.

Concerned about global responsibility, the Men’s soccer team donated their old uniforms to a team overseas. Teams hold youth clinics throughout the year.

Notre Dame College presents itself accurately and honestly to the public.

Marketing communication staff meet and consult with internal clients to ensure accuracy in news releases, advertising, printed collateral and the Notre Dame College website. The marketing staff work directly with the Dean of Admissions, Vice President for Adult Recruitment and Professional Development, Director of the Center for Professional Development, admissions counselors, adult recruiters and others when crafting advertisements, releases, web updates and other marketing and informational materials.

Information is kept up to date by using photos of current students and utilizing a flexible format on pieces such as fact sheets, allowing us to make changes as needed. News releases are posted on the website for the timely distribution of information.

Notre Dame Today, the College magazine, is directed by an editorial board composed of alumni, staff and faculty who meet regularly to determine content and develop story ideas.

Concerned about global responsibility, the Men's soccer team donated their old uniforms to a team overseas.

Notre Dame College documents timely response to complaints and grievances, particularly those of the students.

Notre Dame College has formal procedures in place to document and resolve complaints and grievances of the students, faculty and staff. These procedures are outlined in the Student Handbook, Employee Handbooks for Administrative Staff and Support Staff .

Student complaints and/or grievances are separated into the broad areas of Grade Appeals, Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Non- Discrimination procedures.

Student Grade Appeals: In the area of grade appeals, students who have a clear and justifiable grievance with reference to a grade first seek resolution with the instructor and subsequently, with the department chairperson. It is expected that the chairperson will consult with the faculty member in an effort to resolve the dispute.

If a resolution is not reached, the student may appeal the dispute to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The VPAA may consult with the appropriate department chairperson and establish an appeal committee of three faculty members, one of whom may be recommended by the student bringing the appeal. The VPAA will inform the faculty member and the student of the recommendations of the appeal committee and will take the steps that are necessary to implement the recommendations.

Table 2.7: Student Complaints and/or
Grievances by Year
Source: Office of Vice President for Academic Affairs

Year Grade Appeals Harassment Sexual Harassment
2000 0 0 0
2001 1 0 0
2002 1 0 0
2003 0 0 0
2004 0 0 0
2005 6 1 0
2006 2 0 0

Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Non-Discrimination: Notre Dame College defines harassment as physical conduct, verbal conduct (including telephone harassment) or other expressive behavior, including written or pictorial expression, which explicitly demeans, coerces, intimidates or seriously embarrasses any person. This includes demeaning one’s gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, color, creed, disability, national origin, veteran status, ancestry or age.

Disciplinary action will be brought against those engaged in harassment or retaliation against anyone bringing forth an honestly perceived complaint of harassment.

Notre Dame specifically defines sexual harassment as unwelcome advances or requests of sexual nature when:

  • Submission to such conduct is made, either explicitly or implicitly, a term or condition of an individual’s academic advancement,

  • Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for academic decisions affecting such individual, and/or

  • Such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work or academic environment.

Notre Dame College does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age or disability in the administration of its academic and admissions policies, scholarship, and financial aid programs and other college services.

If a student feels that he or she is a victim of sexual harassment or observes a student being sexually harassed, the individual should report it immediately to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. In addition, any student who believes he or she is the victim of or has witnessed what appears to be discrimination should report it immediately to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

The Associate Dean for Student Affairs will conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of any report of alleged sexual harassment or discrimination. Should sexual harassment or discrimination be found, it will be addressed in an expeditious manner and dealt with severely.

Faculty and Staff Grievances The formal procedure process for complaints and/or grievances by faculty or staff can be found in their respective handbooks.

Notre Dame College has established a procedure intended to result in the prompt, objective consideration and resolution of work-related complaints by faculty members. When a faculty member has a grievance covered by this policy, he or she should first discuss this grievance with the Vice President for Academic Affairs within seven business days after the faculty member becomes aware or is made aware of the circumstances giving rise to the grievance. The VPAA shall provide a response to the faculty member within seven business days after the initial discussion with the faculty member. If a resolution satisfactory to the faculty member is not reached, or the grievance is against the VPAA, the faculty member may initiate an appeal process outlined in Section 4.11.2 of the Faculty Handbook which involves the Grievance and Appeals Committee of the Faculty Senate (a standard ad-hoc committee).

The staff grievance policy is similar in nature to that of the faculty policy. All questions regarding pay, hours of work, promotions, working conditions, or anything else that affects working relations with the College are to be directed to the immediate supervising administrator. If the matter is not resolved, the employee can talk with the President’s staff member of the respective administrative unit. If the matter continues to be unresolved, the employee may file a grievance.

Since 2000, there have been no complaints or grievances filed by faculty or staff.

 

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