Student Life

Belhaven University believes that well-rounded personal, social, spiritual, and academic development can best be accomplished within a Christian Community. Therefore, in order to meet individual needs while working for the needs of the community, it is necessary to establish guidelines for conduct. Belhaven’s student handbook, The Kilt and the Adult Studies Handbook, describes in detail the guidelines governing student life and college community expectations. The system of standards set forth in the student handbook is intended to maintain a balance between individual freedom and the good of the community. Believing that every aspect of life should be lived to the glory of God, Belhaven University seeks to consistentl y apply these standards with a concern for the total development of the individual.

Belhaven reserves the right to withdraw and /or dismiss any student who, in its judgment, displays conduct in violation of standards of the University.

Adult Studies Handbook http://www.belhaven.edu/pdfs/student_services/adult_studies_handbook.pdf
The Kilt http://www.belhaven.edu/pdfs/campus_life/TheKilt.pdf

Grievance Policy for Written Student Complaints

COMPLAINT RESOLUTION
Belhaven University desires to resolve student complaints, grievances, and concerns in an expeditious and fair manner. Students can file a written complaint to the appropriate
university official as described in the Belhaven University Academic Catalogue and The Kilt (Student Handbook).

Additionally, student may appeal the final institutional decision to the proper entity:
• File a Complaint with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges SACS COC Student Complaint Policy
• File a Complaint with our SARA Portal Agent (for those students who are taking online courses and reside outside of Mississippi in a SARA state)
• For a list of SARA states, see the SARA States and Institutions page
• File a Complaint with your state agent (if you are taking online courses, do not reside in the state of Mississippi and do not reside in a SARA state) by referring to the list of State Agencies on the U.S. Department of Education website.

COMPLAINT TO ACCREDITING OR AUTHORIZING AGENCY
State Authorizing Agency
A complaint can be filed with one of our state authorizing agencies when there is evidence of the of the following:
• conduct or behavior on the part Belhaven University or any of its agents, representatives or employees that constitute dishonest or fraudulent behavior, including providing false or misleading information to a student
• the operation of programs (including distance education) contrary to practices expected by institutional and/or programmatic/specialized accreditors

[Belhaven University has a number of programs that are accredited by professional, discipline-specific accrediting bodies. Contact the Office of the Provost for additional information on program accreditation.]
Students studying in the State of Mississippi-Please review the MCAA Student Complaint Process.

The MCAA contact information is below:

Dr. Sheriece Robinson

3825 Ridgewood Road

Jackson, MS 39211-6453

Telephone: 601.432.6336

Fax: 601.432.6225

srobinson@ihl.state.ms.us

COMPLAINTS SPECIFIC TO NON-MISSISSIPPI RESIDENTS TAKING ONLINE COURSES
If your complaint has been escalated through the grievance and appeal process and cannot be resolved, please review these points of escalation applicable to students taking online courses from outside of the state of Mississippi. Please note matters regarding grades and conduct cannot be escalated beyond the institutional level.

SARA Member state
Belhaven University participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement. Students residing in member states are subject to the SARA Complaint Process which is detailed on the SARA Student Complaint Process page. For a list of SARA Member states, see the SARA States & Institutions page.

State Agencies
If an issue cannot be resolved institutionally, students residing outside the state of Mississippi who do not reside in a SARA member state may file a complaint about Belhaven University with their State by referring to the list of State Agencies on the U.S. Department of Education website. For a list of SARA member states, see the SARA States & Institution page.

Academic Appeals

Grading is viewed by Belhaven University as a contractual relationship between faculty member and student; and although students have the right to protest, actual changes in grades are both rare and at the discretion of the faculty member. The Academic Dean will intervene only in extreme circumstances or when the course materials or curricular items are concerned. Currently enrolled students wishing to file grievances on academic issues should submit written appeals to the Academic appeals committee. Academic appeals of grades must be made before the end of the next semester following the issuance of the grade.

Should a student believe there is concrete reason to protest a grade for a course, the procedures are as follows:

• The student should contact the faculty member for discussion within seven days of receiving the grade.
• If the student continues to feel justified in making a grade appeal, a petition to change a grade form can be accessed from Student Services.
• The form and necessary supporting documentation (i.e. documented correspondence and copies of graded works in question) should be submitted to Student Services.
• The Academic Dean will meet with the Academic Appeals Committee and reach a decision (committee shall consist of the Dean of Faculty and the discipline representative [i.e. Dean of Business, Dean of Education, etc.])
• When the Committee or university official takes action, the student will be notified in writing of the decision and a copy of all correspondence will be forwarded to Student Services and the Registrar’s Office for placement in the student’s file.
• Decisions made by the Academic Appeals Committee are final and may not be appealed.

Academic Grievances

Grading is viewed by Belhaven University as a contractual relationship between faculty member and student; and although students have the right to protest, actual changes in grades are both rare and at the discretion of the faculty member. The Dean will intervene only in extreme circumstances or when the course materials or curricular items are concerned.

Should a student believe there is concrete reason to protest a grade for a course, the procedures are as follows:

1. The student shall contact the faculty member for discussion within seven calendar days of receiving the grade.
2. If the student continues to feel justified in making a grade appeal, a petition to change a grade form can be accessed from Student Services within 30 calendar days of the completion of the course. The form and necessary supporting documentation (i.e. documented correspondence and copies of graded works in question) should be submitted through Student Services to the Academic Appeals Committee
3. The Academic Appeals Committee shall review the student’s appeal and reach a decision. When the Committee or university official takes action, the student will be notified in writing of the decision and a copy of all correspondence will be forwarded to Student Services and the Registrar’s Office for placement in the student’s file. Decisions made by the Academic Appeals Committee are final and may not be appealed.

Academic grievances concerning a faculty member or an online campus course should be directed in writing to the online Dean. Decisions made by the online Dean shall be final.

Academic Disability Accommodation

Belhaven University offers students disability accommodation in accordance with the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The student must make his or her disability known to the Office of Student Services and must provide current documentation, within 3 years, of the disability from an appropriate licensed professional and complete the Belhaven ADA Request Form for accommodation. The student must provide such a request to the Office of Student Services at least two weeks prior to the beginning of each semester for which the accommodation is requested. Approved accommodations will be made within a reasonable time period after completion of the official request.

Grievance Procedure for Disabled Students

Belhaven University has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for the prompt and equitable resolution of student complaints alleging any action prohibited by regulations implementing the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other pertinent federal, state, and local disability anti-discrimination laws.

For grievances related to academic accommodations, Student Services personnel will serve as the Complaint Coordinator.

1. Applicants or students shall file complaints, in writing, with the Coordinator. A complaint shall contain the name and address of the person filing it and a brief description of the alleged violation. If the complainant needs an accommodation in order to file the complaint, he/she should inform the person taking the complaint.
2. Such complaints must be filed within 45 calendar days after the complainant becomes aware of the alleged violation.
3. An investigation, as may be appropriate, shall follow the filing of a complaint. The Coordinator will conduct the investigation.
4. The Coordinator shall issue a written determination regarding the complaint and a description of the resolution and shall forward a copy to the complainant within a reasonable time.
5. The complainant may request a reconsideration of the case in instances where he/she is dissatisfied with the resolution. Persons with complaints should make requests for reconsideration to the Provost within 30 calendar days of the date of the written determination issued by the Coordinator.
6. The Provost shall issue a decision regarding the appeal within a reasonable time, and this decision shall be final.

For grievances related to non-academic accommodations, the policy in the student handbook should be followed.

Warren A. Hood Library

The Warren A. Hood Library houses more than 96,000 items. In addition to book and periodical collections, the library provides access to a vast array of electronic indexes and databases, media collections, archival materials, and reference materials for all fields of study at Belhaven.

The Online Library is accessed through the Library web page (www.belhaven.edu/Library) and also taps into a large collection of online full text and citation databases including 24 databases within EBSCOhost, Business Education in Video, Christian Periodical Index, CQ Researcher, ERIC, Grove’s Dictionary of Art, JSTOR, LexisNexis Academic, Mergent Online, Oxford Music Online, CREDO Reference eBooks, Classical Music Library, ProQuest Newsstand including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal database. Additionally, library patrons have access to more than 47,000 e-books. These e-books are accessible 24/7 through Blazenet from any computer with an internet connection. The library is an invaluable resource for Belhaven users at all campuses to access essential resources via the internet.

The library is open approximately 103.5 hours per week during the Fall and Spring sessions. Hours are slightly reduced during holidays, breaks and during the summer session. The library hours are intended to sufficiently provide Belhaven faculty, staff, students, and administration access to collections, services and professional assistance. The library staff is well trained to assist all faculty and students with a wide range of research activities. It is the librarians’ intent that each student at Belhaven develops transferable skills to ensure life-long learning through instruction and skilled use of the materials (both physical and online) available through the Warren A. Hood Library as well as any library or research facility throughout the world.

Professional librarians are available for subject specific reference consultations. Advance appointments may be scheduled by contacting the library at 601-968-5948, 1-800-808-5002 or at askalibrarian@belhaven.edu.

Belhaven Bookstore

The Belhaven Bookstore, located in the McCravey-Triplett Student Center. They can be reached at 601-968-5910 or by email at bookstore@belhaven.edu. You can view the Belhaven Online Bookstore by visiting http://www.belhaven.edu/bookstore/ It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements for textbooks prior to the start of class.