UNIVERSITY NOTICES

Equal Opportunity and Pluralism Statement

The Florida State University reaffirms its commitment to a policy of equal opportunity and pluralism, thus enhancing diversity and assuring a campus climate that values and respects the worth and dignity of all persons. The concept of pluralism, a state or condition of society in which individuals of diverse backgrounds are willing "to affirm each other's dignity; are ready to benefit from each other's experience; and are eager to acknowledge each other's contribution to the common welfare and progress for all," serves as a foundation for all programs, services, and activities affecting students, faculty, staff, employees, applicants and others affiliated with the University.

In pursuing its mission of excellence as a comprehensive, graduate-research university with a liberal arts base, it is the policy of the University to create and maintain a positive work and educational environment conducive to the betterment of the University and, thus, society at large, in the interest of public service and international education. The Florida State University realizes that there is advantage in incorporating diversity from all realms: cultural, positional, social, among others. Further, it is the aim of the University in all lawful ways to carry its stance by:

• removing barriers that restrict people from realizing their potential;
• implementing policies, procedures, and programs that ensure opportunities are available equitably to all;
• building a multidimensional, diversified workforce reflective of the community;
• fostering leadership and direction that guarantees an accountable, highly participatory, effective institution of higher learning at all levels; and
• communicating the same to all in various formats as applicable.

To foster pluralism and maintain diversity for the mutual benefit of the University and the public, the University President has appointed a Director of Equal Opportunity and Pluralism. That administrator's key focus is to help create an ideal environment of excellence encompassing fairness, respect and trust-free from mistreatment, discrimination and harassment-by utilizing a flexible, yet, balanced approach, to optimize the aims of all stakeholders in conjunction with the University's objectives.

The Florida State University's designated Director of Equal Opportunity and Pluralism is: Dr. Freddie L. Groomes, Executive Assistant, (850) 644-5283, email: fgroomes@mailer.fsu.edu.

Persons with Disabilities

The Florida State University adheres to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) in prohibiting discrimination against any qualified person with a disability. Any student with a disability may voluntarily self-report the nature of the disability and identify needed special assistance to the Student Disability Resource Center, 1st Floor, Kellum Hall. The Florida State University's designated ADA Coordinator may be contacted as follows: Mr. Robert Pullen, University Personnel Services. Self-evaluation reports are available for review upon request in the Office of Personnel Services.

This publication is available in alternative format upon request by contacting the Student Disability Resource Center, (850) 644-9566.

HIV/AIDS Policy

Students, employees, and applicants for admission or employment at The Florida State University who have or who may become infected with the HIV virus will not be excluded from enrollment or employment or restricted in their normal responsibilities and access to University services or facilities due to their HIV/AIDS status, unless individual medically-based judgments establish that exclusion or restriction is necessary for the welfare of the individual or of other members of the University community. That is, the University will not discriminate against otherwise qualified HIV-infected applicants, students, or employees.

The Florida State University Committee on HIV/AIDS is responsible for monitoring developments with regard to HIV/AIDS, acting upon and administering the State University System's (SUS) and the University's policies on HIV/AIDS and coordinating the University's efforts in educating the University community on the nature and prevention of the disease. In addition, The Florida State University Committee on HIV/AIDS meets as needed to consider special problems related to HIV/AIDS which require University action.

The University will be guided in its implementation of this policy by current authoritative medical information, applicable federal and state law, the SUS HIV/AIDS Policy, and the guidelines suggested by the Centers for Disease Control, the Public Health Service, the American College Health Association, and the Florida Department of Health.

The Florida State University has designated HIV/AIDS counselors who are available to the University community. These counselors are: Celeste Paquette, M.D., Medical Director Thagard Student Health Center, 644-9498; and James Hennessey, Ph.D. Student Counseling, 644-2003.

Sexual Harassment Policy

1. Policy Statement. Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination based on a person's gender. Sexual harassment is contrary to The University's values and moral standards, which recognize the dignity and worth of each person, as well as a violation of federal and state laws and University rules and policies. Sexual harassment cannot and will not be tolerated at The Florida State University, whether by faculty, students, or staff, or by others while on property owned by or under the control of the University.
2. Coordinator Of Sexual Harassment Resolutions. The Office of the University's Coordinator of Sexual Harassment Resolutions (the "Coordinator"), within the Office of the Inspector General, is designated to receive and investigate sexual harassment complaints as set forth in this policy and to maintain the records pertaining thereto.
3. Definition. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature directed at an employee or student by another when:
   1. submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment, academic status, receipt of University services, participation in University activities and programs, or affects the measure of a student's academic performance; or,
   2. submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for a decision affecting employment, academic status, receipt of services, participation in University activities and programs, or the measure of a student's academic performance; or,
   3. such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with employment opportunities, work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational environment.
4. Examples of Sexual Harassment. Incidents of sexual harassment may involve persons of different or the same gender. They may involve persons having equal or unequal power, authority or influence. Though romantic and sexual relationships between persons of unequal power do not necessarily constitute sexual harassment, there is an inherent conflict of interest between making sexual overtures and exercising supervisory, educational, or other institutional authority. Decisions affecting an employee's job responsibilities, promotion, pay, benefits, or other terms or conditions of employment, or a student's grades, academic progress, evaluation, student status, recommendations, references, referrals, and opportunities for further study, employment or career advancement, must be made solely on the basis of merit. Examples of sexual harassment include, but are not limited to, the following, when they occur within the circumstances described in Section (3) above:
   1. use of gender-based verbal or written language offensive or degrading to a person of that gender, whether or not the content is sexual;
   2. inappropriate display of gender-based pictorial images offensive or degrading to a person of that gender, including but not limited to sexual posters, photographs, cartoons, drawings, or other displays of sexually suggestive objects or pictures;
   3. use of inappropriate gestures or body language of a sexual nature, including leering or staring at another;
   4. unwelcome requests or demands for sexual favors or unwelcome sexual advances;
   5. inappropriate nonconsensual touching of another's body, including but not limited to kissing, pinching, groping, fondling, or blocking normal movement; or
   6. Sexual Battery. (Note: some acts of sexual harassment may also constitute violations of criminal law, e.g., sexual battery, indecent exposure, sexual abuse, etc. In such instances, the Florida State University Police Department is to be notified immediately and will provide assistance to the victim and initiate an investigation of the crime. For additional information, please refer to the University's Sexual Battery Policy.)
5. Disciplinary and Other Actions. Sexual harassment is prohibited at The Florida State University. The University will take appropriate action against any person found to be in violation of this policy. (Note: a person who has sexually harassed another or retaliated against another may also be subject to civil or criminal liability under state or federal law.)
   1. Disciplinary Actions. Any employee who has sexually harassed another employee or a student, retaliated against such person for bringing a complaint of sexual harassment, or otherwise violated this policy shall be guilty of misconduct and subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal, in accordance with applicable law, rules, policies, and/or collective bargaining agreements. Any student, except when acting in the capacity of an employee, who has sexually harassed another student or an employee, retaliated against such person for bringing a complaint of sexual harassment, or otherwise violated this policy shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion, pursuant to the Student Code of Conduct. The term "employee" includes all persons employed by the University including faculty and graduate teaching assistants.
   2. Other Actions. The University will take such corrective action against any non-students or non-employees found to have violated this policy as may be appropriate under the circumstances.
6. Retaliation. Retaliation against one who in good faith brings a complaint of sexual harassment or who in good faith participates in the investigation of a sexual harassment complaint is prohibited and shall be a violation of this policy and shall constitute misconduct subject to disciplinary or other action as described in Section (5) above.
7. Filing of False Sexual Harassment Complaint. Knowingly filing a false sexual harassment complaint is prohibited and shall be a violation of this policy and shall constitute misconduct subject to disciplinary action as described in Section (5) above.
8. Reporting Required. Any student or employee who has witnessed what is perceived to be a violation of this policy should report that conduct to the Coordinator, who then will proceed as appropriate. Any supervisor¹ who has witnessed or becomes aware of the alleged occurrence of sexual harassment by, or who receives a complaint of sexual harassment involving, a person within that supervisor's purview is required to take prompt corrective action as appropriate, and to report the matter to the Coordinator. Failure of the supervisor to take appropriate corrective action or to report the incident shall be a violation of this policy and shall constitute misconduct subject to disciplinary action as described in Section (5) above.

   ¹ For the purposes of this policy, the term "supervisor" shall be deemed to include vice presidents, deans, directors, department chairs, unit heads, supervisors, principal investigators, etc.; faculty when acting in a supervisory capacity or within the faculty-student role; and graduate research assistants, teaching assistants, lab technicians, residence hall coordinators, etc.

9. Complaint Procedure.
   1. Filing of Complaint. Any student or employee who believes that he or she is a victim of sexual harassment in violation of this policy is encouraged to promptly notify the alleged perpetrator (the "respondent") verbally or in writing that his or her conduct is unwelcome. Such action may cause the unwelcome conduct to cease as well as help to maintain an environment free from sexual harassment. Assistance and support is available from the Office of the Dean of the Faculties (for faculty), the Office of the Dean of Students (for students), or the Department of Personnel Services (for non-faculty employees). Regardless of having given notice to the respondent, the student or employee (the "complainant") may initiate a complaint under this policy by bringing the matter to the attention, preferably in writing by completing the complaint form, of any of the following:
      • The Coordinator;
      • The Office of the Dean of the Faculties;
      • The Office of the Dean of Students;
      • The Department of Personnel Services;
      • A student's school or college dean; or,
      • An employee's immediate or next immediate supervisor.
   2. Contents of Complaint. The complaint should provide the following information to facilitate a prompt and thorough investigation:
      • The names, addresses, telephone numbers, administrative unit, and position or status of the complainant and the respondent, if known;
      • Specific acts alleged, including dates, times, and locations;
      • Names, addresses, and phone numbers of potential witnesses;
      • The effect the alleged acts have had on the complainant;
      • Actions the complainant may have taken to attempt to stop the harassment;
      • Complainant's suggestion of proposed action to address or resolve the harassment; and
      • Other information the complainant believes is relevant.
   3. Transmittal of Complaint to Coordinator. The complaint shall immediately be forwarded to the Coordinator. If the complaint is verbal, the person receiving the complaint shall make a written summary thereof on the complaint form and request the complainant to sign it.
   4. Initial Review of Complaint. The Coordinator will make an initial determination whether the alleged perpetrator is a student or employee. If the alleged perpetrator is identified as one who is not a student or employee, then the Coordinator will refer the matter to the Office of the General Counsel for appropriate action. If the Coordinator determines that the alleged perpetrator is a student or employee, the Coordinator will review the complaint to determine whether the acts complained of, as stated by the complainant, constitute a violation of this policy, and if not, the complainant will be so informed. If the Coordinator determines the alleged acts may constitute a violation of this policy, investigation will proceed as set forth in Section (10) below, unless the matter is satisfactorily resolved as in the following paragraph (e).
   5. Notification to Respondent and Supervisor; Informal Resolution; Withdrawal of Complaint. The Coordinator will notify the respondent and his or her appropriate supervisor of the allegations contained in the complaint and the complainant's suggestion of proposed action to address or resolve the alleged harassment. The respondent will be offered the opportunity to accept the complainant's proposed resolution or to propose another possible resolution. If the matter is thus resolved informally to the complainant's satisfaction, or if the complainant chooses to withdraw the complaint, the complainant will sign a statement releasing the University from taking any further action. If the matter is not resolved at this stage to the satisfaction of all parties, including the University, the complaint will be investigated as set forth in Section (10) below.
10. Investigation. The following procedures will govern all investigations of complaints alleging violations of this policy:
    1. The Coordinator will thoroughly investigate complaints alleging violations of this policy with the assistance, as needed, of the following: the Office of the Dean of the Faculties, the Department of Personnel Services, and/or the respondent's supervisor(s), except in cases where the respondent is a student. If the respondent is a student, the Coordinator will forward a copy of the complaint and any associated materials to the Office of the Dean of Students, which will, if appropriate, adjudicate the matter under the Code of Student Conduct. The Dean of Students will notify the Coordinator of the outcome.
    2. The investigation should include interviewing the complainant and witnesses suggested by the complainant who may have knowledge of the offending behavior.
    3. The respondent will be given an opportunity to respond to the complaint verbally and in writing and may suggest additional witnesses.
    4. The investigation should also include interviewing such other witnesses as are deemed appropriate under the circumstances.
    5. The investigation should include a review of any files and records of previous sexual harassment complaints against the respondent and any other documents deemed relevant.
    6. All witnesses who provide relevant information will be asked to submit a written, signed statement attesting to their knowledge of the subject circumstances.
    7. Confidentiality of the investigation will be maintained to the extent allowed by law.
11. Report of Coordinator. The Coordinator will prepare a report setting forth the Coordinator's findings, with relevant exhibits attached, as appropriate. The report will contain the Coordinator's conclusion as to whether this policy has been violated and include a recommendation as to whether disciplinary action should be initiated or the complaint should be dismissed. The report should be completed within 120 days following the filing of the complaint, where practicable, and will be submitted to the appropriate vice president of the respondent's unit or department.
12. Subsequent Action. The vice president will make a determination, upon review of the Coordinator's report, consultation with the Dean of the Faculties or the Director of Personnel Services, and consideration of any other relevant information, including aggravating or mitigating circumstances, whether disciplinary action is warranted under the circumstances. If the vice president determines that disciplinary action should be initiated, then, consistent with due process requirements, the respondent will be notified in accordance with applicable Board of Regents' and University rules and policies and collective bargaining agreements, and appropriate disciplinary procedures as provided for therein will be followed. Regardless of whether formal disciplinary action is initiated, the University may take such informal corrective action as may be appropriate under the circumstances. The vice president will notify the Coordinator of the outcome. The Coordinator will notify the complainant of the results of the investigation and subsequent disciplinary or other corrective action taken, if any, to the extent allowed by law.
13. Distribution of Policy. Copies of this policy shall be furnished to all current and future employees and students at The Florida State University, and will be made available in alternative format upon request. Any person involved in the process under this policy needing accommodations for a disability should notify the Coordinator.
14. Applicability. This policy supercedes any and all prior University policies regarding complaints of alleged acts of sexual harassment that occur after its effective date.
15. Effective Date. The effective date of this policy is July 1, 1998.

Mission Statement

Approved by BOR, July 28, 1988; updated 2000

Mission. The Florida State University is a comprehensive, graduate-research university with a liberal arts base. It offers undergraduate, graduate, advanced graduate, and professional programs of study; conducts extensive research, and provides service to the public in accord with its statewide mission. The University's primary role is to serve as a center for advanced graduate and professional studies while emphasizing research and providing excellence in undergraduate programs.

In accordance with the University's mission, faculty members have been selected for their commitment to excellence in teaching, their ability in research and creative activity, and their interest in public service. Among the faculty are recipients of many national and international honors, who have included four Nobel laureates and ten members of the National Academy of Sciences.

Given its history, location, and accomplishments, The Florida State University does not expect major changes in its mission during the next decade. Rather, it sees further refinement of that mission with concentration on its strong liberal arts base and on quality in its teaching, research, and public service. The University has established its reputation upon areas of strength by building excellence in the four components of the Science Development Program-physics, chemistry, psychobiology (now neuroscience), and statistics-together with the physical, biological, earth, and mathematical sciences closely related to them. Excellence in these and related areas, particularly materials science, resulted in relocation of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory to Florida State. Enhancement of the fine and performing arts began with the establishment of the Center for Music Research in the already prestigious School of Music and includes prominent programs in Theatre, Dance, and the Visual Arts. Within the areas of humanities, the Departments of English, Philosophy, Religion, and Humanities are particularly distinguished. Special emphasis in economic policy and government has been directed to the College of Social Sciences' Departments of Economics, Geography, Political Science, Urban and Regional Planning, and School of Public Administration and Policy and to its DeVoe L. Moore and Family Center for Economic Policy and Government and the public policy components of the School of Criminology, the School of Social Work, and the College of Education.

The University's location in the state's capital city provides great opportunity for service and interaction among governmental agencies and the social science and professional schools, especially the colleges of Business and Law and the Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy. Special resources, such as the School of Computational Science and Information Technology and the Florida State Conference Center, enhance its ability to deliver such service. The University is strongly committed to its mission in international education. It provides study-abroad opportunities for its students and faculty through the Florence, Valencia and London Study Centers, which it operates for the State University System, and through programs in Barbados, Costa Rica, Greece, the Republic of Panama, Switzerland, Russia, Cetamura, Italy, Oxford, England, Vietnam, and in Central and Eastern Europe. The University co-sponsors Florida bi-national linkage institutes in Costa Rica and France.

As a comprehensive residential state university, Florida State attracts students from every county in Florida, every state in the nation, and 131 foreign countries. The University is committed to high admission standards that ensure quality in its student body, which currently includes 348 National Merit, National Achievement, Hispanic scholars, as well as students with superior creative talents. It also provides alternative admission and highly successful retention programs for special student populations. Most students pursue a full-time course of study in normal progression from high school or undergraduate institutions. Graduate students, who comprise 18.5 percent of the student body, are enrolled in over 200 graduate degree programs of which 72, covering 134 fields, are doctoral. The median age of all students is 23.6 and approximately 13.8 percent, mostly graduate students, are over 31 years old.

A Summons to Responsible Freedom

Values and Moral Standards at The Florida State University

The moral norm which guides conduct and informs policy at The Florida State University is responsible freedom. Freedom is an important experience which the University, one of the freest of institutions, provides for all of its citizens: faculty, students, administrators, and staff. Freedom is responsibly exercised when it is directed by ethical standards.

As the Florida public university most deeply rooted in the liberal arts tradition, The Florida State University not only focuses on intellectual development, but as a community of moral discourse it also recognizes the need for the development of the whole person. The University maintains a comprehensive educational program ranging from classroom instruction to research and creative activities at the frontiers of human knowledge. These modes of searching for the truth are mutually enhancing and provide the context for the liberating experiences students gain from contact with ideas and individuals. Education based in the liberal arts provides an opportunity for students to learn to express themselves; to think critically both quantitatively and qualitatively; to gain an understanding of and respect for self and others; to understand the world by knowing more about its history, the role of science and technology, and social and cultural achievements; and to develop specialized talents for a vocation. This opportunity is provided with the conviction, as reflected in the University seal, that through such an educational experience one can come to a clearer understanding of the complex moral issues inherent in human life and can develop the knowledge and skills for effective and responsible participation in the world.

The Florida State University shares a commitment to the dignity and worth of each person and is guided in its many endeavors by that underlying value. Through academic activity, community involvement, social interaction, cultural experience, recreational and physical activity, and religious involvement, students find many avenues in the University community for the development of the whole person.

The University shares this society's commitment to the rule of law and expects members of the community to abide by the laws of the city, state, and nation, as well as University rules and regulations.

The University aspires to excellence in its core activities of teaching, learning, research, creative expression, and public service and is committed to the integrity of the academic process. The Academic Honor Code is a specific manifestation of this commitment. Truthfulness in one's claims and representations and honesty in one's activities are essential in life and vocation, and the realization of truthfulness and honesty is an intrinsic part of the educational process.

The University is a place of both assent and dissent and is committed to academic freedom and civil dialogue. In a free and vigorous academic community an ongoing clash of ideas is to be expected and encouraged. The University has a special obligation to see that all have an opportunity to be heard.

The Florida State University is committed to nondiscrimination in matters of race, creed, color, sex, national origin, age, and disability. This commitment applies in all areas with students, faculty, and other University personnel. It addresses recruiting, hiring, training, promotions, and applicable employment conditions. It is also relevant to those aspects of the University concerned with the choice of contractors, suppliers of goods and services, and with the use of University facilities. The University believes in equal opportunity practices which conform to both the spirit and the letter of all laws against discrimination.

A responsible student recognizes that freedom means the acknowledgment of responsibility to the following: to justice and public order; to fellow students' rights and interests; to the University, its rules, regulations, and accepted traditions; to parents, teachers, and all others whose support makes one's advanced education possible; to city, state, and national laws; to oneself; and to the opportunity for specialized training and continuing education toward the ends of personal fulfillment and social service. Students are urged to use their freedom in the University community to develop habits of responsibility which lead to the achievement of these personal and social values. Responsible student behavior requires observance of the Student Conduct Code, which is based on respect for the dignity and worth of each person and the requirements for successful community life.

Relations among all persons should be characterized by mutual respect and equality. Sexism, sexual harassment, and sexual coercion of any sort are wrong and constitute a violation of fundamental moral requirements and state law. Minimally responsible behavior requires that no one take sexual advantage of another.

The University enforces all laws relevant to alcohol and controlled substances and further strongly discourages the use of illegal substances at any time. The University disseminates and encourages the dissemination by others of information concerning the responsible use of alcohol.

The cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity of the University community provides an opportunity for learning about those different from oneself. The University expects each individual to make a special effort to ensure that all are treated with dignity and respect and accorded the full opportunities of the University. Racism, whether in assumptions, attitudes, acts, or policies, is incompatible with the concept of responsible freedom as espoused by The Florida State University.

The University is a compassionate community. In its treatment of students, it recognizes the wisdom both of letting students experience the consequences of their actions and of providing the opportunity to learn and grow in ways that can overcome past difficulties. The University provides ongoing student support through the health center, counseling services, and the academic advising process.

The university experience is a time for adventure, fun, excitement, the making of new friends, and the discovery of new possibilities. There are numerous individual and organized opportunities for students to develop and to learn in the course of their university years to exercise newly acquired freedom deliberately and responsibly.

Matriculation to The Florida State University, then, is a summons to the exercise of responsible freedom in a community of teaching, learning, and discovery.

Policy for the Use of Photographs and Videos in University Publications

The Florida State University randomly and routinely photographs and makes videos on the main campus, branch campi, and the international and departmental programs for educational and promotional purposes. These photographs and videos appear in official University publications and materials, which include but are not specifically limited to, General Bulletin (undergraduate and graduate), Directory of Classes, Office of Admissions brochures, international program materials, departmental and college brochures, University websites, and other University information publications. For further information contact Media Relations at 644-4030.

Integrity in Research and Creative Activity

It is the policy of The Florida State University to uphold the highest standards of integrity in research and creative activity, and to protect the right of its employees to engage in research and creative activity. Detailed policies and procedures can be found in the Faculty Handbook.

Notification to All Applicants for Admission and Students Attending The Florida State University

This General Bulletin is not a contract, either expressed or implied, between the University and the student, but represents a flexible program of the current curriculum, educational plans, offerings and requirements which may be altered from time to time to carry out the administrative, academic and procedural purposes and objectives of the University. The University specifically reserves the right to change, delete or add to any provision, offering, academic curriculum, program or requirement at any time within the student's period of study at the University. The University further reserves the right to withdraw a student from the University for cause at any time. Students are on notice that admission to the University or registration for a given semester does not guarantee the availability of a course at any specific time. Likewise, admission to the University or registration for a given program of study within the University, or a department or college of the University, is not a guarantee of a degree or of certification in a program.

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