Policies and Regulations

The policies and regulations included here are only a portion of the official policies and regulations of Middlesex Community College. MCC has regulations in place regarding alcoholic beverages, drugs and animals on campus, bomb threats, posting items on campus bulletin boards, false fire alarms, gambling, hazing, solicitation, trespassing and campus visitors.  

Consult the Student Handbook, available on the college website (www.middlesex.mass.edu/StudentHandbook), for complete listings of college policies and regulations. (For reader convenience, the subjects included here are listed in alphabetical order.) Due process is accorded to students in the event of any alleged violation of college regulations. 

Policies and procedures have been developed at the college to aid in the prevention of sexual assault. Copies of these procedures, along with campus security procedures and crime awareness statistics, are available in the Campus Managers’ Offices in Bedford and Lowell, various public locations throughout the campuses or on the college website at https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/disclosurestatements/offender.aspx.

In accordance with federal law, the college is required to advise the campus community where information concerning registered sex offenders may be obtained. Information concerning Level 2 and Level 3 offenders is available to the general public by contacting your local police department or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Sex Offender Registry Board, P.O. Box 4547, Salem, MA 01970-4547, 978-740-6400. Level 3 offender information is also available online at www.mass.gov/sorb. If you have any questions regarding access to sex offender information, please feel free to contact the Campus Managers on each campus.  

In case of a campus emergency, phone calls to the following numbers can be dialed from any college common-area or office phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week:

• Police-Fire-Medical assistance dial 911
• For all other assistance, dial (extension) 6224 (MCCHelp line)

For increased safety, it is recommended that the following number be added to your cell phone directory: 1-800-945-1030 (for MCCHelp line).

When you call in an emergency, please be sure to tell the operator the following:

1. Who you are.
2. The nature of your call.
3. The location of the emergency.
4.  The telephone extension from which you are calling.

The appropriate numbers are posted on all office telephones, all common-area telephones, in all elevator lobbies, and on bulletin boards. 

Middlesex Community College’s audited financial information is included as part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. Requests for financial information should be addressed to the Office of the Chief Fiscal Officer, Middlesex Community College, 33 Kearney Square, Lowell, MA 01852.

It is the policy of Middlesex Community College to prohibit the possession, display of, or attempt or threat to use unauthorized firearms, knives or other weapons on campus also including, but not limited to explosives, ammunition, replica or facsimile weapons, or objects not originally intended as a weapon, but used as such or to imitate a weapon.

This policy does not prohibit small quantity personal protection chemical spray devices (e.g., key-chain sprays) intended for defensive purposes, or tools possessed and used by employees in accordance with departmental policies, uniformed law-enforcement officials, armored-car couriers, or others specifically authorized by the College.  

The Middlesex Community College Institutional Review Board (IRB) supports the research endeavors of students, faculty and staff. The IRB has responsibility to oversee procedures for carrying out MCC’s commitment to protect human subjects in research. The IRB is charged with evaluating each project’s compliance with ethical standards in regard to issues such as informed consent, confidentiality and risk to participants. Any research involving the use of human subjects requires review by the IRB. Those individuals seeking to conduct such research may not solicit subject participation or begin data collection until they have obtained clearance by the IRB.

The MCC IRB Charter and Standard Operating Procedures, meeting dates and all application forms can be found on the IRB’s website at www.middlesex.mass.edu/IRB. If you have questions regarding the IRB or human subject research, contact the IRB Chair at 781-280-3660 or irb@middlesex.mass.edu.

Community Colleges recognize the multitude of barriers that confront disabled persons in employment and in access to education. Consistent with state and federal statutes, which affirm and protect the equal opportunity rights of disabled persons, the Community Colleges adopted a policy to ensure nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for disabled persons. In all matters of employment, disabled persons will receive full and fair consideration.

The Community Colleges will take constructive measures to ensure equal opportunity in all areas of employment including recruitment, selection, upgrading, opportunities for training and development, rate of compensation, benefits and all other terms and conditions of employment. The establishment of goals and timetables is not required.

Necessary reasonable accommodations will be afforded to any disabled employee to enable such otherwise qualified disabled employee to perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations will also be afforded to disabled applicants for available positions. Any reasonable accommodations provided by the Colleges will be provided to the extent that such accommodations do not impose any undue hardship on the Colleges in the conduct of their operations.

Specific efforts to be undertaken by the Colleges to ensure equal opportunity for disabled persons may be outlined in individual College Affirmative Action Plans. It is recognized that all facilities may not be available and accessible at a particular time.  

The Community Colleges will also continuously examine all policies and programs of the institution regarding students to ensure that such policies and programs do not operate in a manner discriminatory to disabled persons. Where such policies or programs are determined to have an adverse impact on disabled persons, appropriate remedial action will be mandated by the President. In addition, the Colleges will conduct monitoring activities to ensure that all divisions or departments within the College are in compliance with the policy of providing reasonable accommodation to disabled students.

Inquiries and requests related to 504/ADA should be directed to Susan Woods, ADA Coordinator and Director of Disability Support Services, 781-280-3641, Bedford campus, Enrollment Center (Building 9), Room 204.

Pluralism

Middlesex Community College is a contributing element to the emergence of our nation as one of the most technologically and economically advanced societies of the world. The important role that MCC can play is profoundly dependent upon the extent to which it may draw from the collective intellectual resources within its community of scholars, students and administrators. Any condition or force that impedes the fullest utilization of the human and intellectual resources available represents a force of destructive consequence for the development of our commonwealth and, ultimately, our nation.

Middlesex Community College students, faculty, staff and visitors must be free from conduct that has the purpose or effect of interfering with an individual’s academic or professional performance and creating an intimidating, hostile or demeaning educational or employment environment. Therefore, Middlesex Community College establishes a policy of unequivocal condemnation of all forms of ethnic, religious, cultural or racial intolerance.

This policy condemns all conditions and all actions or omissions, including all acts of verbal harassment or abuse, which deny or have the effect of denying to an individual his/her rights to equality, dignity and security in violation of his/her rights guaranteed under the law. The policy reaffirms the doctrine of civility, appreciation for pluralism and the pre-eminence of individual human dignity as preconditions to the achievement of an academic community that recognizes and utilizes the resources of all persons while recognizing and reaffirming the tenets of academic freedom. Middlesex Community College recognizes its obligation to protect the rights of free inquiry and expression, and nothing herein shall be construed or applied so as to abridge the exercise of rights under the Constitution of the United States and other federal and state laws.

Middlesex Community College will vigorously strive to achieve diversity sufficiently reflective of our society.  However, diversity alone will not suffice. There must be a unity and cohesion in the diversity which we seek to achieve, thereby creating an environment of pluralism.

Middlesex Community College bears a responsibility by edict and an obligation by social morality to promote understanding and acceptance of ethnic, cultural, religious and racial diversity as we strive to create an atmosphere of dignity for all individuals and groups within our system of public higher education. The President will take reasonable measures to prevent and discourage harassment and will act positively to investigate alleged harassment and to effect a remedy or resolution when an allegation is determined to be valid.

When students or employees feel their rights have been breached under this policy, the grievance process under the Affirmative action Plan is a mechanism for resolution unless it is a student grade appeal (See Grievance Procedure section in the Student Handbook). The Affirmative Action plan is available in the College Libraries, Human Resources, on the college website (www.middlesex.mass.edu/DiversityAndEquityAffairs) or from Darcy Orellana, Assistant Director of Human Resources and Affirmative Action Officer, at 781-280-3559, Bedford Campus, Enrollment Center Building (Building 9), Room 107, orellanad@middlesex.mass.edu.  All inquiries and complaints concerning discrimination prohibited by the Affirmative Action Plan should be directed to Judith Wong, Associate Director of Human Resources, 781-280-3536, Bedford Campus, Cataldo Administration Building, Room 118, wongju@middlesex.mass.edu.

Affirmative Action

Middlesex Community College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer in compliance with Title IX and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, veteran status, religion, or handicap status in its education programs or in admission to, access to, treatment in or employment in its programs or activities as required by Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972; Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Middlesex Community College admits students of any age, sex, race, color, national and ethnic origin, veteran status or handicap status regardless of ancestry, religion, or sexual orientation to all programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the College. It does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, color, national and ethnic origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, veteran status, religion or handicap status in the administration of its educational policies, scholarships, and loan programs.

All inquiries related to affirmative action, nondiscrimination and diversity, including Title VI and Title IX, should be directed to Darcy Orellana, Assistant Director of Human Resources and Affirmative Action Officer, 781-280-3559, Bedford Campus Enrollment Center (Building 9), Room 107. All Inquiries and complaints concerning discrimination prohibited by the Affirmative Action Plan should be directed to Judith Wong, Associate Director of Human Resources, 781-280-3536, Bedford Campus, Cataldo Administration Building, Room 118, wongju@middlesex.mass.edu.

For purposes of filing federal-level charges of discrimination under Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments, Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act or Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, students may contact the Federal Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 8th Floor, 5 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109-3921, or call 617-289-0111 TDD: 877-521-2172.   

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment of a student, an employee or any other person in the College is unlawful, unacceptable, impermissible and intolerable.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination. It occurs in a variety of situations which share a common element: the inappropriate introduction of sexual activities or comments into the work or learning environment. Often, sexual harassment involves relationships of unequal power and contains elements of coercion, as when compliance with requests for sexual favors becomes a criterion for granting work, study or grading benefits. However, sexual harassment may also involve relationships among equals, as when repeated sexual advances or demeaning verbal behaviors have a harmful effect on a person’s ability to study or work in the academic setting.

For general purposes, sexual harassment may be described as unwelcome advances, requests for sexual favors, and other physical conduct and expressive behavior of a sexual nature when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment or education;  (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for academic or employment decisions affecting that individual; or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s academic or professional performance and creating an intimidating, hostile, or demeaning employment or educational environment. Examples of conduct which may, depending on the circumstances, constitute sexual harassment, include:

• repeated offensive sexual flirtation, advances or propositions; 

• continued or repeated verbal abuse or innuendo of a sexual nature;

• uninvited physical contact such as touching, hugging, patting or pinching;

• display of sexually suggestive objects or pictures, jokes or remarks of a sexual nature in front of people who find them offensive;

• making obscene gestures or suggestions or insulting sounds, indecent exposure;

• the demand of sexual favors accompanied by an implied or overt threat concerning an individual’s employment or student status or promises of preferential treatment.

In addition to sexual harassment being unlawful, it is also unlawful to retaliate against a student, employee or any other person in the College for filing a complaint of sexual harassment or for cooperating in an investigation of sexual harassment.

A student, employee or any other person in the College who is found to have engaged in sexual harassment is subject to discipline up to and including, termination of employment or expulsion. All disciplinary proceedings will be conducted in accordance with applicable collective bargaining agreements and/or personnel polices.

When students or employees feel their rights have been breached under this policy, the grievance process under the Affirmative action Plan is a mechanism for resolution unless it is a student grade appeal (See Grievance Procedure section in the Student Handbook). The Affirmative Action plan is available in the College Libraries, Human Resources, on the college website (www.middlesex.mass.edu/DiversityAndEquityAffairs) or from Darcy Orellana, Assistant Director of Human Resources and Affirmative Action Officer, at 781-280-3559, Bedford Campus, Enrollment Center Building (Building 9), Room 107, orellanad@middlesex.mass.edu.  All inquiries and complaints concerning discrimination prohibited by the Affirmative Action Plan should be directed to Judith Wong, Associate Director of Human Resources, 781-280-3536, Bedford Campus, Cataldo Administration Building, Room 118, wongju@middlesex.mass.edu.

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) is responsible for investigating and handling complaints of sexual harassment filed in the Commonwealth. The MCAD is located at 1 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA  02108-1518, and can be reached at 617-994-6000.

 At the federal level, for employment situations, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is charged with investigating and handling complaints of sexual harassment filed under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments. The EEOC is located at the J.F. Kennedy Federal Building, 475 Government Center, Boston, MA 02203, or call 1-800-669-4000 TYY: 800-669-6820. In keeping with these regulations, a concerted effort will be made to protect employees, students and others from sexual harassment as defined. For the purposes of filing federal-level charges of discrimination under Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments, Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act or Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, not involving employment, students may contact the Federal Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 8th floor, 5 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109-3921, or call 617-289-0111, TDD: 877-521-2172.  

The final authority and ultimate responsibility for the prevention of sexual harassment will rest with the President of the College. The President or his/her designee will take reasonable measures to prevent sexual harassment and will act positively to investigate alleged harassment and to effect a remedy when an allegation is determined to be valid, whether or not a formal grievance has been filed. However, the Affirmative Action Officer will have the responsibility for the overall development, administration and monitoring of all programs, policies, procedures and regulations related to sexual harassment.

The College’s policies and procedures on sexual harassment shall be distributed to all College community members. In addition to formal procedures, the College shall ensure that appropriate opportunities are available to students and employees to obtain counseling concerning their rights under the law and effective means of informally resolving grievances.

On Nov. 8, 1990, Congress enacted the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 under Public Law 101-542, Title II. This act requires that institutions of higher education receiving federal funding collect information with respect to crime statistics and campus security policies and, beginning September 1992, prepare, publish and distribute an annual security report.

Middlesex Community College, in accordance with legal mandates and its philosophy of establishing and maintaining an environment of learning and a supportive climate in which to conduct the business and mission of the college, provides this information to the college community through the Campus Managers’ Offices in Lowell and Bedford, and the MCC website: https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/disclosurestatements/offender.aspx.  

In concert with the Massachusetts Smoke-Free Workplace Law, MCC has developed a policy to protect employees, students and visitors from health hazards resulting from exposure to secondhand smoke. This policy applies to all people on MCC campuses, including, but not limited to, students, faculty, staff, visitors and contractors.

Smoking is prohibited in all facilities and work areas, including, but not limited to, common and private work areas, elevators, hallways, restrooms, cafeterias, employee lounges, and all other enclosed or outdoor work areas. In addition, smoking is prohibited in all vehicles owned, operated or controlled by MCC.

The law allows for smoking in an outdoor space, provided that the outdoor space is physically separated. Smoking is prohibited outdoors within fifty (50) feet of any building doorway or, if necessary because of architectural characteristics, within a specifically designated area abutting a building. All smoking materials must be disposed of in appropriate receptacles. Compliance with this policy is mandatory. All members of the MCC community are expected to respect the rights of others, and the rules of the College. Violations of this policy may be reported to campus security and managers. Sanctions may be applied for violations of this policy, including but not limited to disciplinary action. 

 Middlesex Community  College is governed by the Massachusetts Trespass Act which states in part that whoever willfully trespasses upon land or premises belonging to the Commonwealth, or to any authority established by the general court for purposes incidental to higher education, or whoever after notice from an officer of any said institution to leave said land, remains thereon, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $50 or imprisonment for not more than three months.   

 Visitors and guests are expected to abide by the rules and regulations established by the college.   

Access to computer systems and networks owned or operated by Middlesex Community College imposes certain responsibilities and obligations and is granted subject to College policies, and local, state and federal laws. Acceptable use always is ethical, reflects academic honesty, and shows restraint in the consumption of shared resources. It demonstrates respect for intellectual property, ownership of data, system security mechanisms, and individual rights to privacy.

Users shall have no expectation of privacy when using College computer resources, including e-mail. Users should be aware that the President of the college has authorized network administrators to monitor network traffic in order to ensure proper network operations. The President may also authorize the network administrator to inspect any user’s computer, any data contained in it, and any data, including e-mail communications, sent or received by that computer, on a case-by-case basis.    

In making acceptable use of resources you MUST: 

• Use resources only for College business, for purposes authorized by the College.
• Be responsible for all activities on your user ID or that originate from your system that result from your negligent failure to protect your user ID or to protect against such unauthorized use.
• Access only files and data that are your own, that are publicly available, or to which you have authorized access.
• Be sensitive to concerns of the taxpayers who support us. Obscene sites are off-limits; College resources may not be used to access them.
• Use only legal versions of copyrighted software in compliance with vendor license requirements.
• Be considerate in your use of shared resources. Refrain from monopolizing systems, overloading networks with excessive data, or wasting computer time, disk space, printer paper, manuals, or other resources.

 In making acceptable use of resources you MUST NOT:

• Use another person’s system, user ID, password, files, or data without permission.
• Use computer programs to decode passwords or access control information.
• Download or display obscene material.
• Circumvent or subvert or attempt to circumvent or subvert system or network security measures.
• Engage in any activity that might be harmful to systems or to any information stored thereon, such as creating or propagating viruses, disrupting services, or damaging files.
• Use College systems for commercial or partisan political purposes, such as using electronic mail to circulate advertising for products, for political candidates or for any profit-making company or enterprise.
• Make or use illegal copies of copyrighted software, store such copies on College systems, or transmit them over College Resources.
• Unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, may subject students to civil and criminal liabilities.*
• Download any on-line software without authorization of the Chief Technology Officer and the Director of Technology, Support Services or their designees.
• Use the network for purposes which place a heavy load on scarce resources.
• (No member of the College community may), under any circumstances, use Middlesex Community College’s computers or networks to libel, slander, or harass any other person.  The following shall constitute Computer Harassment: (1) Intentionally using the computer to annoy, harass, terrify, intimidate, threaten, offend or bother another person by conveying obscene language, pictures, or other materials or threats of bodily harm to the recipient or the recipient’s immediate family; (2) Intentionally using the computer to contact another person repeatedly with the intent to annoy, harass, or bother, whether or not any actual message is communicated, and/or where no purpose of legitimate communication exists and where the recipient has expressed a desire for the communication to cease; (3) Intentionally using the computer to contact another person repeatedly regarding a matter for which one does not have a legal right to communicate, once the recipient has provided reasonable notice that he or she desires such communication to cease (such as debt collection); (4) Intentionally using the computer to disrupt or damage the academic research, administrative, or related pursuits of another; (5)Intentionally using the computer to invade the privacy, academic or otherwise, of another or the threatened invasion of privacy of another.
• Waste computing resources, for example, by intentionally placing a program in an endless loop or by printing excessive amounts of paper.
• Use the College’s systems or networks for personal gain; for example, by selling access to your user ID or to College systems or networks, or by performing work for profit with College resources in a manner not authorized by the College.
• Use the College’s systems or networks to transmit any material in violation of United States or Massachusetts laws or regulations.
• Engage in any other activity that does not comply with the General Principles presented above.
   

The College provides Users with electronic mail communication. E-mail communication is intended primarily for educational and College business-related communications and shall be used by all faculty, staff and administrators in a manner consistent with this policy. 

Student e-mail accounts will be created for each new student upon registration. Students are encouraged to use and check their College e-mail account regularly. Important College information will be communicated to students through the student e-mail system. The College will not allow students to update their e-mail addresses with private or other e-mail addresses, but they can forward their MCC e-mail to another e-mail account. Only the assigned College e-mail address will be used by the College for e-mail communications with students. Incidental use of College e-mail is permitted when the use does not interfere with College operations and is in compliance with this policy.

The use of all College computer resources for social-media activities, including but not limited to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, blogs or other form of social media, shall comply with this policy. Use of the College’s computer resources by faculty and staff for personal social-media activities is prohibited. Use of the College’s computer resources by students for educational and social activities consistent with the College’s mission shall comply with this policy.

The College encourages interaction from Facebook users but is not responsible for comments or wall postings made by visitors to the page. Comments posted also do not in any way reflect the opinions or policies of the College. The College is not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the posting of any information on this page. The College reserves the right, but assumes no obligation, to edit or remove any posts and to block or remove members from the group. Posts promoting commercial or political activities or other non-College related ventures are prohibited. 

In the course of performing their jobs, College employees often have access to confidential or proprietary information, such as personal data about identifiable individuals, student record information, or commercial information about business organizations. Under no circumstances may employees acquire access to confidential data unless such access is required by their jobs. Under no circumstances may employees disseminate any confidential information that they have rightful access to, unless such dissemination is required by their jobs. These restrictions are in addition to restrictions or prohibitions on the release of confidential information contained under state or federal law.

College officials will review alleged violations of acceptable use policies on a case-by-case basis. Violations of policy will result in appropriate actions such as:loss of electronic mail privilege, loss of computer privilege, consideration of appropriate disciplinary measures and/or referral to appropriate authorities responsible for enforcing state and federal laws concerning computer.

Users who breach this code of practice may, after due process, be refused access to the College’s computer and communications networks and may be subject to further disciplinary action. In an emergency, in order to prevent further possible unauthorized activity, the College may temporarily disconnect that user from the network. If this is deemed necessary by College staff, every effort will be made to inform the user prior to the disconnection, and every effort will be made to re-establish the connection as soon as the College determines it is appropriate.

Breaches of this Computer and Network Usage Policy will be referred to appropriate administrators for consideration of discipline in accordance with applicable disciplinary policy and procedures. The College considers any violation of acceptable use of principles or guidelines to be a serious offense and reserves the right to copy and examine any files or information resident on College systems allegedly relating to unacceptable use.

Violators are subject to disciplinary action as prescribed in student and employee policies, handbooks, or contracts. Offenders also may be prosecuted under laws including (but not limited to) the Privacy Protection Act of 1974, The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986, The Computer Virus Eradication Act of 1989, Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1223g), Massachusetts Wiretap Statute (G.L. c.272, Section 99), Massachusetts Privacy Statute (G.L. c 214, Section 1B), Copyright Infringement laws (17 U.S.C. Section 101 et seq.), the Communications Decency Act of 1996 [47 U.S.C. Section 223 (d) - (h)], and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (18 U.S.C. Sections 2510-21, 2701-10, 3121-27). Access to the text of these laws is available through the Reference Department of the Library of Middlesex Community College.