Student rights and responsibilities
All students enrolled through TAFE Queensland have rights and responsibilities.
Rights
Students have the right to:
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be treated fairly and with respect
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learn in a supportive and safe environment, free of discrimination and harassment
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have access to counselling and support services
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have personal records kept private, subject to statutory requirements
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have access to their personal records on request
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be given information about assessment procedures at the beginning of study
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have existing skills and knowledge recognised
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receive feedback on academic progress
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appeal academic decisions or procedural matters
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make a complaint to or about any staff member without fear of victimisation
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have complaints dealt with fairly, promptly, confidentially and without retribution.
Responsibilities
Communication and interaction
Study
Safety
Confidentiality
Dress code
Institute environment
Children on Institute premises
Compliance with legislation and policies
Alcohol on Institute premises
Drugs on Institute premises
Animal use
Safety
Smoking
Copyright
Anti-discrimination
Appropriate use of computing and electronic resources
Communication and interaction
When communicating and interacting with TAFE staff and other students in person, by letter, fax, telephone, email, via online conferencing, videoconferencing or teleconferencing, students have a responsibility to:
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treat people with respect and fairness regardless of their background or culture
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show respect for others by not swearing, using obscenities or making offensive remarks
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not do anything that could offend, embarrass or threaten others
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not harass or disrupt others in the performance of their duties or studies
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avoid unacceptable behaviour i.e. aggressive, threatening or abusive behaviour (including bullying or harassment)
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respect and not damage or steal property of the institute or of other persons
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not make false statements in regard to your student status or representation as a student or entitlements as a student.
Study
Students have a responsibility to ensure that they:
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attend class on time
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achieve satisfactory academic progress and maintain participation or attendance as required
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complete all assessment tasks by the due date (where a date is specified) or request an extension of time if there are exceptional circumstances
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complete all assessment tasks and examinations honestly, without any form of cheating
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not submit and claim as own, work derived from another source or work done by another person
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return or renew library resources or other borrowed materials and equipment on time as stated in the library policy.
Safety
The Workplace Health & Safety Act 1995 applies to all staff and students of TAFE Queensland. All staff and students have a responsibility to ensure that they work safely, without risk of injury to themselves or people around them. When using or working near machinery. students are required to observe standard safety practices including wearing approved clothing and protective equipment. The teacher will advise of the safety requirements for the class. All machinery is to be used in accordance with these safety procedures.
When on TAFE premises or any premises used by TAFE, or work experience, industry or vocational placement, students are expected to:
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follow any safety practices required; wear approved clothing and protective equipment and follow directions, both written and spoken as directed by TAFE staff or the employer. Students are entitled to challenge, respectfully, directions or decisions if they appear to be unlawful or unreasonable or endanger a person's health or safety
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not enter these premises with illegal drugs, alcohol, and weapons or be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Confidentiality
Students may be required to attend practical work placements as part of their studies. During these placements, students may become familiar with information that is confidential to that workplace and must therefore not divulge any such information. Breaches of confidentiality are considered to be an act of misconduct.
Dress code
TAFE is an adult learning environment that prepares you for business and industry, as well as for further career-related training. Students are therefore expected to dress in a manner that is neat, clean and safe at all times, as would be expected in the workplace. There is no desire on the part of TAFE Queensland to make dress standards too rigid. However, within the institute and while on field practice, students should:
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be adequately clothed in accordance with occupational health and safety requirements, wearing all personal protective equipment and/or clothing required in the program
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wear appropriate footwear at all times
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not wear clothing that is likely to offend others in terms of its lack of decency, modesty or cleanliness
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not wear clothing that is likely to offend others because of slogans, cartoons, or any symbol or graphic worn to provoke, intimidate, condemn or ridicule others
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not wear dark glasses in the classroom unless they are required for medical reasons
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not wear motorcycle helmets in TAFE buildings.
Note: It is not permitted for anyone to enter the institute grounds or buildings with bare feet.
Institute environment
Students are required to assist in maintaining serviceable facilities and equipment by:
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reporting breakage and/or faults with equipment to the teacher, or the institute administration
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leaving classrooms, workshops and laboratories neat and tidy after classes and tutorials and ensuring equipment and tools are cleaned and correctly stored
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not using or installing unlicensed software on institute computers and checking all floppy discs for viruses before use on institute computers.
Children on institute premises
In particular circumstances, provision may be made for a student who is the parent/guardian of a young child to allow the child to accompany the parent to class under specific circumstances. Any decision to allow a child to accompany a student must be arranged with the teacher and documented prior to classes commencing.
For safety reasons, children are not permitted in workshops, laboratories and specific areas where physical hazards are apparent, and where there is no provision to prevent the child's access to these hazards.
As a parent/guardian, students should also consider whether the content of a particular class/es is appropriate for a child, for example content that refers to drug use or domestic violence.
If the teacher considers that the child is disrupting the class, the parent/guardian may be asked to leave.
Note: Sick children should not be brought to class and children with a contagious illness are not permitted on institute premises.
Compliance with legislation and policies
Students of TAFE Queensland are required to abide by State and Commonwealth legislation, policies and TAFE Queensland rules.
Alcohol on institute premises
Students are not allowed on institute premises or to use institute facilities when under the influence of alcohol. Consumption of alcohol on institute premises, other than at an authorised function, is prohibited. No person under the age of 18 may consume alcohol on the premises.
Drugs on institute premises
The possession, use and sale of illegal drugs or controlled substances (including stimulants, depressants, narcotics, hallucinogens or marijuana) on institute premises is against the law and will be reported to the police. If students are taking prescription medication, it is important to ensure that this does not affect their safety or that of others, in particular, when operating machinery.
Weapons on Institute premises
Students are not to bring knives, guns or other weapons on institute premises. It is an offence under the Weapons Act 1990 to be in possession of a knife or other weapon in a public place or an educational facility, unless the weapon is to be used for educational purposes, for example, possession of a knife for butchery or cooking training.
It is not a reasonable excuse to possess a weapon for self-defence purposes. Any threats to staff, students, animals or property will be reported to the police immediately.
Animal use
Animals are used in some programs delivered by TAFE Queensland such as veterinary nursing, rural studies, and environmental practices. The use of animals for teaching is covered by the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001. TAFE Queensland is a registered user under the Act. The Animal Ethics Committee approves the use of animals for teaching purposes. Animals can only be used for the purpose approved by the Committee. There are strict penalties for animal cruelty and unauthorised use of animals.
Smoking
The Queensland Government Smoking Policy prohibits smoking in or around residential buildings and offices that are either owned or leased by the Queensland Government or in Queensland Government motor vehicles. Smoking is permitted in designated areas.
Copyright
Students may only copy materials in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. The act also applies to information published on the internet. The act requires copyright royalty payments for the reproduction of a considerable amount of published material, notably books. For study and research purposes students are allowed to copy 10% or one chapter of a book or one article per issue of a journal. More extensive reproduction may be possible; check with library staff.
Students must comply with licences for the use of intellectual property, including software. All software loaded onto institute computers or provided by the institute is licensed and there is no permission to copy software unless permitted by the licence.
For further information regarding copyright obligations, please contact the institute librarian or refer to the Australian Copyright Council website: www.copyright.org.au.
Anti-discrimination
Discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favourably than another person because of perceived attributes such as race, pregnancy, gender or disability. Discrimination whether direct or indirect is unlawful under the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act 1991.
Appropriate use of computing and electronic resources
TAFE Queensland recognises that computing and electronic resources are a valuable source of learning and information relevant to educational programs. Students are encouraged to make use of these resources for purposes relating to study being undertaken through TAFE Queensland. TAFE computing and electronic resources are not to be used for purposes other than for program requirements unless otherwise noted.
It is each student's responsibility to adhere to the Guidelines for Appropriate Use of Computing and Electronic Resources and the TAFE Queensland Internet Access Agreement. These documents are also available from the institute library.
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