Appendix P: Additional Miscellaneous Policies

Account Termination Policy

This policy governs the disposition of Centre College constituent accounts precipitated by a change in status. College accounts enable user access to a variety of systems and capabilities. Once an employee or student’s account is terminated they will lose access to the following key systems:

• Microsoft Exchange Email and Office 365 Online
  o Includes OneDrive, Teams, Sharepoint, etc
• Google Documents
• Moodle
• Centrenet and any other SSO enabled sites
• Desktop login on Center College computers

Employees

• Staff who leave College employment for any reason other than termination: account will be closed 30 days following the last date of employment (per HR records).
• Faculty who leave the College at the conclusion of Spring Term: account will be terminated on September 1 of the same calendar year, allowing the individual time to establish an account at the new institution or place of employment.
• Faculty who leave the College, for any reason, during the academic year other than at the conclusion of Spring Term: account will be terminated 30 days following the last date of employment/termination date (per HR records).
•  It is a staff/employee responsibility to transfer any information on to other employees before their account is expired.
• Faculty and staff who retire from the College and who are designated with Emeriti status or who retire with a minimum of 15 years of continuous active service (as defined for Years of Service awards): account remains active and is not terminated.
• Note: Individuals whose account remain active will continue to have membership on the appropriate distribution list unless the individual specifically requests to be removed from said list. Only Centre College email addresses are included in distribution lists.
• Retired and Emeriti employee accounts which are inactive for a period of two years or more will be reviewed by ITS and HR for possible removal.
• Retired employee must still meet all security requirements levied by ITS as well as maintain compliance with Centre Colleges acceptable use policy. Using your Centre email as the primary account for a second job or to run a business is expressly prohibited.
•  Any exception to this policy must be approved by the appropriate Senior Staff official.
  

Students

• Students who complete graduation requirements from the College: account remain active until June 1 one year following the completion of their course of study.
• Students who voluntarily withdraw from the College prior to graduation: account will be terminated 30 days following the last date of enrollment (per Registrar’s Office records).
• Students who are suspended, either for academic or disciplinary reasons, and are eligible to apply for readmission: account will be terminated 270 days following the effective date of the suspension (per Registrar’s Office records) if the student has not been readmitted to the College.
• Students with an approved Leave of Absence: account remains active pending individual’s return to regular enrollment.

Early Terminations

Center College retains the right to immediately remove any employee or student access to college provided IT systems or equipment for any reason deemed to be in the best interest of the college. Requests for immediate termination will be coordinated with ITS through:

Employees: Human Resources and Legal Office
Students: Dean of Student Life and Legal Office

Individuals whose account is terminated will coordinate any appeals through the offices listed above.

Inclement Weather Policy

As a highly residential campus, the College seeks to maintain normal operations during inclement weather while working to maintain the safety of students and personnel.

In times of inclement weather, the Department of Public Safety and the Dean’s Office will communicate with all personnel in a timely manner to determine if road conditions warrant special action. The College will communicate to the campus which of the following plans will be followed:

A. Normal operations.

B. A two-hour delay for opening offices (10 a.m.) to allow facilities management employees to undertake safety preparations, such as clearing walkways and steps of ice/snow. Faculty members should plan to teach remotely during the normally scheduled class period. Faculty members may also communicate with their students if afternoon labs or classes will be expected to meet in-person.

C. Remote work from home is expected except for those performing critical services (see below). Those unable to work from home and cannot make it to campus will utilize a PTO day. Faculty members should plan to teach remotely for classes and labs held that day.

For the purposes of this policy, employees who perform critical services for the support of students and the College during inclement weather will be expected to come to work at their normal work time. Those who fall under critical services for the purpose of this policy are public safety officers and facilities management staff along with specified personnel (i.e. Student life and library). Supervisors of employees who perform critical services during inclement weather are responsible for communicating attendance expectations in advance. If the College is on Plan C, those employees working in critical services will be offered housing, meals, and transportation to campus (as applicable). Those who are paid on an hourly basis will be paid at time-and-a-half based on their normal work schedule for the day.

Centre College Contracting Policy

PURPOSE: This policy is intended to help the College’s contract managers identify potentially problematic issues raised by the contracts entered into to further the College’s business. While the decentralized negotiating and signing of contracts offer a high level of efficiency in College business affairs, all contract managers should adhere to certain College standards of practice and should be alert to provisions in contracts that pose an unreasonably high level of risk to the College and its employees or students. This policy also helps contract managers identify situations where they need to consult the College’s legal counsel prior to entering into a contract.

CONTRACTING AUTHORITY: The Board of Trustees of the College has assigned to the President all the authority, with a few exceptions, to enter into contracts on behalf of the College. The President, in turn, has delegated to various officers and administrators around campus the authority to contract on behalf of the College within their spheres of business. Some delegations are in writing, while others are by nature of the job function performed. Anyone considering a contract on behalf of Centre must determine, prior to entering into the contract, whether he or she has the proper authority.

REVIEW OF THE CONTRACT: The contract manager should read through the entire contract and all attachments very carefully to understand exactly what is being offered as an agreement. The manager should be sure that:

• the contract fully and accurately describes the relationship, product, or service desired by the College;
• the employee most knowledgeable about the subject matter of the contract has, at a minimum, reviewed the contract;
• all attachments, appendices, charts, and schedules that are incorporated into the contract or that should be attached are indeed attached and satisfactory;
• he or she understands all the terminology used and how it applies to the contract;
• he or she understands how the contract can be terminated, by whom, under what circumstances, and with what result;
• he or she understands how any disputes arising under the contract will be resolved; and
• all deadlines and schedules for payments, renewals, etc., will be tracked and observed by the appropriate College person.

CONTRACTS THAT REQUIRE REVIEW BY THE COLLEGE COUNSEL: While legal review might be advisable for many reasons, any contract where any of the following terms or provisions are present must be reviewed by the College Counsel prior to signature:

• a dollar value of over $25,000;
• a term of performance for longer than one year;
• anything involving real estate (sale, purchase, or encumbrance);
• requirement for the College to indemnify/hold harmless anyone else;
• requirement for the College to purchase insurance or post a bond for anyone else;
• exclusive rights for someone else or non-compete provisions;
• provisions giving rights to any labor or trade unions;
• permission for the other party to assign its rights and obligations to another party without the College’s prior approval;
• anything imposing HIPAA obligations upon the College;

or where the contract DOES NOT contain

• a clear and fixed price term;
• a provision requiring all amendments to be in writing; or
• key terms that were presented orally or in other materials outside the contract.

TIMETABLE FOR REVIEW: No contract should be signed and returned to the other party before all its terms are fully reviewed and understood. College contract managers should inform outside contractors that all contracts must be carefully reviewed prior to signature and that all pertinent attachments, appendices, charts, and schedules must accompany the review draft.

Approved by Senior Staff, August 25, 2004.

Tobacco Free Campus Policy

Introduction

The findings of the Surgeon General show that tobacco use in any form is a significant health hazard that can lead to heart disease, cancer, and premature death, and that even non-tobacco users are at risk of these outcomes due to passive exposure. In light of these risks, our strategic emphasis on wellness, and the College’s commitment to providing a safe and healthy working and learning environment for all campus constituents, the College has chosen to adopt a Tobacco-Free campus policy.

As of July 1, 2023, the use of any tobacco product is prohibited in or on all property that is owned or leased by the College. Property for purposes of this policy includes all buildings, grounds, athletic venues, campus sidewalks, parking lots, vehicles, as well as personal vehicles in these areas. This policy applies to all members of the College Community (see definition below).

Definitions

A. “Tobacco Products” are defined as all forms of tobacco, including, but not limited to smokeless tobacco products, cigarettes, cigars, pipes, water pipes (hookah), electronic nicotine delivery systems, smokeless tobacco products, and any product that produces smoke or vape.

B. “Electronic nicotine delivery systems” include vapes, vaporizers, vape pens, hookah pens, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or e-cigs), and e-pipes.

C. “Smokeless tobacco” includes chewing tobacco, dip, snuff, snus, and dissolvable products including lozenges, orbs, sticks, and strips.

D. “Members of the College” community include faculty, staff, students, contractors, volunteers, and visitors.

E. Note that any cessation products specifically approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in treating nicotine or tobacco dependence are allowable for use in or on campus properties.




Compliance and Enforcement
All members of the campus community share in the responsibility of adhering to and enforcing this policy. The success of this policy will depend upon the thoughtfulness and consideration of each other. Resources will be provided to those who wish to quit smoking. It is hoped that any violations of the policy can be resolved with an initial informational approach or a reminder, but serious or repeated violations will be dealt with as violations of policy under the respective handbooks for students, faculty and staff.

Pet Policy

To ensure the safety and cleanliness of all campus buildings and to minimize the health risk to any individual, pets are not allowed in any of our college buildings at any time, except for a brief visit into a building (e.g. to pick something up) and then be leashed and under the owner’s control. This policy does not apply to service animals. Animals on the campus grounds should be under the owner’s control at all times.

Policy on Service Animals

Centre College - Service Animal Interim Policy & Procedures for Employees with Disabilities

Centre College strives to be a welcoming and accessible place for all and is committed to assuring equal access to all students, staff, faculty, guests, and visitors. It is the College's policy to permit Service Animals, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA §36.302), on-campus access to what are considered public facilities. Centre College reserves the right to restrict Service Animals in certain locations due to health, environmental, or safety hazards. Exceptions to restricted areas may be granted on a case-by-case basis by contacting the Human Resources Office. This Interim Policy is designed to guide the use of Service Animals by employees on Centre’s campus, and to take effect immediately even while the administration reviews its overall policies regarding Service Animals and emotional support animals.

I. Definition

A Service Animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. The work or tasks performed by the Service Dog must be directly related to the individual's disability and must mitigate the impact of the disability. Under Kentucky state law, Service Animals include dogs in training, while engaged in training with their trainers. Therefore, the same standards of conduct and location access are granted to dogs in training in regards to public access on campus. All trainers must have in their personal possession identification verifying that they are trainers of assistance dogs (KRS §258.500).

Examples of work or tasks include, but are not limited to, assisting an individual who is
blind or has low vision with navigation and other tasks, alerting an individual who is deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds, providing non-violent protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, assisting an individual during a seizure, alerting an individual to the presence of allergens, retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone, providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to an individual with mobility disabilities, and helping an individual with psychiatric and/or neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors.

A dog or other animal that provides passive emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship, called an Emotional Support Animal, is not considered a Service Animal under the ADA. While Emotional Support Animals may be part of a medical treatment plan to alleviate one or more identified symptoms of a person's disability, they do not have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities and, thus, are not Service Animals.


II. Handler's Responsibilities

Care and supervision of the Service Animal are the responsibility of the handler. Service Animals must be under control at all times. Under the ADA, Service Animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the Service Animal's work or the handler's disability prevents using these devices. In these cases, the handler must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls. If an animal exhibits unacceptable behavior, the handler must take effective action to correct the situation.

The Service Animal must be in good health, vaccinated, and licensed as required by state law (KRS §258.005-991) and kept under control according to local ordinance (see City of Danville, Code of Ordinances, sect. 3.33) The handler agrees that the Service Animal must be provided with appropriate care and treatment.

Handlers must ensure the cleanup of the animal's waste and must use grassy areas outside as relief areas. Animal waste should be placed in a plastic bag and securely tied up before being disposed of in outside trash dumpsters. Handlers who physically cannot clean up after their own Service Animal are responsible for finding someone to do so for them.

The handlers of Service Animals are solely responsible for any damage to persons or College property caused by their animals.


III. Emergency Situations

In the event of an emergency, Centre College staff collaborate with the City of Danville Fire and Police Departments and/or other emergency responders and follow their protocols. Centre College is not responsible for removing an animal during evacuation or caring for an animal during or after an emergency.

Handlers should have a designated caretaker for the animal in case of an emergency.


IV. Exceptions

The College may exclude/remove a Service Animal when:

• the animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it, or
• the animal is not housebroken, or
• the Service Animal is excessively unclean or unkempt and may be asked to leave campus until the problem is resolved, or
• the animal's presence results in a fundamental alteration of one or more of the College's programs, or
• the presence of the Service Animal causes danger to the safety of the handler or other students, employees, or members of the campus community, or
• the handler does not comply with his/her responsibilities as outlined above.

If a Service Animal is properly excluded from the premises, the handler will be offered the opportunity to participate in the service, program, or activity without the Service Animal.

V. Interaction with Service Animals

Service Animals are working animals and not pets. The College asks that members of the Centre College community and visitors adhere to the following best practices when interacting with Service Animals.

Individuals should not:

• Pet/touch a Service Animal unless invited to do so by the handler. Petting distracts them from their responsibilities, or
• Feed a Service Animal, or
• Restrict the handler and the Service Animal from full participation in programs and activities of the College. This includes off campus activities and activities involving transportation, or
• Ask the handler about the nature or extent of their disability, or
• Make assumptions about the necessity of the Service Animal, or
• Prioritize the needs of another individual over the needs of an individual with a Service Animal. For example, the access of a Service Animal cannot be restricted based on another community member's allergy or fear of dogs (this should be discussed with Human Resources), or
• Deliberately startle, tease, or taunt a Service Animal, or
• Separate or attempt to separate a Service Animal from its handler. Service Animals are trained to be protective of their handlers, or
• Hesitate to ask the handler if he/she would like assistance if the animal/handler team seems confused about a direction in which to turn, finding an accessible entrance, the location of an elevator, etc.

College personnel should not make any inquiries about a Service Animal when it is readily apparent that the animal is trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability (e.g., the dog is observed guiding an individual who is blind or has low vision, pulling a person's wheelchair, or providing assistance with stability or balance to an individual with an observable mobility disability). If this is not apparent, a College official may ask the handler if the animal is required because of a disability and what work or tasks the animal has been trained to perform.


VI. Conflicting Disabilities

Conflicts between animals and other persons having severe allergies, phobias, etc., will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. The needs of both persons will be considered in resolving the issue. Persons who have medical conditions affected by the presence of Service Animals are asked to contact the Office of Human Resources. The person negatively impacted by the presence of the animal must provide verifiable documentation to support their claim and to request accommodations. The Office of Human Resources will resolve any conflict in a timely manner, considering the conflicting needs and/or accommodations of all persons involved. In severe situations of allergic, behavioral, or medical reactions, temporary accommodations might be arranged.
If an allergy/animal conflict within a classroom or work environment cannot be resolved agreeably between the affected parties, then the Office of Human Resources will collaborate with the appropriate department or program to determine a solution.


VII. Appeals and Grievances

If the decision is made to remove the Service Animal, the handler may file an appeal under the College grievance policy (see Staff Handbook, Section 606).

Any claims of discrimination on the basis of a disability may be brought forward, pursuant to the College's bias reporting protocol or to the Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator at 859-238-5881 or TitleIX@centre.edu.


VIII. Confidentiality and Authority

Information regarding a disability is considered private and is maintained in secure files in the Office of Human Resources with limited access to anyone outside of that office. Information from these files is only shared on a need-to-know basis. Authorizations for animals used for disability-related accommodations are made based on medical and/or mental health documentation and the situation at hand, and are not subject to challenge by someone other than the person utilizing the service or animal.

Please be aware that limited information may need to be disclosed to others, as deemed necessary for the work environment or classroom setting.


IX. Review of Interim Policy

This interim policy will be reviewed for substance, applicability to Centre College situations, completeness, and other factors, by the Human Resources Committee and other appropriate offices and personnel. The Senior Staff will make a final approval of the policy and the policy will be effective as of publishing, unless a later date is specified.

Breast Feeding and Lactation Support Guidelines

Recognizing the importance of breastfeeding for both mothers and their infants, and of promoting a family-friendly workplace, Centre provides breastfeeding and lactation guidelines. The College strives to create an environment conducive to working and learning and one that is attuned to both professional and personal needs of its women faculty, staff, and students.

The College recognizes the importance and benefits of breastfeeding and is committed to promoting this effort. Therefore, in a manner consistent with Kentucky Revised Statute, the College acknowledges that a woman may breastfeed her child in any place open to the public on campus. Additionally, the College shall provide sanitary and private space for expressing milk wherever possible, and lactation breaks.

Upon returning to work after the birth of a child, nursing mothers may request an area to pump breast milk in the workplace during normal business hours. Supervisors and Department Chairs will work with employees who are nursing to schedule reasonable and flexible break times each day for this activity.

1. Lactation Breaks
   1. Whenever possible, the College shall provide flexibility for staff and faculty members who give their Department Chair or Supervisor adequate notice identifying a need for lactation facilities.
   2. Mothers are responsible for requesting lactation support prior to or during maternity leave, preferably no later than two weeks before returning to work.
   3. Supervisors and employees shall work together to establish mutually convenient times.
   4. Employees who need assistance are encouraged to make appropriate arrangements with their supervisors to ensure that normal work related activities are not severely disrupted and their assigned tasks are completed as expected.
2. Lactation Facilities
   1. The College, at a minimum, should provide private rooms with locked doors that are clean and comfortable. Each room should have an electrical outlet and one table and one chair.
   2. The location may be the place an employee normally works if there is adequate privacy, cleanliness, and is comfortable for the employee. If not, the College will provide a place in close proximity to the employee’s work area.
   3. Supervisors who receive a lactation accommodation request should review available space in their department/unit and be prepared to provide appropriate nearby space and break time.

KRS 211.755 specifically provides that a mother may breast-feed her baby or express breast milk in any location, public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be.