STUDENT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

Student Development Services (SDS) provides opportunities for co-curricular learning activities and campus involvement. Refer to the TCC website to contact the campus SDS offices.

Student Activities

Through the Student Activities/Student Life program, students have the opportunity to participate in events and activities that are designed to encourage campus engagement along with personal, educational, and professional growth.

The following programs and opportunities are available through the Student Activities/Student Life offices:

• Recognized Student Organizations
• Student Leadership  Opportunities
• Student Leadership Retreat
• Guest Lecturers and Performers
• Campus Activities and Programs
• Cultural Programming

Recognized Student Organizations provide an opportunity for students to fulfill a variety of interests; a list of clubs and organizations and a calendar of events and activities can be found in the Student Activities office at each campus. Any group of students wishing to meet on behalf of a common interest may seek organization status by consulting with the Office of Student Activities to review the policies and procedures for forming a student organization.

New Student Orientation

Tarrant County College is committed to supporting students in meeting their educational goals by requiring all First Time in College (FTIC) students to complete New Student Orientation (NSOR). Offered as a one-time, four-hour interactive session, NSOR-0100 is designed to prepare students for successful entry into the college environment and connect FTIC students to the college campus, faculty, staff and support resources. All FTIC students are required to register for a session. Students should speak with an academic advisor for more information or to register for New Student Orientation.

Student Travel

The Student Travel Policy, in accordance with CJ[LOCAL] and CJ[LEGAL] applies to travel undertaken by students and other non-employee participants to reach an activity or event that meets all of the following conditions:

1. The activity or event is planned by college faculty or staff;
2. The college is funding or, through a potential reimbursement request, may be funding the activity or event;
3. The activity or event is approved by the appropriate college administrators;
4. The activity or event occurs more than twenty-five (25) miles from the applicable college campus (example: NE, NW, S, SE or TR);

AND

5. One of the following conditions is also met:
   1. Travel to the activity or event is funded and undertaken using a vehicle owned, leased, or rented by the college including other modes of transportation; OR
   2. Attendance at the activity or event is required by a registered or sponsored student organization.

Activities or events that may be covered under this policy include the following:

• Course related field trips.
• Research trips organized by a faculty member.
• Campus recreation programs.
• Recognized or sponsored student organization trips.
• Conferences and meetings where students are serving as college representatives.
• Travel for summer trainings or college preparatory programs when transportation has been planned and funded by TCC.
• Travel internationally to a non-restricted region

Travel authorization including any required approvals, forms and training must be completed prior to departure.

NOTE: Student-employees traveling for reasons related to their employment must adhere to policies established for employees.

Intramural Activities

TCC provides equal participation activities for all students and does not discriminate on the basis of disability or sex, see FK[LEGAL].

Refer to the TCC website to contact the Intramural Activities offices.

Intercultural Student Engagement & Academic Success

The Intercultural Engagement and Academic Success Network is an inclusive support system of academic affairs and student development services units and community partners committed to the success of all students, with an emphasis on those traditionally underrepresented in the college environment. The Intercultural Network strives to create a welcoming, safe and collaborative learning environment for students to engage with peers, staff and faculty through intentional programming, connections to resources and opportunities and individualized support services. 

The Men of Color Collaborative

The Men of Color Collaborative (MCC) is a signature initiative of the Intercultural Student Engagement & Academic Success Network and is committed to creating a sense of belong and community for men of color at TCC. Intercultural Network Coordinators provide targeted and individualized interventions, resources and opportunities to men of color as determined by their individual interests and needs. Through the MCC, students can find a mentor, participate in regional and national conferences, and pursue leadership and other experiential learning opportunities. 

Contact Intercultural Network Coordinators on each campus to learn more about joining the Intercultural Network and the Men of Color Collaborative.

Student Publications

The Collegian serves all campuses within TCC and is circulated weekly except for holidays, examination periods, and summer vacations. The Collegian publishes stories about news on campus, student activities, College policies effecting students, student interests, special classroom projects, and local events and issues. Local and national advertising is accepted.

Articles are written by student staff members and by students enrolled in college-level reporting classes as they participate in their weekly laboratories. Student staff members are experienced journalism students who apply for positions in the Student Publications Office, Northeast Campus, NCAB 1124-A. The editor-in-chief is selected by the College-wide Student Publications Board.

All students are encouraged to participate in the publications program by submitting letters to the editor, or story ideas or news tips to the Student Publications Office on Northeast Campus, NCAB 1124-A, in person; by writing The Collegian, Tarrant County College, 828 W. Harwood Road, Hurst, Texas 76054 or emailing collegian.editor@tccd.edu. Students are also invited to call the editorial staff at 817-515-6391 or the advertising staff at 817-515-6323.

Student Organizations

The College is committed to providing vital co-curricular activities for students that enhance individual development, promote desired social interaction, and provide social and recreational activities. All student organizations are supported by the Coordinator of Student Activities.

Student interest drives the creation of new student organizations. Prior to operation on campus, all organizations must be recognized by the College and must agree to abide by regulations of the Board and by the organization rules issued by the administration. Every organization must have a full-time faculty or staff advisor responsible to the College.  Organizations who discriminate against students or staff members in violation of state or federal laws will not be allowed to operate and will no longer be recognized.  For other rules related to forming a student organization and gaining formal approval and recognition for an organization, see the Office of Student Activities at each college campus.

See policy statement, SPEECH, ASSEMBLY and EXPRESSION (Appendix C) for additional information about requirements and restrictions pertaining to student and faculty/staff organizations and programs.

Soliciting, Selling, Distributing or Fund Raising

Students may not solicit funds, sell merchandise, or distribute material or information on-or-off campus in the name of the College, without approval of the College administration. Students or student organizations wishing to raise funds or distribute materials must have the approval of the Office of Student Activities.  Only authorized students or registered student organizations shall be allowed to sponsor and engage in solicitation and/or fundraising under the name of the College. As required by FI[LOCAL], no organization shall solicit for more than a total of 14 days, whether continuous or intermittent, during each fiscal year. All activities shall comply with FKC[LEGAL] for purposes of sales tax exemption. See the Office of Student Activities on the campuses for more information. 

Gang-Free Zones

Premises owned, rented or leased by TCC, and areas within 1,000 feet of the premises are “gang-free” zones. Certain criminal offenses, including those involving gang-related crimes, will be enhanced to the next highest category of offense if committed in a gang-free zone by an individual 17 years or older. See Texas Penal Code, Section 71.028.

Graffiti

Section 28.08, Texas Penal Code, provides that “a person commits an offense if, without the effective consent of the owner, the person intentionally or knowingly makes markings, including inscriptions, slogans, drawings, or paintings, on the tangible property of the owner with paint, an indelible marker, or an etching or engraving device.” An offense under this section may be a state jail felony if the marking is made on an institution of higher education.

Emergency Notifications

In unusual and emergency situations, the Vice President for Student Development Services may seek out students in their classrooms to deliver an emergency message. The Vice President for Student Development Services is responsible for verifying message details and determining if the message should be delivered during a class period. 

Social Media

Social media is a powerful communications tool that has a significant impact on organizational and professional reputations. Because they blur the lines between personal voice and institutional voice, TCC has crafted the following policy to help clarify how best to enhance and protect when participating in social media.

Policies for All Social Media Sites, Including Personal Sites

1. Protect confidential and proprietary information: Do not post confidential or proprietary information about TCC, students, employees or alumni. Students must still follow the applicable federal requirements such as FERPA and HIPAA. Adhere to all applicable college privacy and confidentiality policies. Students who share confidential information do so at the risk of disciplinary action up to and including expulsion.
2. Respect copyright and fair use: When posting, be mindful of the copyright and intellectual property rights of others and of the College.
3. Use of TCC logos for endorsements is strictly prohibited: Do not use the TCC logo or any other college images or iconography on personal social media sites. Do not use TCC’s name to promote a product, cause, or political party or candidate.
4. Terms of service: Obey the terms of service of any social media platform employed.

Student Group or Organization Social Media

1. Think twice before posting: Privacy does not exist in the world of social media. Consider what could happen if a post becomes widely known and how that may reflect both on the poster and the College. Search engines can turn up posts years after they are created, and comments can be forwarded or copied. If you wouldn’t say it in person, consider whether you should post it online.  If you are unsure about posting something or responding to a comment, contact the TCC Web Content Editor at 817-515-5127.
2. Strive for accuracy: Get the facts straight before posting them on social media. Review content for grammatical and spelling errors. This is especially important when posting on behalf of a student group or organization in any capacity.
3. Be respectful: Understand that content contributed to a social media site could encourage comments or discussion of opposing ideas. Responses should be considered carefully in light of how they would reflect on the poster and/or the College and its institutional voice.
4. Remember your audience: Be aware that a presence in the social media world is easily made available to the public at large. This includes prospective students, current students, and peers.  Consider this before publishing to ensure the post will not alienate, harm, or provoke any of these groups.
5. On personal sites, identify your views as your own. If you identify yourself as a TCC student online, it should be clear that the views expressed are not necessarily those of the College.
6. Photography: Photographs posted on social media sites may be wrongfully appropriated. Consider adding a watermark and/or posting images at 72 dpi and approximately 800x600 resolution to better secure your intellectual property. Images at that size are sufficient for viewing on the Web, but not generally suitable for printing.
7. Notify the College: Student group or organization units that have a social media page or would like to start one should contact the TCC Communications, Public Relations & Marketing Executive Director’s office at 817-515-1542. All institutional pages must have a full-time appointed student who is identified as being responsible for content. 
8. Acknowledge who you are: If you are representing a TCC student group or organization when posting on a social media platform, acknowledge this.
9. Have a plan: Student groups and organizations should consider their messages, audiences and goals, as well as a strategy for keeping information on social media sites up to date. 
10. Protect the institutional voice: Posts on social media sites should protect the College’s institutional voice by remaining professional in tone and in good taste.  No TCC student group or organization should construe its social media site as representing the College as a whole.  Consider this when naming pages or accounts, selecting a profile picture or icon, and selecting content to post. Names, profile images and posts should all be clearly linked to the particular student group or organization rather than to the institution as a whole.