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Office of General Counsel

Office of General Counsel

Welcome to the Office of the General Counsel! The Office of the General Counsel provides legal resources to College administrators, faculty and staff. The department offers a full range of legal services and expertise, with a concentration in areas of specific importance to Ivy Tech’s strategic goals.

The Counsel negotiates, drafts, reviews business and internal documents on behalf of the College and oversees the tax intercept appeals process. The Counsel reviews the College's major procurement contracts, affiliation agreements, employment agreements, leases and conveyances. The Office also prepares and comments on academic and administrative policies, documents and procedures.

ADA, Affirmative Action, Harassment, FERPA

  • The College is committed to full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In order for the College to meet this commitment, it is the responsibility of the employee to notify the immediate supervisor and the Human Resources Administrator, in writing, of any special accommodation which may be required. The College also requires your participation in discussing the accommodation and possible alternatives.

    The Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) provides assistance to students, who qualify for reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Reasonable accommodations may be granted, based upon verification with appropriate documentation, for chronic illnesses, neurological conditions, learning disabilities, psychiatric illnesses, mobility impairments, and other conditions or impairments that limit one or more of life's major activities. Please refer to the College's Documentation Guidelines and the DSS' Policies and Procedures Manual for specific information on requesting reasonable accommodations.

  • The College employs qualified persons and provides equal opportunities for the advancement of employees. The College employs, promotes, transfers, reclassifies, and trains in a manner which will not discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, or status as a veteran, per the College EEO/AA policies. The College is committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination.

    If you believe you have been discriminated against or harassed by a coworker, supervisor, or agent of the College, you should promptly report the facts of the occurrence and the names of the individuals involved to your supervisor, the Human Resources Administrator, or an Affirmative Action Officer. Your Supervisor, Human Resources Administrator, or Affirmative Action Officer will look into all reported occurrences and take the appropriate corrective action, if necessary.

  • The College will not tolerate harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, or status as a veteran, and/or opposition to prohibited discrimination or participation in this or any other complaint procedure. This prohibition covers harassment against any Ivy Tech employee by anyone (supervisors, co-workers, students, or non-employees) in or related to an Ivy Tech campus. The policy prohibiting harassment includes adverse treatment of employees because they report harassment or provide information related to such complaints.

  • Ivy Tech Community College maintains an educational record for each student who is or has been enrolled at Ivy Tech. In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the student rights that are listed on our FERPA page are covered by the act and afforded to all students at Ivy Tech. For a copy of the Release of Information form, click here

    Notice of Medical Privacy Practices

    This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

  • A part of Ivy Tech Community College’ commitment to ethics and compliance is to provide students, faculty, and staff with a means to report any unethical behavior that is in violation of the College policy. The College has selected EthicsPoint to provide you with a simple way anonymous way to report activities that may involve misconduct or violations of College policy. You may file a report here or by dialing 888-355-0021. Any suspected problems or complaints reported via EthicsPoint will be reviewed in accordance with current policies and procedures.

    College policy prohibits the taking of any retaliatory action against individuals who make a good faith disclosure of suspected financial or other misconduct, or violations of policy, etc.

Request for Public Records

Ivy Tech Community College is committed to providing access to public records in accordance with the Indiana Access to Public Records Act, IC 5-14-3. To provide efficient and consistent response to public records requests, the College has appointed the Office of General Counsel as the administrative area responsible for accepting, reviewing, and responding to all requests.

Online Request

Office of the General Counsel
50 West Fall Creek Parkway North Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46208

Bankruptcy

FAQs

  • If you did not include Ivy Tech Community College as a creditor on your bankruptcy petition, please call the last campus attended and notify them of your bankruptcy or send your bankruptcy paperwork to the following address:

                                             Ivy Tech Community College- General Counsel's office
                                             50 West Fall Creek Parkway North Drive
                                             Indianapolis, IN 46208

    *If you have any questions in regards to how the bankruptcy affects your financial aid status please contact your local campus financial aid department.

  • If you are in an active bankruptcy, please contact Ivy Tech and give notice. Once this information has been verified, the hold on your account will be removed.

  • Not all student debt is discharged in bankruptcy and your particular debt may fall under the Exceptions to Discharge as stated below:

    11 USC § 523 - EXCEPTIONS TO DISCHARGE

    • (a) A discharge under section 727, 1141, 1228 (a), 1228 (b), or 1328 (b) of this title does not discharge an individual debtor from any debt—
    • (8) Unless excepting such debt from discharge under this paragraph would impose an undue hardship on the debtor and the debtor’s dependents, for—
    • (A)
      • (i) an educational benefit overpayment or loan made, insured, or guaranteed by a governmental unit, or made under any program funded in whole or in part by a governmental unit or nonprofit institution; or
      • (ii) an obligation to repay funds received as an educational benefit, scholarship, or stipend; or
    • (B) any other educational loan that is a qualified education loan, as defined in section 221(d)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, incurred by a debtor who is an individual;

    ​As mentioned above, the Exceptions to Discharge is not solely for student loan debts, but for other educational debts as well.  A general order of discharge does not cover this type of debt.

    In order for this to be discharged the U.S. Bankruptcy Court would have to make a special finding that not discharging the educational debt would impose an undue hardship on the debtor or the debtor’s dependents.

    If you have further questions, you or your attorney should contact the General Counsel’s Office at legal@ivytech.edu.

State Tax Offset

Is your Indiana tax refund being intercepted offset for Ivy Tech?

Indiana Code 6-8.1-9.5 authorizes Ivy Tech Community College as a Claimant Agency to report the debt to the Indiana Department of Revenue for possible offset from a future Indiana income tax refund due to you.  As such the Department of Revenue Services will garnish (intercept) your State of Indiana income tax return on behalf of Ivy Tech Community College in order to pay the outstanding balance.

If you feel this debt is not valid, you have the right to request a fair hearing via an appeal process with Ivy Tech.  Your appeal form must be received at Ivy Tech Community College within 30 days of the date of your notification letter.  Failure to provide a written request for a hearing or proof of prior payment will constitute acknowledgment of the debt owed.   If you have any questions, please call us at 1-888-489-5463. 

Additional Information

  • The State Board of Trustees for Ivy Tech Community College has an approved Conflict of Interest policy for all State and Campus Trustees of the College. All board members are required to complete the Annual Conflict of Interest Statement which can be completed and submitted online. 

    The Employee Conflict of interest policy can be found in the Part-time and Full-Time Employee Handbooks.

  • In order to ensure efficiency and control College cost, any engagement of outside counsel must first be approved by the General Counsel’s office.

    If you have any questions in regards to hiring outside counsel, please contact legal@ivytech.edu

  • The DMCA provides limited liability for university networks acting as Internet service providers (ISPs) for students and faculty, provided that certain requirements are met.

    Requirements of the DMCA:

    • Appoint a designated agent to receive reports of copyright infringement. Register the agent with the U.S. Copyright Office.
    • Develop and post a copyright policy. Educate campus community about copyright.
    • Comply with "take down" requests.
    • Apply measures to protect against unauthorized access to content and dissemination of information.
    • Use only lawfully acquired copies of copyrighted works.

    Copyright material used for educational purposes may be either used under privilege and right of fair use or may require the user to request permission from the holder of the copyright.

    Digital Millennium Copyright Act 

  • Ivy Tech Community College will make every reasonable effort to assistant any individual who suspects that they have become a victim of identity theft. The U.S. Department of Education offers advice for those individuals that suspect that they are victims of identity theft located here. In order for the College to consider any request for cancellation of the debt, we would require a copy of your police report and complaint affidavit filed with the U.S. Department of Education.  Each request will be considered on a case by case basis.