CTRTA Policy

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Unless special permission is received from the Chief of Operations, students are not permitted to miss any portion of a course. Failure to comply will result in dismissal from the course. Reasonable emergency leave may be allowed for legitimate reasons. In a certification course, students must attend all classes to be certified.

Fire Programs: Unless special permission is received from the Training Section Chief, students are not permitted to miss any portion of a course. Failure to comply will result in dismissal from the course.

Students are expected to do original work for all assignments. 

Cheating is defined as “the giving or receiving of aid (whether written, oral, or otherwise) in order for a student to receive undeserved credit on classwork, homework, tests, or any other assignment that is his/her own responsibility.” 

Plagiarism involves stealing another person's work and claiming it as one's own. It occurs whenever one directly copies another person's intellectual effort and integrates it into his/her classwork without giving proper credit to the author. 

Paraphrasing is defined as “a restatement of a text or passage giving the meaning in another form.” When one paraphrases but intentionally omits authorship of the work, this, too, is a serious violation of academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in any form during any type of evaluation. Candidates are held to the highest degree of conduct. 

Central Texas Regional Training Academy takes the issue of cheating and unethical conduct seriously and all incidents will be investigated.

CTRTA provides accommodations for those candidates who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as disabled. Candidates seeking special accommodations must submit a request form with formal documentation (such as a letter from the doctor or a letter from their organization's Human Resource Department) to the CTRTA office. The documentation submitted should not be older than 5 years.

Appeal Procedures: If a student is dissatisfied with a decision or action of a member of the faculty or staff, he/she may appeal that decision using the procedures outlined in this section. Appeals fall into the following areas: grade appeals, academic termination (dismissal) appeals, and adverse action appeals. If, after attempting to follow the steps below, a student believes he/she did not receive the appropriate due process or if the matter in dispute does not fall into one of these three areas, the student may file a grievance or complaint in accordance with the provisions in the following section.

Grade Appeal Procedure: A student who has a dispute with an instructor’s grading on a test, assignment, or the final grade in a course must follow the steps outlined below:

● The student must first try to resolve the difference with the instructor involved. If the instructor agrees to the student’s request, the instructor will make the appropriate change in the grade book or submit a grade change through the Chief of Operation. If the student agrees with the instructor’s decision, the appeal is dropped.

● If a satisfactory solution cannot be reached between the student and the instructor, the student may submit a written grade appeal to the Chief of Operations. A grade appeal must be made within two weeks for an exam and within 30 days of grade issuance for a course. The Chief of Operations will investigate the facts of the case and make a decision in writing regarding the grade within seven days of receiving the appeal.

● Normally, the decision of the Chief of Operations regarding a grade appeal is final. However, if the student still feels a satisfactory solution has not been reached, the student may submit a further written appeal to the Executive Director. Appeals to the Executive Director must be submitted within 30 days of the Chief of Operations decision. The Executive Director’s decision will be made in writing within seven days of receiving the appeal and will be final.

Adverse Action Appeal Procedures: Adverse actions are disciplinary actions due to a student violating student conduct policies or academic honesty standards. These can include termination, suspension, probation, or other academic penalty. An example of “other academic penalties” could be the awarding of a zero on a test or assignment or assignment of an “F” (failure) in a course. All adverse actions take effect immediately when imposed by the appropriate instructor or administrator, but they are subject to appeal. If the student disputes the basis for an adverse action, the student may appeal the action with the following procedure.

● A student appealing an adverse action must submit a written statement with supporting evidence (if any) disputing the basis of the adverse action to the Executive Director. The Executive Director will investigate the facts of the case and render a final decision in writing within seven days.

● If a suspension has already taken place and the course(s) is/are still ongoing and, upon appeal, reversed by the Executive Director, the CTRTA will provide reasonable assistance and time for the student to make up missed material, tests, or projects, all of this being on the basis that such extra time or instruction is practical in the sole judgment of the CTRTA. In the event a student has already been terminated or suspended and the course(s) has/have ended, the student will be allowed to retake, at no cost, any courses that were interrupted by a termination or suspension that was reversed upon appeal.

Complaint Procedures: Every student has the right to file a grievance/complaint about any procedure at the Training Academy, any action taken by an official of the CTRTA, any failure by officials to properly follow the appeals procedures outlined above, or any perceived discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, color, creed, national origin, disability, age, marital status, or sexual orientation. Grievances or complaints may be filed orally or in writing to the Executive Director or in case of his absence, the procedure listed below.

● Grievances and complaints may be addressed to the senior person in the office to which the matter pertains (i.e., to the Chief of Operations, Certification Unit Leader, etc.), or they may be presented to the Executive Director.

● Grievances and complaints should be filed within 15 calendar days of the occurrence of the matter about which the grievance or complaint is being made. Grievances and complaints, whether oral or written, should describe briefly, but completely, the nature of the grievance or complaint and the solution sought.

● Grievances and complaints addressed to an official of the CTRTA other than the Executive Director may be resubmitted to the Executive Director if the complainant is not satisfied with the resolution. In such cases, it must be in writing. The Executive Director will attempt to render a decision within seven days of receipt of the grievance/complaint, and the decision will be in writing.

Students are required to attend all skill day, any student who misses a skill day that is deemed critical will be removed from the course, any non critical skill day the student can pay the instructors hourly wage for skills day to be made up.

The Central Texas Regional Training Academy reserves the right to cancel or postpone any course. Courses that do not meet the minimum registration may be cancelled four (4) weeks prior to the start date. When a course is scheduled and advertised, there is no guarantee that the course will be delivered. Courses cancelled due to inclement weather or other situations may be rescheduled.

 Students are required to maintain classroom cleanliness. No tobacco products of any kind will be permitted in classrooms. Each student is responsible for the removal of trash from his/her area. Students are expected to be courteous to others while in class, show a willingness to respond to questions and participate in class discussions, and exhibit a lively interest in the subject matter. Central Texas Regional Academy has a “zero tolerance” policy for disruptive class behavior. Since enrollment in the Central Texas Regional Training Academy is by choice, students who fail to demonstrate common courtesy and cooperation in the classroom are choosing, by their behavior, to cancel their enrollment.

Because cell phones can be used in class as an educational tool and resource, they are permitted to be on the student’s person. They will be used in this capacity until ONLY the instructor advises their use. Anytime a cell phone becomes a distraction in class, the use of the devices will be banned. The cell phone must be on vibrate or off at the instructor’s discretion. Cell phones will be OFF for all quizzes and exams. They will be left on the front table in the Computer Lab and retrieved afterwards. CTRTA and its instructors are not responsible for securing any items brought to class. If instructors notice anything valuable, they will have the student remove the item from the classroom and secure the item in the student’s vehicle.

This policy provides guidelines for the appropriate and inappropriate use of the computing resources at the Central Texas Regional Training Academy. The computers, related equipment, software, data, and local area networks are intended to be used for its programs of instruction, research, and to conduct the legitimate business of the CTRTA.

Users should use these resources in an effective, ethical, and legal manner. Usage must be in accordance with applicable CTRTA procedures and applicable state and federal laws including the Federal Computer Abuse Amendment Act of 1994, the Federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and the U. S. Copyright Act.

Policy violations may include:

• Harass, threaten, or otherwise cause harm to specific individuals or classes of individuals
• Impede, interfere with, impair, or otherwise cause harm to the activities of others.
• Download, post, or install to computers or transport across networks material that is sexually explicit or offensive or material that is illegal, proprietary, in violation of license agreements, in violation of copyrights, in violation of CTRTA contracts
• Recklessly or maliciously interfere with or damage computer or network resources or computer data, files, or other information.

The Central Texas Regional Training Academy has a “zero-tolerance” policy for disruptive classroom behavior. Immoral or disorderly conduct will not be condoned. Profane, obscene, vulgar, or indecent language will not be tolerated. Minor infractions committed by students will be corrected by the Training Academy Staff. Conduct detrimental to the Fire Service on or off campus will not be tolerated. We will investigate any complaints by motels, restaurants, or other persons. If the complaint is valid, the student will be dismissed and his/her agency will be notified. Student enrollment in the Central Texas Regional Training Academy is by choice; therefore, students who fail to demonstrate common courtesy and cooperation in the classroom are choosing, by their behavior, to cancel their enrollment.

Restrictions include but are not limited to:

• Visitors, including children, are not allowed in the classroom.
• Cell phones will not be used during class, lab, or clinical.
• All phones, beepers, or other devices must be turned off while in class, lab, or rotations.
• No tobacco products of any kind, to include chewing tobacco, will be permitted inside the CTRTA buildings or in front of the building.
• Continuously returning to class late from breaks.
• Disrespectful, vulgar, or disruptive language and other undesirable activity are prohibited.

Students attending classes at the Central Texas Regional Training Academy must choose their attire to be appropriate according to the circumstances. Students should refer to the course syllabus for guidance on what activities are planned for each instruction day and whether the activities are indoors or outdoors to determine student’s choice of attire. Dressing for safety is the overriding concern. Comfort is a consideration. When dressing for the summer season, students are reminded that short shorts, tank tops, and open-toe shoes are not permitted in classrooms or on the drill field. T-shirts or other clothing with offensive wording or artwork are not permitted. Common courtesy to other students is expected in the choice of attire. Drill field activities will require clothing to be worn that is appropriate for the activity and the season.

1. Deposit Requirement

• A non-refundable deposit of $1000 is required at the time of registration. This

deposit secures your spot in the course and is applied toward the total tuition.

2. Refund Schedule

• Full Refund: A full refund of tuition (minus the non-refundable deposit) will be

issued if the student withdraws at least 14 days before the registration deadline.

• Partial Refund: A 50% refund of tuition (minus the non-refundable deposit) will

be granted if the student withdraws up to 7 days before the registration

deadline.

• No Refund: No refunds will be issued for withdrawals made after the

registration deadline.

3. Special Circumstances

• Students facing medical emergencies or other extenuating circumstances may

request a review for a possible refund. Documentation will be required.

4. Fees

• Non-refundable fees (e.g., registration fees, materials fees) will be clearly

indicated during the enrollment process.

• If paid by credit card the fee associated can not be refunded.

5. Refund Process

• Approved refunds will be processed within 30 days of the request approval.

• Refunds will be issued in the same form of payment as the original transaction.

6. Policy Review

• This policy will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary to ensure

fairness and transparency.