Advice for Advisors- Table of Contents
PART ONE: General Advising
Guidelines
General Advising Goals
The
primary purpose of an academic advising program is to assist students in the
development of meaningful educational plans that are compatible with their life
goals. Academic advising should be
viewed as a continuous process of clarification and evaluation.
The ultimate responsibility for making informed decisions about life goals and educational plans rests with the individual student. The academic advisor assists by helping to identify and assess alternatives and consequences of decisions.
I. University Advising Policy Back to Table of Contents
The University recognizes and appreciates the importance of academic advising. The Vice President for Academic Affairs is responsible for oversight and evaluation of academic advising. The Academic Advising & Retention Committee serves as an advisory group to develop advising standards and procedures and makes recommendations for changes to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Council of Deans, and Faculty Senate. The Vice President for Academic Affairs identifies and delegates responsibilities involving academic advising. Academic advising is a faculty teaching responsibility and, as such, is part of faculty annual evaluations.
II. Responsibilities of an Advisor
1. Attempt to know each advisee well enough to be perceptive of individual needs.
2. Provide each advisee with information about limitations, alternatives, and consequences of academic program decisions.
3. Interpret the requirements for the major.
4. Correlate the choice of electives.
5. Assist in planning semester schedules.
6. With the assistance of the Records office, assess each advisee's progress toward a degree.
7. Participate actively in the Early Alert Program.
8. Direct each advisee to other advisory and professional service personnel (e.g. career planning, support services, possible financial and/or personal counseling services. See list of contacts in section VI.).
9. Provide students with the Advising Assessment Form upon completion of advising.
10. Advisors MUST provide adequate office hours to accommodate students for the following:
•Preregistration advisement (generally one-two weeks in November and March)
• Dropping or adding classes (generally during the first week of classes)
• Change of major requests
• To discuss unsatisfactory work (especially after midterm or in response to the Academic Alert Program)
•Withdrawal from the university
These responsibilities do not negate the fact that students have ultimate responsibility for their academic decisions.
III. Responsibilities of the Advisee Back to Table of Contents
1. Accepting the responsibility for making final decisions on academic matters. The student is responsible for planning and implementing his/her academic program and no legal responsibility rests with the faculty advisor.
2. Giving consideration to personal goals, so they can be coordinated with academic and professional goals.
3.
Discussing
with advisor long-range goals and kinds of job opportunities available upon completion
of chosen major.
4.
Knowing the
basic requirements (via Bulletin and check sheet) to be able to ask questions about
requirements.
5.
Being
familiar with the schedule and Bulletin so that pertinent questions can be
asked about schedule planning.
6. Maintaining a personal check sheet so that information about progress toward a degree is readily available.
The advisee should contact his/her
advisor at least during the following times:
• During preregistration
advisement
• Prior to any change of
classes (dropping or adding classes)
• Prior to a change in major
• Following any report of unsatisfactory work
• If directed by advisor (Especially in response to the Academic Alert Program)
• When a student is
experiencing personal difficulties, social adjustment, or academic problems
IV.
Getting to Know your Advisees
The
Importance of the Advisor-Advisee Relationship
An
important factor in the advising process is having an advisor who shows concern
for students as individuals. To be
truly effective, advisors should be able to go beyond routine course scheduling to help students achieve their academic and career goals. The questions asked of a student can be
those that seek information (closed-ended) and those that build relationships
(open-ended). Open-ended questions
encourage students to talk while closed questions can shut down
communication. Some examples:
Open
|
Closed
|
“Could you tell me a little
about your English class?”
|
“Do you attend English class?”
|
“How do you feel about English
class?”
|
“Do you like English class?”
|
“How do you feel about the
time you spend on the test?”
|
“How long did it take you to
finish the test?”
|
A. Sample Questions for the First Meeting
The first meeting with a student should focus on getting to know the student and discussing the advisor's role.
The first meeting with a
student should focus on getting to know the student and discussing the
advisor’s role.
•What high school did you graduate from? Can you tell me how well you think your high school prepared you for the challenges at UM?
•Are you familiar with the e-mail system on campus?
•Where are you in the math course sequence?
•Have you thought about your social science and physical education courses?
•Have you taken any courses within your major? How are they going?
•What led you to choose this major?
B. Sample Questions for the Subsequent Meetings
Advisors should be ready to
work with advisees to help solve any problems that they encounter.
•How is each of your classes going?
•In which academic areas do you still need to take courses before graduation?
•What tests or other requirements have you completed for your major?
•When do you plan to graduate? Do you plan to complete an internship or other professional development before you graduate?
•Have you created a resume? Have you contacted the Career Development Center?
C. A Note About Personal Relationships with Advisees
Advisors sometimes wonder how much information to seek from students. Some students may feel uncomfortable talking about their personal lives, while others will quickly volunteer unsolicited personal information. Because students vary in the amount of information they are comfortable sharing with a faculty advisor, an effective guideline is to limit questioning and discussion to academic and career issues. However, advisors should be prepared to deal with any personal questions or issues that students initiate (Section VII provides information on referring students to other campus resources.)
V. Advising Special Populations of
Students
A. General Education Students Back to Table of Contents
General studies students are another population that require
careful advising since they are undecided upon an academic direction and thus
less focused and supported. Advisors should consider the following suggestions
when advising general studies students.
Ten Suggestions for General Studies Advisors
1. Remember that advising is directly related to retention.
2. Initiate a conversation with your advisees by e-mail. It is important to establish some kind of relationship prior to the advising period later in the fall term.
3. Invite your advisees to schedule a time to see you, so that you can connect a face and name prior to the official advising period.
4. Explain general studies requirements at UM. Use the departmental checksheet and stress the importance of using the checksheet. Cheeksheets can be found online.
6. Provide advisees with a list of resources (section VII) available on campus.
7. Provide periodic reminders to important deadlines such as drop dates, etc.
8. Check on your advisees periodically. Ask them simple questions such as: “Are you attending class regularly?” “Are you experiencing difficulty with any one class?” “How are you doing in general?” “Is there anything I can help with?”
9. Make referrals when you think necessary. One important referral would be the Career Center where students can complete vocational preference assessments to assist with major choice. Keep in mind the requirements for getting assistance from Student Support Services. Make sure students have taken advantage of placement testing in Foreign Language.
10. Facilitate connections with faculty and/or chairs in various majors when you determine that your advisees do have some existing interests.
UM has a limited population
of transfer students who are over the age of 25. These students often have
special needs, concerns, and constraints on their time, such as: day care
concerns or social networking problems.
Because
these students are older, they may have:
•a different level of maturity and depth of life experience to
bring to their education
•
a surprising lack of confidence in their ability as students;
thus, a need for encouragement
•
an unrealistic view of the challenges of UM
•
too much confidence regarding their abilities to handle both the
rigors of UM and full time employment or
full time child care
C.
Transfer Students
One of most challenging
groups to advise is those who transfer to UM. Often these students think they
should receive more credit for transfer work than the Records Office has initially
awarded. They may approach their
first advising session with expectations that advisors will immediately be able
to address all their concerns.
STARS Guide
UM has an established transfer articulation agreement with community and junior colleges in the state. The STARS guide, indicating which courses we are obligated to accept for each major, is available on the UM website at: http://www.montevallo.du/admissions/stars/Majors.shtm
Acceptance of any program-specific (major) courses should be evaluated by the
advisor and department chair.
Advisees should assume responsibility for providing a copy of the course syllabus or a copy of the course description from the official college bulletin for any courses they would like to have considered for transfer credit. See “Course Substitution” processes in Part Two-section VIII for more information about approval of transfer courses.
D. Students in Academic Difficulty
1. General Population
Students on warning or probationary status are
often those who need the most careful advising. Many students in academic
difficulty lack specific skills such as time management, proper study habits,
or self-discipline. When
professional counseling is warranted, the UM Counseling Center can provide a
range of services to help students better deal with the stress of
college life. (See section VII for Counseling Center contact
information.)
Individual counseling—Students can meet with a counselor one-on-one to learn how to deal with
life’s challenges.
Group counseling— Students have
the opportunity to meet with a counselor along with
others dealing with similar issues.
Resource library—The resource library provides valuable
information on relationships, families, mental health topics, college life as
well as many other relevant topics.
2. Freshmen and Sophomores
Academic Alert Program. This program is designed to identify and counsel struggling students in the first 2 years. Advisors should be aware of the protocol as follows:
• In week 4 and week 9 faculty will send out Online Faculty Referral Forms in Banner Self-Service asking advisors to contact at-risk freshmen for advising.
• Advisors are responsible for advising students based upon faculty concerns as identified in the Online Faculty Referral Forms and filling out the Online Documentation/Advisor Action Form reporting the results of the advising secession.
E. Students Who Have Disabilities Back to Table of Contents
The UM Office of Disability
Support Services (DSS) is located on the first floor of Main Hall. The DSS
coordinates services and provides advocacy and support to students with
documented physical, learning, and psychological disabilities.
1. Faculty Responsibilities
Faculty
members have several responsibilities regarding the accommodation process.
•
Faculty should establish a cooperative atmosphere
when dealing with students with disabilities. Interact with students with
disabilities in the same manner as other students, but be clear that you are
willing to provide necessary accommodations.
•
Faculty should refer students who disclose a
disability or request accommodation to the Disability Support Services Office
(Main Hall, lower rear entrance; 665-6250; mccuned@montevallo.edu ). Faculty members
are encouraged to actively assist students to make contact with the DSS office
and to consider documenting such referrals.
• Faculty should contact the DSS Director, Deborah McCune, with any questions or concerns regarding the implementation of accommodations. Accommodations should not alter essential elements of the course/curriculum. If a faculty member believes that a request is not reasonable in his/her class, the DSS office should be contacted immediately. Do not simply refuse the student’s request without this contact.
•
Faculty members are responsible for
discussing/signing Classroom Accommodation Letters prepared by the DSS
office. There is no obligation to provide accommodation to students who
do not follow this process after being referred to DSS. However, some
matters of equal access may be obvious and should not be refused based on lack
of paperwork (such as maintaining accessible routes in and out of classrooms,
simple requests to remove a textbook from a wheelchair backpack, etc.).
•
Faculty should include the following statement in
course syllabi regarding the provision of accommodations:
2. ADA Statement
The University of
Montevallo provides equal opportunity to qualified students. If you have
a disability (medical, physical, learning, psychological, etc.) and wish to
request disability-related accommodations to complete course requirements,
contact Disability Support Services (located in Main Hall, rear entrance; 665-6250).
Course requirements cannot be waived, but reasonable accommodations may be
provided based on disability documentation and course objectives.
Accommodations cannot be made retroactively.
F. International Students
A
few of the challenges that international students face can include:
•
cultural & religious traditions that others don’t understand
•
homesickness
•
language barriers
•
unfamiliar foods
•
different social behaviors & expectations
• lack of understanding regarding nonverbal communication
•
UM academic expectations
1. International Student Services
Services for International Students are in The International House. The International House is located at 845 Valley St., on the corner of Valley and North Boundary St. For more information call 665-6006 or more information can be found on the UM website.
VI. Record Keeping for Advisors Back to Table of Contents
*Note: These are recommended procedures, individual record keeping may vary by department.
A. Maintain an Advising
Folder for each Advisee
•Well-labeled
manila file folders are sufficient for advising files. Some advisors are
starting to maintain electronic advising files. If so, an electronic folder should be maintained for
each student and regularly backed up for safekeeping.
•
Whether
maintained in hard copy or electronically, advisors should record every contact
with an advisee on a “Contact Log.” This record sheet can be stapled inside the folder or written directly
on the outside of the folder. If
maintaining electronic records, a separate document can be created to monitor
all contacts.
1.
Note
all contacts immediately after the meeting so that nothing is forgotten.
2.
Record
the date
3.
Record
exactly what transpired with the student; what advise was given; what the
student agreed to do; what the advisor agreed to do
4.
Save
all email correspondences, print and add to student file.
5.
Sign,
date, and make copies of all pre-registration documents (See Registration
Worksheet in Forms section) as evidence of the courses that have been
recommended!
•Other
documents in the folder might include: unofficial transcripts, copies of test scores, copies of Course
Substitution Forms, copies of Drop-Add Forms.
B. Create a Degree
Completion Plan
•
Students
often want to see a 3 to 4-year projection of what courses they will need to
take. A meeting to map out a
degree completion plan typically takes 30-45 minutes, but once completed it can
make the advisor’s life much easier!
• It may be advisable to have the Degree Completion Plan checked by a veteran advisor or department chair before providing the student with a copy.
•
Make
sure that any degree completion plan is clearly marked as “tentative” or
“projected.”
•
If
the plan significantly changes, then create a new one. Initial and date all
changes!
•
Include
on the plan, perhaps in a different color ink or font, any “additional
requirements” students must complete for degree completion (e.g. tests,
comprehensive exams, portfolios, interviews, internships).
C. Avoiding Advising Errors Back to Table of Contents
Clear, detailed, and accurate records are the advisor’s best defense against errors and false claims by students!
VII. Campus Resources Back to Table of Contents
Career Center 6262
Counseling Center 6245
Foreign Language 6410
Harbert Writing Center 6438
Records 6040
Student Financial Services 6050
Student Health Services 6275
Student Life 6565
Tutoring in Math and Science 6480
Disability Support Services 6250
The International House 6006
PART TWO: UM Specific Advisor Information
I. Tuition, Fees, and Room & Board Back to Table of Contents
Information on tuition, fees and room and board can be found on the Cashier's Office web page.
II. Payment Plan Option Back to Table of Contents
Nelnet Business Solutions
option, available to all students, is a convenient alternative to lump-sum
semester payments.
• Monthly payments
• No interest charges
• Low cost (enrollment fee of $40 per
semester)
• Automatic payment on scheduled dates
after enrollment
Schedule of Fees can be found on the UM website.
III. Drop/Add
Procedures for Undergrads
Students may drop-add during the
specified period either on the web or in the major department. A
student who is considering either dropping or adding a course should discuss
the proposed change with the academic advisor.
-
A $15 records fee covers the cost of all dropping-adding, etc…
SPRING AND FALL SEMESTERS & MAY
AND SUMMER SEMESTERS
Courses may be added for one week following registration day and dropped for a
specified period following registration day. After the drop period,
freshmen may drop one course without penalty until near the end of the term. (see academic calendar) This drop must
be done in the Records Office. The
last day for a refund for a dropped course is the last day of late
registration.
*Graduate students wishing to
drop/add should first contact their advisor! The Graduate Office will not be responsible for dropping and
adding students to classes. Advisors should contact Ms. Wendy Bell if there are “holds” that need to
be removed in order to add a class. Also, make sure that your graduate students don’t try to drop or add
courses through the UM Records Office.
IV. Withdrawing from the University of Montevallo Back to Table of Contents
• Students may not withdraw from the University on the website.
• Undergraduate students intending to withdraw from all of their classes during a term must go to the Records Office to complete a withdrawal form.
• Withdrawing students are required to bring a photo ID (i.e. driver's license or student ID) with them to the Records Office at the time of withdrawal.
• Students receiving financial aid should consult the Office of Financial Services to determine the effect the withdrawal may have on their aid.
• Resident students should notify the Office of Housing and Residence Life of their intent to withdraw.
• Completing these procedures results in official withdrawal from the University, and a grade of "W" is recorded for each course. Those who do not adhere to the withdrawal procedure receive those grades posted to the academic record at the conclusion of the semester or term.
V. Academic standards Back to Table of Contents
A. Grading System Back to Table of Contents
Grades represent
the instructor’s assessment of the student’s performance on classroom and
laboratory assignments, as well as on essays, term papers, class participation
and examinations, etc. Grades and grade points are earned and recorded as
follows:
| Grade | Grading Standard | Grade Points Per Hour |
| A | Excellent | 3 |
| B | Good | 2 |
| C | Satisfactory | 1 |
| D | Passing | 0 |
| F | Failing | 0 |
| I | Incomplete | 0 |
IP |
In Progress | 0 |
NC |
No Credit | 0 |
P |
Pass | 0 |
S |
Satisfactory | 0 |
U |
Unsatisfactory | 0 |
| W | Withdrawn | 0 |
B. Incomplete grades Back to Table of Contents
Grades of “I” (incomplete) may be given when students, because of circumstances
beyond their control, are unable to complete coursework that is assigned and/or
due during the last 15 calendar days of long semesters and/or during the last 5
calendar days of the May and Summer terms. All incomplete work must be finished
by a date determined by the instructor and not later than the conclusion of the
next long semester. When assigning
a grade of incomplete all faculty must complete and sign the Incomplete
Contract outlining the requirements and timeline for completing the necessary
work. ( See the Incomplete Contract Form in Section IX) If students do not honor the terms of the Incomplete Contract, an
“I” grade automatically becomes an “F”.
C. In Progress
grades Back to Table of Contents
Grades of “IP” (In Progress) may be assigned only in designated courses. If in doubt, ask the department chair!
D. Repeating courses and grades Back to Table of Contents
Students who want to receive credit for a course failed at UM must repeat the
course at UM. Students who want to improve a grade(s) in a UM course must also repeat
the course(s) at UM. (The credit hours for a repeated, previously passed course
are not included in earned hours.)
E. Grade-point calculations Back to Table of Contents
Only grades earned at the University of Montevallo are used in calculating the
student’s grade-point average.
The grade
point average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the total amount of grade points
earned by the total amount of credit hours attempted. Grade point averages may
range from 0.0 to a 4.0.
A= 4 grade
points
B= 3
grade points
C= 2
grade points
D= 1
grade point
WF/F= 0 grade points
I
(Incompletes) and W (Withdrawals) do not receive grade points and do not have
an effect on the GPA.
The total grade points are divided by the total credit hours attempted. To calculate a cumulative GPA, total
the credit hours and then the grade points from all semesters. Divide the total
grade points by the total credit hours.
F. Class standing Back to Table of Contents
Freshman: fewer than 30
hours
Sophomore: at 30 hours
Junior: at
60 hours
Senior: at 90
hours
A student is expected to achieve consistent progress toward the attainment of a University degree. Earning the following minimum cumulative UM GPAs is considered minimum academic progress:
0-29 earned hours*, 1.5 GPA (UM)
30-59 earned hours*, 1.7GPA (UM)
60-89 earned hours*, 1.9 GPA (UM)
90+ earned hours*, 2.0 GPA (UM)
*includes transfer hours
H. Academic Warning
At the end of each semester , a student maintaining minimum academic progress, as defined previously in this section, is placed on academic warning when, after attempting 12 or more credit hours at the University of Montevallo, the cumulative UM GPA is below 2.0 (C average) on a scale of 4.0. A student may be removed from academic warning only by attaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Academic warning will be noted on the student's academic transcript.
I. Academic Suspension
At the end of each spring semester, a student who does not maintain minimum academic progress, as defined previously, will be suspended from study for one regular semester (the subsequent fall semester ) . Any student who is suspended will be allowed to enroll in the subsequent summer term. If summer enrollment results in meeting minimum academic progress, the student will be reinstated for the fall semester. The previous suspension will be noted on the student's academic transcript. If a student chooses not to enroll in the subsequent summer term, the suspension will remain in effect and the student will not be allowed to enroll in the fall semester. A student may not transfer to the University any credits earned at another college or university while on suspension.
Following expiration of the suspension, the student will be readmitted under academic warning. A student returning from suspension is placed on warning and must receive a term GPA of 2.0 or better.
A returning student who subsequently does not attain the aforementioned standards at the end of the spring semester shall incur an indefinite suspension (minimum of 1 months) and may be readmitted only after review and approval of the Committee on Readmission. The request for such a review should be addressed to the appropriate college dean, who appoints and chairs the committee.
J. Special conditions Back to Table of Contents
Students placed on academic
warning are usually not eligible to participate in extracurricular
activities; however, a student incurring warning during a period of active
participation in an intercollegiate sport, theatrical production, or other
officially recognized extracurricular activity in which the student represents
the University may be allowed to complete the period of participation, provided
that this provision does not conflict with relevant external rules.
VI. Transient
Student
A currently enrolled student wishing to take a course at another
institution of higher education for purposes of transferring the credit back to
the University of Montevallo should follow the procedures below:
1.
Students should go to the Records Office, obtain a letter of
good standing and have Records Office personnel complete the top part of the
form-- regarding current academic standing.
2.
The form should then be taken to the advisor for a
signature. At this point the form
should be completed with the term, the name of the transient institution and the
courses to be taken.
3.
The form must then be signed by the chair of the department.
4.
The original form must be returned to the Records Office for
completion of the process:
• The official seal will be applied to the form. The form is not complete or official unless it bears the official seal of the University of Montevallo. Surprisingly, some institutions are not very particular about the form and will even allow students to FAX the letter of good standing.
• The Records Office will send a copy of the form to the advisor.
• The Records Office will retain a copy for the student’s official
file.
5.
Upon completion of the course(s), students must request that the
transient institution mail an official copy of the transcript to the Records
Office at the University of Montevallo. Sometimes advisors also ask students to provide a copy of their
transcript for the advising file.
VII. Change
of Major
If students choose to change
their major, they can obtain a Change of
Major Form from the department they want to change to, and complete the top
section. Personnel in the new department should complete Part 2
of the form, and the Department Chair’s signature is required. The student or department then forwards
the form to the Records Office for completion and for noting official changes. ( See
the Change of Major Form in the
Forms section.)
VIII. Course Information Back to Table of Contents
A. Course
Substitution
If a student takes a course or transfers in a course that the advisor thinks would be comparable for the designated major, the advisor can complete a Course Substitution Form.
• Graduate students:
1.
The advisor completes the form and forwards it to the Department
Chair.
2.
The Chair approves the course substitution and then forwards the
form to the Dean.
3.
The Dean’s office offers final approval and then forwards the
form to the Office of Graduate Studies.
•
1.
The advisor completes the form and forwards it to the Department
Chair.
2. If the course substitution is for an education major, and is related to a professional education or major course, then it is routed to the Certification Officer for approval. This allows the course to be checked against state department expectations.
4.
If the course substitution is for a general education course,
then the Dean’s Office must route the request to the VPAA, who forwards
approval to the Records Office.
B. Maximum
course loads Back to Table of Contents
Maximum course loads are as follows: 19 semester hours for Fall or Spring
Semesters; 4 semester hours for May Term, and 7 semester hours for each Summer
Session. Overloads must be approved by the student’s academic dean.
C. Auditing
courses Back to Table of Contents
Students may audit courses (i.e., without receiving grades or credit) on a
space-available basis. Auditing students must register in the Records Office during the official
late-registration period only. Students taking courses for credit may not
change credit to audit after the add-period ends.
D. Cancellation
of courses Back to Table of Contents
The University reserves the right to cancel any course
offered when enrollment is fewer than 10. The decision is made by the VPAA and
the dean of the college in which the course is offered.
Lists of Approved General Education courses can be found on the university website.
IX. Final Exam Schedule Back to Table of Contents
The Final Exam Schedule is located on the university website.
The final exam schedule is based on regularly scheduled class hours. If you have a class scheduled for a time that is not in the schedule, please consult your instructor for the exam time.
Any student having more than two examinations in the same day may petition his or her College Dean no later than the last regular day of class for a special exam, which will be administered at the "Special Exam" times listed in the Final Examination Schedule. Graduation candidates' grades are due at 3:00 PM on the Wednesday of Finals week. Therefore, those students who have exams scheduled after that date must be allowed to take them early enough so that grades are submitted on the WEB by 3:00 PM.
X. Other Items to Note Back to Table of Contents
A. Absence policy Back to Table of Contents
The University expects students to attend all classes for which they are enrolled. Instructors may establish specific attendance regulations governing their classes and will provide them to their students at the beginning of each term. Regulations governing absence policies:
a. All unique absence policy statements must be on file in the office of the dean and must be approved by the appropriate dean.
b. All policies must allow excused absences for these reasons:
1. Travel considered part of the instructional program of the University and requiring absence from class.
2. Participation in activities directly sponsored by and in the interest of the University.
3. Extraordinary circumstances, such as pressing legal obligations, authorized by the college dean.
c. All policies must allow for a reasonable number of absences for these reasons:
1. Illness.
2. Death or serious illness in the immediate family.
Instructors determine the validity of excuses and are responsible for consistent enforcement of their policies. Students may appeal decisions via established procedures for grievances concerning academic matters
B. Confidentiality of records: FERPA Guidelines for Advisors Back to Table of Contents
1. DO refer requests for information from the Education Record of a student to the proper education record custodians: The UM Records Office, the Office of Graduate Studies, or in some cases the Office of Teacher Education Services.
2. DO keep only those individual student records necessary for the fulfillment of your teaching and advising responsibilities. Private notes of a faculty member concerning a student and intended for the faculty member's own use are not part of the student's Education Record and should be kept separately by the faculty member.
3. DO change factual information regarding grades and performance in an Education Record when the student is able to provide valid documentation that information is inaccurate or misleading. The substantive judgment of a faculty member about a student's work, expressed in grades and/or evaluations, is not within the purview of students' right to challenge their educational records.
4. DO NOT display student scores or grades publicly in association with names, University ID Numbers, or other personal identifiers. If scores or grades are posted, use some code known only to you and the individual student. If a partial ID Number is used, use no more than the last five digits. In no case should the list be posted in alphabetic sequence by student name.
5. DO NOT put papers, graded exams books, or lab reports containing student names and grades in publicly accessible places. Students are not to have access to the scores and grades of others in class in ways that allow other students to be identified.
6. DO NOT request or look up information on a student without a legitimate educational interest and the appropriate authority to do so.
7. DO NOT share student educational record information, including grades or grade point averages, with other faculty or staff members of the University unless their official responsibilities identify their "legitimate educational interest" in that information for that student.
8. DO NOT share information from student educational records, including grades or grade point averages, with parents or others outside the institution, including in letters of recommendation, without written permission from the student.
9. Advisors should not discuss an advisee’s academic progress with the advisee’s parent(s) unless the advisee has completed a card authorizing release of such information to the parent(s). Students are given the opportunity to complete such an authorization card during orientation and it is stored in his/her advising file.
10. WHEN IN DOUBT, err on the side of caution.
XI. Forms Back to Table of Contents