Undergraduate Catalog

Wright State University Report on the Quality of Teacher Preperation

Notice to Students

Privacy and Release of Student Educational Record Information
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) as amended sets forth requirements designed to protect the privacy of student educational records. FERPA governs access to records maintained by educational institutions and the release of information from those records. This abbreviated document is provided as an overview of Wright State University's commitment to protect educational records for both the student and the institution. For additional information, please contact The Office of the Registrar, E244 Student Union, (937) 775-5588, fax (937) 775-5597; e-mail registrar@wright.edu.

Educational Records
Educational records are those records, files, documents, and other materials that contain information directly related to a student and are maintained by the university. Some records maintained are not educational records, such as those:

by the Office of Public Safety for law enforcement purposes;
by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized professional, professional in training, or paraprofessional made, maintained, or used solely for the purpose of treatment or accommodation;
records exclusively containing information about an individual after he or she is no longer a student.

Students are granted the right to inspect and review all of their educational records, with the exception of the financial records of parents and confidential letters and statements of recommendations covering certain years. Students may waive their right of access to confidential letters and statements of recommendation. Even if the student signs a waiver, upon request, the names of all persons making confidential recommendations will be made available. The university may not require a student to waive his or her right of access for receipt of university benefits or services.

Reviewing Records
Requests to review records must be made separately, in writing, to each office maintaining records. Within 15 days, and not to exceed 30 days, offices will respond to requests to review and inspect. Information contained in educational records will be fully explained and interpreted to students by university personnel.

Students have the right to challenge the content of their education records if they consider the information contained therein to be inaccurate, misleading, or inappropriate. Students challenging information in their records must submit, in writing, a request for a hearing to the director of the appropriate department, school, or college maintaining the record, listing the specific information in question and the reasons for the challenge.

In the event that the hearing panel denies a student's request to change information within his or her record, an appeal may be made. All appeals shall be in writing, and submitted to the Registrar within 10 business days of the hearing decision. In the event that the appeal is denied, the student may choose to place a statement with the record commenting on the accuracy of the information in the record and/or setting forth any basis for inaccuracy. Note: The Schools of Medicine and Professional Psychology have separate procedures for challenging and adjudicating record disputes. Please refer to the individual school's student handbook for more information.

Public Information
Information identified as public information will be released without the student's consent. Public information is defined as the following:

Student's name*
All addresses including e-mail*
Telephone listings*
Major field of study
Number of hours registered
Full- or part-time status
Class standing (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate, or professional)
Dates of attendance
Degrees awarded and total hours earned
Special honors and awards
Most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student
Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
Weight and height of members of athletic teams

*These items are included in the WSU telephone directory.

Students have the right, however, to have this information withheld from the public if they so desire. Each student who wants information withheld (including items to be published in the student directory) shall complete a "Request to Prevent Release of Public Information" form from the Office of the Registrar. Each student is advised to carefully consider the consequences of a decision to withhold public information (e.g., if a student is named to the dean's list, the university cannot make that information public). The university will not release information that is requested to be withheld; any requests from persons or organizations outside the university will be refused unless the student provides written consent for the release.

Public information status remains in effect until the student changes it, even after discontinuing attendance, upon graduation, or upon death.

The university receives many inquiries for "directory information" from a variety of sources, including friends, parents, relatives, prospective employers, other institutions of higher education, honor societies, licensing agencies, government agencies, and the news media. The university will not release information that is requested to be withheld, and any requests from persons or organizations outside the university will be refused unless the student provides written consent for the release.

The following are examples of when prior consent from a student is not needed. Consequently, the university will release this information in the following instances:

for requests from Wright State University employees who have a legitimate educational interest on a "need to know" basis;
in compliance with a lawful subpoena or judicial order (only after an attempt is made to inform the student by the Office of General Counsel);
for requests in connection with a student's application for or receipt of financial aid;
for requests by state authorities and agencies speci fically exempted from the prior consent requirements by the Act;
for information submitted to accrediting organizations;
for requests by parents of a dependent student, as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954;
in cases where a student who is under 21 years of age (at the time of notification) has committed a violation of law or university policy pertaining to drugs or alcohol;
in cases where a student is found responsible for a violation of the university's Code of Student Conduct pertaining to an act of sexual or physical assault;
in the case of emergencies where the health, welfare, or safety of the student is in jeopardy;
to authorized federal officials;
for information requested by officials of other institutions in which the student intends to enroll.

Note: Each fall quarter, the university publishes the telephone directory, which contains names, home and local addresses, e-mail addresses, and local telephone numbers. To keep information from being printed in the directory, a student must notify the Office of the Registrar (in the manner described above) no later than the first Friday after the start of the fall quarter. Because the directory is published only once a year, requests to change a student's information release status after the first Friday of fall quarter (or in subsequent quarters), will not be reflected in the printed directory. However, changes will be applied to public information within the student information system. Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy Wright State University is committed to achieving full equal opportunity in all aspects of university life. We are proud of the diversity of the university community and strive to make all members of the community feel welcome.

The policy of Wright State University is to not discriminate against any persons on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, national origin, age, or ancestry. In addition, we take affirmative action to recruit and assist members of various racial or ethnic groups, women, Vietnam-era veterans, and persons with disabilities whose ability to achieve academic success might otherwise be unrecognized because of cultural barriers. Our policy is fully consistent with the various federal and Ohio statutes that prohibit discrimination. Any questions or comments about the university's policy, and any complaint about perceived discrimination, may be directed to the director of Affirmative Action Programs, 436 Millett Hall, (937) 775-3207.

The university's Affirmative Action Plan is maintained in the Office of Affirmative Action Programs. Wright State is a public institution, and accessible to any member of the public.

In addition, Wright State University is a national leader in accommodating the needs of students with disabilities. Any questions or com-ments concerning a needed accommodation may be directed to the director of Disability Services, 133 Student Services, (937) 775-2141.

Archived content: For current catalog information, please go to catalog.wright.edu

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