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STUDENT RECORDS

A. General Policy

The University of Alabama subscribes to the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) ethical principles for confidentiality of student records. These principles are publicized in Guidelines for Postsecondary Institutions for Implementation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and as amended. The University has recognized the right of privacy of student records by requiring requests for transcripts to be in writing, by providing limited directory information, and by exercising strict control over storage of and access to records. In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, a part of the Education Amendments of 1974, the following policies and procedures govern the retention and the allowable disclosure of students' records.

B. Definitions

1. Eligible studen t-Any person who is enrolled or who has previously enrolled at The University of Alabama. Persons who have applied for admission, or who have been admitted but never matriculated, are not students of The University of Alabama. University of Alabama students who apply for admission to the Graduate School , the Law School , or the College of Community Health Sciences (which have separate procedures) but never enrolled are not considered students by those divisions.

2. Parents of Dependent Students - Dependency status, for the purpose of this

policy statement, is defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, Sec. 152. Basically the test for this status is whether or not, for tax purposes, the parent will be able to claim the student as a dependent on their most recent Federal Income Tax form.

3. Education Record s-Those records, files, documents, and other materials that contain information directly related to the student and that are maintained by The University of Alabama or by staff members acting for the University. Operational records such as student class schedule forms, registration information forms, drop/add slips and the like will be destroyed on an established schedule. Education records do not include:

a. Records of institutional, supervisory, and administrative personnel which are in the sole possession of the maker and which are not accessible to any other person accept a substitute.

b. Records of the University Department of Public Safety which are maintained solely for law enforcement officials and which are not made available to persons other than law enforcement officials of the same jurisdiction, subject to the provision of 1990 federal guidelines.

c. Employment records of University employees who are not in attendance at the University.

d. Students' records that have been made and/or maintained by health care professionals, or for the purpose of providing treatment or other remediation.

4. Directory Informatio n-Certain information may be made available on University of Alabama students without the previous consent of the student. However, the student is entitled, during the regular registration period, to request that such information not be made available to the general public. Directory information consists of the student's name, address, telephone number, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, e-mail address and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student.

C. Custodian of Records

University officers who are responsible for the educational records of students include: the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Dean of Students, the Deans of the Schools and Colleges, the University Registrar, the Registrars of the Schools and Colleges, the Director of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, and the Directors of University Placement Services. Each of these officers will have available a listing of records kept in individual division or departmental offices. A list of records maintained on individual students will be kept in the Office of Academic Affairs, Box 870114 , Tuscaloosa , AL 35487-0114 . Students will be notified in the Schedule of Classes Booklet of the procedures required under law for the policies concerning academic records.

D. Access to Educational Records

Records on individual students may be disclosed under the following circumstances:

1. Student Requests-Any student enrolled at The University of Alabama has the right to request the opportunity to examine his or her record as maintained in any of the offices on the University campus. The request must be made in writing and the office concerned has 45 days in which to assemble data and make provisions necessary for the student to examine the record. Examination of the records must either take place in the presence of a University official or for a reasonable fee the student may receive a copy of the records. The following records will not be disclosed to students:

a. Financial records of the parents of the students or any information contained therein.

b. Confidential letters and statements of recommendation that were placed in the file prior to January 1, 1975 , so long as those letters and/or statements were used solely for the purpose for which they were specifically intended.

c. Letters of recommendation to which the student has waived his or her right to access.

2. Requests by Parents-Parents of dependent students as defined earlier in the statement of policy have the right to examine the record of their dependent students. The same procedures and time frames apply to parental requests as to student requests. In both instances of student and parental requests for record disclosure, those requesting the record must bear the expenses of reproducing the records. No parent may see a record that his or her dependent child is not entitled to see.

3. In addition, without first obtaining the permission of the student or the parents, student records are available to certain individuals, agencies, and institutions. These are:

a. University officials, including instructors who have legitimate educational interest in reviewing the record.

b. Officials of other schools or colleges in which The University of Alabama student seeks or intends to enroll.

c. Authorized representatives of:

(1) The Comptroller General of the United States ,

(2) The Secretary, Department of Education,

(3) An administrative head of an education agency,

(4) And state education authorities.

d. The Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships or any other appropriate office or person in connection with application for or receipt of financial aid.

e. State and local officials or authorities to whom such information is specifically required to be reported or disclosed pursuant to statutes adopted prior to November 19, 1974 .

f. Organizations, which conduct validation studies on predictive tests, administer student aid programs, and improve instruction. Such studies must be conducted in such a manner that the personal identification of individual students or parents cannot be made public.

g. Accrediting organizations in order to carry out their accrediting function.

h. In response to a court order or subpoena on the condition that the student is notified of the order or subpoena in advance of forwarding the records.

i. Appropriate persons in emergency situations, if the knowledge of the records is necessary to protect the health and safety of the student or other persons. The following factors will be taken into account in determining whether information will be given in emergency situations:

(1) The seriousness of the threat to health or safety of the student or other individuals;

(2) The need for the information to meet the emergency;

(3) Whether the parties to whom the information is disclosed are in a position to deal with the emergency; and

(4) The extent to which time is of the essence in dealing with the emergency.

E. Procedures

Access to the academic records by students and parents of dependent students may be gained by written requests, specifying the records to be released, the reason for their release, and to whom. The request must be signed and dated. After examination of the records it is possible for the student to challenge entries and add factual, explanatory information to the records. This challenge allows for the examination of the correctness of the recording of the grade, which has been given by an instructor. If the University does not amend a record as requested, the student will be informed of the right to a hearing. Results of hearings will be given in writing to eligible students according to procedures, which shall include:

1. Hearings will be conducted within a reasonable time frame.

2. Parents and/or eligible students will be given notice of date, place, and time of hearing.

3. The hearing will be conducted by an official of the institution, named by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, who does not have a direct interest in the outcome of the hearing.

4. Parents and/or eligible students can present evidence relevant to the issue and may be represented by individuals including attorneys.

5. Decision will be given in writing in a reasonable period of time and will be based solely on evidence presented at the hearing. The Office of Academic Records and University Registrar must keep a log of all parties, other than University employees, who have requested or obtained access to a student's academic records. This log will contain the reason why access was requested. The log will not be made available to anyone other than the student and the University employees. Any time information concerning the student is transmitted to a third party, the party must be notified that it is illegal under the Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 to share information with anyone else without written permission from the student.

TRANSFERRING

Students should refer to the undergraduate or graduate catalog for specific information about degree requirements, grading policies, and applicability of transfer equivalent credit toward meeting degree requirements. This section summarizes academic policies related to transferring between divisions and declaring academic bankruptcy for a semester.

A. Transferring Between Divisions within the University

Students registered in an undergraduate division of The University of Alabama who has earned fewer than 45 semester hours may transfer to another academic division. Students who have earned 45 or more semester hours may transfer to another undergraduate division according to the rules established by the division to which they are applying. Credit will be given for courses in which a passing grade has been earned, provided that the courses transferred are appropriate to the new curriculum. The academic division into which the transfer is made determines credits accepted for graduation. Students who are transferring between academic divisions of the University must present to the Office of Academic Records and University Registrar a permit to transfer. This form indicates that the school or college the student plans to transfer into has been notified of the student's intent. Changes in the student's major(s) and minor(s) must be registered with the divisional registrar/student services office in the new academic division immediately following the semester. Transfers between academic divisions will not be permitted once the registration process has been completed for a given term. At the discretion of the school or college concerned, a student may, upon entering another division of the University, petition to discard all credit previously earned. This recourse is limited to students who have attempted no more than 20 semester credit hours of work.

B. Academic Bankruptcy

Academic bankruptcy involves a student's request to retroactively withdraw one academic term of work because of extreme personal, emotional, or financial circumstances so devastating that it became impossible to perform academically at a level

Approximating the usual record of achievement. The following specific guidelines apply to any petition for Academic bankruptcy:

1. Academic bankruptcy is never granted for an academic term in which the student is currently enrolled, nor for the previous academic term.

2. Petitions must be filed prior to graduation.

3. No more than one petition for academic bankruptcy may be granted during the student's academic career at The University of Alabama.

4. If the petition is approved, the grades for all courses taken during the academic term will be recorded as "W" (withdrawn).

5. An application for academic bankruptcy is filed in the dean's office of the division in which the student is enrolled. After a student has been in a division for two academic terms, the division will have the authority to grant academic bankruptcy for an academic term in which the student was enrolled in another division.

WITHDRAWAL

A. General Policy

The University of Alabama provides registered students the opportunity to withdraw from the University. The University also reserves the right to disenroll students under specific circumstances.

B. Student Initiated Withdrawals

Any student unable to complete any academic term for any reason must formally withdraw from the University to avoid possible financial and academic penalties. Voluntary student withdrawals are initiated at the Office of Academic Records and University Registrar or the Russell Student Health Center for medical withdrawals. The effective date of withdrawal is the date the student initiates the withdrawal at the Office of Academic Records and University Registrar in the case of a medical withdrawal, the date specified by the Russell Student Health Center .

C. Student Deaths/Extenuating Circumstances

In the event of a student's death during a term of enrollment, the student's full tuition and fee costs for the term will be removed from the student's account. Payments applied to the student's account from federal financial aid, institutional scholarships/grants and third party contractual agreements will be refunded to the appropriate program(s). The remaining credit, if any, will be issued to the student's parents, legal guardian or spouse as appropriate. Other extenuating circumstances such as severe medical injuries, which, in the opinion of the President of the University or his designee, warrant special consideration, are also eligible for full or partial refunds in excess of the standard institutional withdrawal refund policy.

D. University Initiated Disenrollment

Under specific circumstances, the University may initiate and withdraw a student for just cause. Such circumstances are:

1. Failure to Meet Financial Obligations–By registering for courses, a student has entered into an agreement with The University of Alabama to take certain classes and has the option to use certain services and attend certain events, which are provided for students by the University. The act of registration incurs certain financial responsibilities by the student to the University. In the event of an unpaid balance of any nature on the student's account, enrollment for subsequent terms will not be allowed, college credits will not be transferred, and transcripts of college credits will not be released until the student's account is paid in full. Failure of a student to meet financial obligations of any kind could subject the student to: disenrollment from the current classes; eviction from residential facilities; cancellation of meal tickets; suspension of future services; referral of the student's delinquent account to a collection agency; and the payment of additional late payment charges, reinstatement fees, attorney's fees and other costs and charges necessary for the collection of any amount not paid when due.

2. Academic Dishonesty-Students may be disenrolled for academic purposes if they violate the Academic Code of Conduct specified in Part III, Section B of this Handbook.

3. Inadequate academic progress-Students may be disenrolled if they register for a semester with incomplete course grades from a previous semester and upon completion of the incomplete the student's grade point average (GPA) is below the scholastic progress standard. (See Undergraduate Catalog.)

4. Non-Academic Misconduct-The University of Alabama offers evaluation, referral and appropriate treatment (within the limits of available University resources) for students displaying emotional or behavioral problems. However, in some instances, a student's behavior may be beyond the scope of these services and require consideration of termination of enrollment for a specific period in order to ensure the safety and well being of the student, and/or other members of the University community, and/or in the orderly operation of normal University functions.

a. Definitions

(1) Emotional or behavioral problems may include but are not limited to: overt actions, omissions to act, verbal or written statements which would not be consistent with the actions or statements of a reasonable, prudent person under similar circumstances, behaviors resulting from possible physical, drug related, or psychological disorders which may pose a potential harm to the physical well-being of the student or others, and/or cause significant disruptive activity to the normal functions of the University. An emotionally disturbed student is interpreted to include, but not be limited to, a student exhibiting any of the behaviors described above.

b. In any instance where the Dean of Students, in consultation with other University officials, determines that a student's behavior is disruptive to normal University functions, and/or presents a threat of harm or bodily injury to himself or herself and others, he/she may recommend to the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs be suspended from the University.

c. If the Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs concurs with this recommendation, the student will be temporarily suspended until a hearing can be held to determine whether the suspension should be made permanent or until certain medical conditions for reinstatement are met.

d. When a student is suspended or withdrawn for health reasons, a medical hold will be placed on the student's readmission to the University. This hold will remain in the student's records until the student's request for readmission is approved in accordance with the following procedures.

e. Readmission Procedures and Appeals

(1) A student who has had a hold placed on his or her readmission for health reasons must request readmission clearance from the Director of the Russell Student Health Center at least three (3) weeks prior to the first day of classes of the semester or summer session in which the student wishes to enroll. The student may be required by that office to submit medical evidence supportive of his or her present health and emotional ability to function properly in a university environment. The Director of the Russell Student Health Center , in consultation with other University officials, shall evaluate the student's request and supporting evidence. Primary consideration will be given to the satisfying of all conditions specified at the time of suspension or withdrawal for the readmission of the student to the University. If approval is granted by the Director of the Russell Student Health Center for the removal of the medical hold, the student must then complete regular readmission procedures required by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

(2) If the Director of the Russell Student Health Center does not grant approval for readmission, the student may appeal that decision to the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs. The appeal must be made, in writing, within five (5) University working days of the date the student was notified by the Director of the Russell Student Health Center that his or her request for readmission was denied.

(3) The Associate Vice President for Student Affairs or Dean of Students will inform the student that he or she is entitled to a hearing. This hearing shall be held within five University working days if at all possible. The Associate Vice President for Student Affairs or Dean of Students will conduct the hearing. Following the hearing, the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs allows the student to apply for readmission to the University. The Associate Vice President for Student Affairs shall notify all parties of this decision, in writing, within three (3) University working days following the completion of the hearing. The decision of the Associate Vice President is final. Students should consult the Undergraduate Catalog for information and explanations of policies and procedures related to registration, enrollment, withdrawal, academic progress, and expectations. Although the publisher of the Undergraduate Catalog makes every reasonable effort to attain factual accuracy in the catalog, no responsibility is assumed for editorial, clerical, printing errors, or errors occasioned by mistake. All information retained in this catalog is subject to change by the appropriate officials of the University of Alabama without prior notice.

Student Handbook