Student Privacy: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Auburn Cares’ records regarding students are governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA protects the privacy of student education records, yet allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties under certain conditions, but are not limited to (34 CFR § 99.31):
- School officials with legitimate educational interest and have a “need to know”,
- Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student,
- Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies.
Students must complete a FERPA release form to permit university employees to share information about the student’s education or conduct record. Although FERPA greatly limits the information staff are able to share with parents without a release from their student, Auburn University will make every effort to contact parents/guardians in the event that a student is an imminent threat to him/herself or others. Students should regularly update their emergency notification contact information in Tiger I, accessible via the AUAccess portal.
Classroom Attendance
A student should contact their instructor directly to discuss anticipated and unexpected absences. In the event that a student is unable to contact their professors due to inpatient hospitalization or incapacitation, the Auburn Cares office can assist a student by contacting the Associate Dean of the student’s college and ask that the student’s professors are notified of his/her absence. In order for notification to be sent, the Auburn Cares office must be notified of the incident by the impacted student, parent or guardian. The Auburn Cares office may request documentation of the incident for verification, as deemed necessary.
The Auburn Cares office does not provide class excuses for absences. Please keep in mind that notification of a student’s Associate Dean, and subsequently their professors, by the Auburn Cares office regarding an absence is not an “excused absence.” The notification provided by the Auburn Cares office on the student’s behalf is used to explain the circumstances surrounding an absence (illness, injury, death in family, personal emergency, etc.) and to request that the instructor work with the student to complete missed course work, if appropriate. Depending on the reason for the absence, professors have the right to accept or reject the notification.
Students should familiarize themselves with Auburn University’s Policy on Class Attendance and Examinations to learn more.
Classroom Behavior
Auburn University respects the right of instructors to teach and the right of students to learn. In order to protect these rights certain classroom conditions must be met. Students, faculty and staff should familiarize themselves with Auburn University’s Policy on Classroom Behavior which outlines examples of improper classroom behaviors, as well as expectations and guidelines for intervention by faculty and staff.
Examples of improper classroom behaviors in the classroom may include, but are not limited to:
- Arriving after a class has begun
- Use of tobacco products
- Monopolizing discussion
- Persistent speaking out of turn
- Distractive talking, including cell phone usage
- Audio or video recording of classroom activities or the use of electronic devices without the permission of the instructor
- Refusal to comply with reasonable instructor directions
- Employing insulting language or gestures
- Verbal, psychological, or physical threats, harassment, and physical violence
Examples of interventions by a professor may include:
- Verbal caution to the entire class
- Verbal caution to the disruptive student
- Ask the disruptive student to leave class for the remainder of the class session
- File charges of violation against the disruptive student with the Office of Student Conduct
Medical Withdrawals
There may be times in a student’s academic career when an unexpected medical or mental health condition interferes with the student’s ability to complete their course work. When this happens students can contact Auburn Cares to discuss the option of a medical withdrawal. A medical withdrawal is appropriate when, by recommendation of a licensed health care provider, a student cannot continue enrollment in any of his/her courses because of serious physical and/or psychological illness. Because serious health conditions usually impact all course, most requests for a medical withdrawal result in a medical resignation. A medical withdrawal results in 0 credit hours for a semester.
More information about medical withdrawals can be found on our Medical Withdrawals page.
Auburn University students should read and understand the Policy on Withdrawal and Resignation, as well as the implications a withdrawal may have on their financial aid, scholarships, and on campus housing before making the decision to withdraw.