Student Regulations of Interest to the Faculty

[Section IX of the Faculty Handbook]

A. Student Records

No educational records will be maintained that are not directly related to the basic purposes of the University. All policies and practices governing the collection, maintenance, review, and release of records will be based upon the principles of confidentiality and the student's right to privacy, consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This policy shall govern the collection, maintenance, review, and release of student records on the Athens and regional campuses of Ohio University. The operative rules are contained in the Policy and Procedure Manual, No. 12.020.

B. Instructors' Attendance Reports

Instructors are encouraged to report the names of students who are frequently absent to the office of the dean of the appropriate college. This enables the staff to investigate such cases and to determine what assistance these students may need in dealing with problems outside the classroom.

C. Notification of Causes of Absence

Students may document reasons for their absences as follows:

1. If you are participating in an authorized University activity (departmental trip, music or debate activity, ROTC function, or athletic competition), you can obtain notification from the sponsoring office. If you are in the military reserves and reserve training including reasonable travel time to training locations may fall upon class days, a letter from the commander of your military reserve unit showing the date of the absence and the reason for it will serve for prior notification.
    
2. Students who receive medical or dental care from OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, Ohio University Campus Care or other health care facilities are expected to request official notification from the staff at the time of their visit stating that they were seen on a particular day, in order to present the instructors of classes necessarily missed for this reason verification of the date(s) and times they received such care. It is the responsibility of the student to request and obtain such notification.
    
3. Students may be absent for up to three days each academic semester to take time off for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief system or participate in organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or other religious or spiritual organization. Faculty shall not impose an academic penalty because of a student being absent nor shall faculty question the sincerity of a student’s religious or spiritual belief systems. Students are expected to notify faculty in writing of specific dates requested for alternative accommodations no later than fourteen days after the first day of instruction. Faculty are expected to keep requests for alternative accommodation confidential. Absences for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief systems are considered in addition to other legitimate and unexcused absences permitted by the instructor. Students or faculty should contact the University Equity and Civil Rights Compliance Office with questions.
    
4. Students returning to a class after a legitimate absence can expect their instructor's assistance within the limits of the instructor's established attendance policy. In cases of legitimate absence—such as illness, death in the immediate family, religious observance, jury duty, involvement in University-sponsored activities—some accommodation (e.g., makeup work, excused absences, change of grade computation) will be arranged subject to previously announced limitations. There are occasions where the size or nature of the course makes it necessary to set limits on the number of excused absences or the availability of makeup work, particularly for exams or special events such as field trips or outside speakers. Such limitations will be explained in the instructor's statement of attendance policy at the beginning of each course. Students with scheduled activities must check with the instructor as early as possible to clarify that there will be no conflict with the policy.

D. Student Dress and Appearance Requirements

1. Members of the faculty or University staff shall not require students to adhere to any particular form of dress or appearance as a condition of admission to or membership in any class or University-sponsored activity unless the requirement has academic or other justifiable relevance to the particular course of study or activity, or is made to ensure the student's safety.
2. However, when a faculty or staff member finds it necessary to establish requirements regarding the personal dress and appearance of their students, these requirements shall be deemed academically accepted (within the limits of VIII.D.3, 4, and 5 below) lest questions of academic freedom be broached.
3. A faculty or staff member may not set requirements of personal dress and appearance that violate civil law.
4. Within reason, requirements regarding personal dress and appearance in a classroom shall be published in advance of the first meeting of the class or activity but not later than the first meeting. Such requirements, along with attendance policies, should be on file with the department chair or director.
5. When requirements of dress or other items of personal appearance are made for reasons of academic or other justifiable relevance to the particular course of study or activity, they shall be such that they affect the student only during the particular class or activity in question and do not carry over outside class time. Where such requirements are made, time shall be allowed within the period of the class or activity for the student both to dress according to the requirements and later to assume the appearance of their choice.
6. When requirements of dress or other items of personal appearance are made for reasons of health or safety, they shall be such that they affect the student only when the student is on property owned or controlled by Ohio University or participating in activities sponsored by Ohio University.

E. Teaching Associate Dress and Appearance Requirements

1. he student who is a teaching associate shall not be required to adhere to any particular form of dress or appearance as a condition of employment or retention in a teaching or research capacity unless it can be demonstrated that the requirement has academic relevance to the particular course being taught, or is made to ensure safety.
2. If requirements of dress or other items of personal appearance are made, they shall be such that they affect the student only during the particular class he/she/they teach and do not carry over outside class, office, laboratory, or other official contracted hours.
3. If it is deemed necessary to establish requirements regarding personal dress and appearance of a student, these shall be communicated in writing to the student at the time of issuance of a contract.
4. These regulations apply to students in their capacities as teachers and do not replace or alter University codes already adopted concerning student dress and appearance.

F. Academic Dishonesty

The Ohio University Student Code of Conduct prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty. These include but are not limited to cheating, plagiarism, forgery, furnishing false information to the University, and alteration or misuse of University documents, records, or identification. Ohio University has a two-tiered approach to responding to cases of academic misconduct. First, academic misconduct typically occurs in the classroom and should be handled in accordance with policies specified in the syllabus of a particular class (see Section IV.A.3). If an instructor suspects academic misconduct they should carefully investigate and document the case and, if academic misconduct is discovered, provide the student with a written statement documenting the misconduct and explaining what sanctions, penalties, or other actions will be taken as a result.

Second, instructors may also report cases of academic dishonesty to the Director of the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility for further action; however, by so doing, an instructor does not in any way relinquish the right to assign the student a grade consistent with the grading policy and academic dishonesty statement contained in the syllabus (see Section IV.A.3.c and e).  After consultation with the instructor, the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility may recommend that the instructor handle the situation solely as a classroom issue, that a letter of concern be sent to the student, and/or that the case be officially referred to that office so that formal hearing procedures can be initiated. Any student referred to the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility because of academic misconduct is entitled to notice of charges being made against them and to a full hearing. If suspension or dismissal is recommended, the student is further entitled to appeals procedures and will not be suspended or dismissed from the University while appeals are in process. 

1. The student who is a teaching associate shall not be required to adhere to any particular form of dress or appearance as a condition of employment or retention in a teaching or research capacity unless it can be demonstrated that the requirement has academic relevance to the particular course being taught, or is made to ensure safety.
2. If requirements of dress or other items of personal appearance are made, they shall be such that they affect the student only during the particular class he/she/they teach and do not carry over outside class, office, laboratory, or other official contracted hours.
3. If it is deemed necessary to establish requirements regarding personal dress and appearance of a student, these shall be communicated in writing to the student at the time of issuance of a contract.
4. These regulations apply to students in their capacities as teachers and do not replace or alter University codes already adopted concerning student dress and appearance.