Lehigh University Student Policies: A Comprehensive Guide to Student Rights and Responsibilities

Lehigh University is committed to providing a supportive and enriching environment for its students. This article delves into various policies and regulations that govern student life at Lehigh, with a particular focus on student rights, responsibilities, and the University's commitment to protecting student privacy.

Understanding Banner and Self-Service Banner (SSB)

Banner is Lehigh University's integrated information system, serving as the backbone for managing various business processes. It handles student information, accounts receivable, financial aid, alumni relations, finance, and human resources.

Self-Service Banner (SSB) is a user-friendly online portal providing personalized content based on an individual's role at Lehigh. Students can utilize SSB to register for courses, access financial aid information, view class schedules, and check grades. Faculty members can manage class rosters, submit grades, and access academic details for their advisees. Employees can access pay stubs, manage direct deposit, view leave balances, and download tax documents. Banner and SSB serve as primary channels for official communication within the Lehigh community.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Lehigh University adheres to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), a federal law that outlines the rights of students and the responsibilities of educational institutions regarding student records. The University collects student information to fulfill its educational mission and retains these records for specific periods.

Who is Covered by FERPA?

FERPA applies to all University employees, including faculty, staff, and student workers, as well as volunteers. An "eligible student" is defined as anyone currently or previously enrolled in an academic program at Lehigh University, regardless of age. Student rights under FERPA begin once they attend a class (in-person or online) or actively participate in an online course.

Read also: Lehigh Grads and Employment

Student Rights Under FERPA

FERPA grants eligible students the following rights regarding their education records:

Right to Inspect and Review: Students have the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of submitting a written request to the University Registrar. The request should specify the records the student wishes to examine.
Right to Request Amendment: Students can request to amend their education records if they believe they are inaccurate, misleading, or violate their privacy rights under FERPA. A written request should be submitted to the University Registrar, clearly identifying the part of the record to be changed and the reason for the change. If the University denies the request, the student has the right to a hearing.
Right to Provide Written Consent for Disclosure: Students must provide written consent before Lehigh University discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from their education records to third parties, unless FERPA permits disclosure without consent.
Right to File a Complaint: Students can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Lehigh University to comply with FERPA requirements.

What Constitutes an Education Record?

Student education records include records, files, documents, data, and other materials containing information directly related to a student and maintained by Lehigh University or someone acting on its behalf, following University policy.

Exclusions from Education Records

Certain records are excluded from FERPA's provisions, including:

Records in the sole possession of the maker, used as a personal memory aid, and not accessible to others (except substitutes).
Records created and maintained by the Lehigh University Police Department for law enforcement purposes.
Employment records relating to an individual employed by an educational agency or institution not as a result of their status as a student, made and maintained in the normal course of business, relate exclusively to the individual in that individual's capacity as an employee and are not available for use for any other purpose. However, employment records relating to Lehigh University students who are employed as a result of their status as students (e.g. federally-funded work study, graduate assistants, resident assistants) are considered education records.
Records on students made or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized professional acting in that capacity, used only for treatment and not available to others except those providing treatment or a substitute.
Alumni records.

Directory Information

Directory Information includes information that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. This can include a student’s name, address, telephone number, date of birth, and other general identifying information. However, students can opt out of Directory Information disclosures by marking the confidential indicator checkbox in their Student Profile on Banner Student Self Service via Connect.Lehigh.Edu.

Limitations on Access

Education records will not be released to the student, parents, or any third party if a financial indebtedness or serious academic/disciplinary matter involving the student remains unresolved. This does not prevent the student from accessing their records but restricts the release of information. Students cannot access confidential financial statements of parents or information contained within them.

A student may waive their right to access confidential letters of recommendation for admission, employment, or honors. The student must be notified of all individuals providing recommendations, and the letters must be solely for the stated purpose.

Disclosures Without Consent

Lehigh University may disclose PII from student education records without prior written consent under certain conditions outlined in FERPA regulations. These include disclosures to:

Institutional officials with legitimate educational interests.
Officials of another institution where the student seeks to enroll.
Authorized representatives of federal and state government.
Organizations conducting studies for or on behalf of the school.
Accrediting organizations.
To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena pursuant to a judicial, legislative, or administrative proceeding.
Appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency.
A victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense.
The general public, the final results of a disciplinary proceeding.
Parents of a student regarding the student’s violation of any Federal, State, or local law, or of any rule or policy of the school, governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance if the school determines the student committed a disciplinary violation and the student is under the age of 21. (§99.31)

Confidentiality and Student Records

Lehigh University is dedicated to protecting the confidentiality of student information. Students can limit the disclosure of their directory information by setting the confidential indicator on their record via Connect Lehigh.

Implications of Marking Records Confidential

Setting this indicator restricts the release of information outside university employees and regulatory business. This means the individual's information will not be available for disclosure for any reason and they may not be able to conduct university business or get help over the phone or via online chat. University employees will still have access to students’ information in accordance with their job function.

If a student grants proxy access to a specific part of their student record, Lehigh University can conduct business with that individual regarding that part of the record.

Read also: Lehigh Dorm Life

Process for Designating Records as Confidential

Students can designate their record as confidential in the Confidentiality Card on Connect Lehigh. Reversing the confidential indicator can only be done by the student or the Registrar’s Office staff.

All University employees must adhere to FERPA guidelines when accessing confidential student records. Releasing directory information about anyone who has restricted the sharing of their information is prohibited. The only appropriate response to any request regarding a student marked "Confidential" is "I have no record of that person," even if the request comes from the student themselves.

Policy on Freedom of Thought, Inquiry, and Expression, and Dissent by Students

Lehigh University values free inquiry, free speech, and expression, including the right to open dissent. Students and student organizations are free to discuss any topics and express opinions publicly and privately. They can hold demonstrations on campus to express support or dissent.

Limitations on Freedom of Expression

Protest actions may not materially infringe upon the protected rights of others. Students exercising their right to free speech must abide by University policies, the University Code of Conduct, and the Student Handbook.

Students' rights of free speech and expression do not include unlawful activity or activity that:

Endangers or imminently threatens the safety of any member of the University community or the safety of other persons, or the damage or destruction of University property.
Materially disrupts or obstructs the functions of the University or imminently threatens such disruption or obstruction.
Denies the rights of other members of the University community.

Lehigh University is a private institution, and its property is private property. Persons or groups who are not part of the University community have no right or privilege to demonstrate, protest, post, or solicit on University property unless invited or sponsored by the University or a University-recognized student organization or group, or by a Lehigh faculty or staff member for a legitimate educational purpose.

Drug and Alcohol Policy

The University will not tolerate the sale of illegal drugs on campus and will take decisive action against any individual involved in drug trafficking.

Students should be aware of federal and state laws prohibiting illegal possession, sale, and trafficking in marijuana and other controlled substances. Pennsylvania law imposes a minimum jail term of at least two years as a mandatory sentence upon a first offender 18 years or older who simply gives a controlled substance to a minor on or within 1,000 feet of the Lehigh campus or the grounds of any other school (18 Pa.C.S. 6314).

Guest Policy

Lehigh is a predominantly residential institution where students' rooms are regarded as private living and study areas. The use of a room for social purposes should not be at the expense of another's legitimate use of the room for sleep or study. Any student who brings guests to the campus is responsible for making relevant University regulations known to them and accepts responsibility for their conduct.

Religious Holidays & Religious Life at Lehigh

Lehigh University seeks to extend hospitality to all persons regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economic or social background. Diversity is valued at Lehigh, and the University is committed to assuring that all persons who enter this community are welcomed and respected.

Questions regarding Religious Life, including those arising from religious groups, should be directed to the Chaplain's Office. Groups that invite visiting clergy to campus should inform the University Chaplain's Office so that these visitors may receive a formal invitation from the University. Religious materials may be distributed on campus, but the mode of distribution must be worked out in consultation with the Chaplain's Office. The University observes a non-intrusion policy with respect to living quarters, and residence halls are not to be entered for purposes of distributing religious materials.

Student Files

A student has the right to “inspect, challenge, correct, and protect” the University's educational files as they pertain to him or her. The files are:

Permanent Record File (Registrar's Office): This file includes the official transcript, admission application and supporting credentials, and records of actions affecting academic status (e.g., petitions and corrections of academic records). After graduation, they are retained.
Student Personnel File (Dean of Students Office): This file includes the transcript, copies of correspondence, notations of disciplinary actions, the activities card supplied each semester by the student, and a record of contacts between the student and the office.
Disciplinary File (Dean of Students Office): Beginning with students who enroll in classes for the first time after August 1, 2013, Lehigh University will maintain disciplinary records indefinitely. Students taking classes prior to August 1, 2013 will have their records maintained for five years after their graduation except in cases of suspension and expulsion which will be kept indefinitely. Copies of these records are made available to students in the course of disciplinary proceedings as part of Lehigh's fundamentally fair process.
Placement File (Career Planning and Placement Services): The only materials in a student's LUCIE (Lehigh University Career Information Exchange) account are those uploaded by the student for the information of recruiters. The account is inactive upon the student's graduation.
Health Professions Advisory Committee File: This file contains student's transcript, medical aptitude scores, faculty evaluations (on forms approved by the American Medical College Association), and correspondence relating to professional school admission. AMCA forms provide for the waiver of the student's right to inspect confidential evaluations. These files are destroyed five years after graduation.
Financial Aid File (Financial Aid Office): This file contains the parents' confidential statement or financial aid form, or both, and copies of tax returns that are regarded as confidential (see Release of Information - Confidential Records) unless there is written parental release. The file also contains correspondence relating the financial assistance. Lehigh regards this information as being public in nature and may release it without the prior written consent of the student. The student may, however, request the University to withhold any or all of the above data and to release such information only upon written authorization. Such a request should be made at the time when information forms are filled out; a “withhold data” statement is provided on the forms for that purpose.

Release of Information

Under University policy and public law, there are certain procedural requirements, conditions, and exceptions pertaining to the release of information from a student's file, namely:

The University may not release information from a file without the student's written consent, except to:

University faculty and staff who have legitimate educational reasons for obtaining it.
Officials of other educational institutions where the student seeks to enroll, if the student is notified of the release, receives a copy of the record if desired, and has an opportunity for a hearing to challenge the record.
Local, state, and federal agencies as specified by law.
Persons who require such information in connection with a student's application for or receipt of financial aid.
Officials of accrediting agencies or organizations conducting educational research, if access to personal data is limited and such data is destroyed upon completion of studies.
Persons authorized through judicial order or pursuant to a subpoena.
Parents of students dependent upon them.
Appropriate persons in the event of emergency where such information is necessary to the protection health and safety.

A written request from a student to inspect his or her file must be responded to within a reasonable period but in no case more than 45 days after the request has been made.

Release of Information to Parents of Students

The University complies with the guidelines for parental access to a student's educational records established by the U. S. Department of Education Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Compliance Office. Beginning in the summer of 1997, the University will request annually a statement from the student declaring whether they are dependents of their parents as defined by Internal Revenue Code for tax purposes. Parents of students responding that they are dependents will be granted access according to University guidelines and federal regulations. Records may be released to parents ONLY under the following circumstances:

Through the written consent of the student
In compliance with a legally issued subpoena
By submission of evidence that the parents declare the student as a dependent on their most recent Federal Income Tax form

In case of divorce, separation or custody, it is the policy of the University when access is granted to one parent, equal access will be granted to the other upon written request unless there is a court order or legally binding document stating otherwise.

Confidential Records

Certain records are legally recognized as confidential. These are:

Confidential letters of recommendation or evaluations written before January, 1975
Financial statements submitted by parents in support of financial aid requests
Counseling and health records used only in helping the student and available only to other professionals of the student's choice
Personal notes of faculty and administrators that are not accessible or revealed to anyone except a substitute

A student may waive his or her right of access to University files in the three areas of admission, job placement, and receipt awards, thereby making the related records confidential, if the student is informed of the names of all persons making confidential recommendations and if these recommendations are used only the specific purpose for which the waiver was given.

Students who request access their records have the right to an official explanation and interpretation of the records.

Challenges to Records

If a student challenges the factual basis of a record, these actions are available:

If the student and the custodian agree as to error, the change is noted and signed by both.
If there is no agreement, the student may submit a written statement supporting his or her claim, and this statement will become a permanent part of the file.
In place of, or in addition to, submission of a written statement for the file, the student may apply in writing to the Dean of Students for hearing and must support the application with a statement of relevant facts. If the Dean of Students Office is involved in the dispute, the student's request for a hearing should be directed to the Vice Provost for Student Affairs.

Copies of documents in these files may be obtained at the normal rate for photocopy service and Transcripts may be obtained only from the Registrar's Office.

Withdrawal For Physical, Psychological or Emotional Disorders

Lehigh University reserves the right to require the withdrawal of any student whose physical, psychological or emotional health renders him or her incapable of either meeting minimal standards of academic performance or making the personal and social adjustments normally expected of students.

tags: #lehigh #university #student #banner #policy