Academic Policies

Student Responsibility

It is the responsibility of each student to take the initiative to plan his or her own program and to meet graduation requirements in accordance with the University's policies described in the catalog. As changes occur, it is the student's responsibility to remain current. Advisers will assist the student in the task.

Student Access to Records

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1975, as amended, (FERPA, also known as the Buckley Amendment) is a federal law which allows students the right to inspect their education records and provides that colleges and universities will maintain the confidentiality of those records. The law basically says that no one outside the institution shall have access to the student's education records nor will the institution disclose other than Directory Information from those records without the student's written consent, except in an emergency. A copy of the full text of the law is available at the Registrar's Office. The only non-directory information California Lutheran University releases to a third party is academic standing, released only to parents of dependent students placed on academic probation or suspension.

Campus personnel who are allowed access to educational records are those who are acting in the student's educational interest. This group is defined by the University to include personnel in the Registrar's Office, Enrollment and Student Life, Financial Aid, Institutional Research and university officials with a legitimate educational interest as determined by the registrar. Faculty advisers are included under the latter category.

California Lutheran University's FERPA policy allows university employees to release Directory Information to anyone, but we will not release information on students in bulk for commercial purposes (credit card agencies, etc.). The items defined as Directory Information at California Lutheran University are the following: name, campus residence hall, campus box number, campus telephone number, date/place of birth, dates of attendance, degree date, degrees awarded or anticipated, honors, major, previous institution most recently attended, participation in recognized campus activities or sports, height and weight of members of athletic teams, photograph, e-mail address.

Students have the right to have Directory Information withheld completely. This means we will not release any information from the education record, including the items listed above, without prior written consent. If a student withholds Directory Information, his or her name will not appear in the student directory. To request Directory Information be withheld, the student must complete a "Disclosure of Directory Information" form and file it with the Registrar's Office. The form remains in effect through the end of the academic year and must be resubmitted annually.

Statement on Academic Freedom

It is fundamental to the health of an academic institution and ultimately to the health of a society at large that individual persons and groups of persons exercise their responsibility and freedom to search for the truth and to speak the truth as it is discovered. In a collegial community, the corporate person of the university institution and the persons of the faculty, administration and the student body bear mutual responsibility to exercise professional competence and to extend to one another the trust and respect which foster an environment for the exercise of academic freedom. California Lutheran University endorses the principles of academic freedom. CLU's complete policy on academic freedom is contained in the Faculty Handbook.

Statement on Academic Honesty

The educational programs of California Lutheran University are designed and dedicated to achieve academic excellence, honesty and integrity at every level of student life. Part of the University's dedication to academic excellence is its commitment to academic honesty. Students, faculty, staff and administration share the responsibility for maintaining high levels of scholarship. Any behavior or act which might be defined as "deceitful" or "dishonest" will meet with appropriate disciplinary sanctions, including dismissal from the University, suspension, a grade of "F" in a course or various forms of academic probation. Plagiarism, cheating, unethical computer use and facilitation of academic dishonesty are examples of behavior which will result in disciplinary sanctions as determined appropriate by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Attendance at Classes

Regular attendance at all classes is essential. Students are expected to be punctual, do the work assigned and not be absent without good cause.

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