In response to the February 14, 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, President Donald Trump established the Federal Commission on School Safety to review safety practices and make meaningful and actionable recommendations of best practices to keep students safe. The Commission conducted field visits,…

This booklet discusses due process for institutions of higher education and how principles of due process should shape the design of institutional procedures for resolution of conflicts affecting students, faculty, academic programs, and research. The booklet defines and explains various area of conflict, the role of due process, and key legal…

A discussion of donor records in college and university fund-raising programs looks at a variety of issues, including who sees them (administrators, donors, volunteers, and members of the legal profession), how access to them is controlled, and what is kept in them. Suggestions are offered for managing such records, and the experiences of a number…

Provides guidelines for the development of campus computer policies, focusing on legal issues related to adult material, harassment, privacy, commerce, and copyright. Notes that computer use policies and practices need to evolve in concert with the changing computer culture. (MDM)

When used in managing college student records, electronic data interchange allows electronic student records to be fed directly into a receiving institution's database instead of being sent by mail. Although the process offers many clear advantages, one important question that must be addressed is how students' privacy will be protected under a…

Legal issues relating to privacy at colleges and universities arise in a variety of contexts. Many of the laws addressing privacy on campus seem to embrace either of two conceptions of the university's role. According to one conception, universities should protect their students from the peering eyes of government and the public. Another set of…

Describes access management problems associated with networked information systems and the two major architectural approaches used to address them, including discussion of related policy issues such as privacy, accountability, and collection of management data. Focus is on the concerns of colleges and universities and on developing practical…

Summarizes federal regulations concerning academic advising, including defamation, negligence, privacy, disabilities, civil rights, duty to report crimes, and privilege. Relevant state laws, interpretations, hypothetical situations, and the possible institutional and personal penalties, both civil and criminal, of not following current laws are…

Examines the challenges to colleges and universities associated with maintaining privacy as use of technology increases and technology advances. Lapses in security, types of information needing protection, liability under federal laws, other relevant laws and pending legislation, ethics, and policy implementation in the electronic age are…

The focus of this chapter is on the substantive constitutional protections of the public school employment relationship guaranteed by the First Amendment, particularly freedom of speech, and by the Fourteenth Amendment's right to privacy. Included are burden-of-proof standards required for establishing a prima facie case of denial of these…

An award-winning law student article discusses the implications of a court decision concerning the legality of student searches on campus and the need for institutions to review their policies and attitudes toward increased scrutiny of student life. (MSE)

Confidentiality issues in cooperative relationships between schools and agencies providing services to children and families with special needs are examined. Introductory sections consider the need to share information and the nature of confidentiality restrictions. A section on overall information sharing considers: when to address the…

Employee privacy rights are considered, along with practical problems and permissible parameters of employer activity. Included is a state-by-state analysis of the status of workplace privacy. Definitions are offered of "invasion of privacy," with attention to four types of privacy invasions: (1) placing someone in a "false light," (2) the public…

This pamphlet analyzes some of the legal issues colleges and universities face in regard to faculty and student access to computers and the World Wide Web, evaluates current legal developments, and offers guidelines for developing policies for computer access. It examines sample acceptable-use standards, procedures for suspending or terminating a…

Given the changes in higher education since 1974, especially those introduced by infusion of technology into admissions, registrar, bursar, financial aid, and advising functions, it is suggested that the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 may be inadequate to address current college-student privacy issues. Additionally, colleges…