GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS 

         1.  Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0.

         2.  File an Application for Graduate Degree no later than the completion of 24 credit hours for programs requiring 30 to 39 total hours; no later than the completion of 36 credit hours for programs requiring 45 to 57 total hours and prior to enrollment in the final semester of course work. (Applications are available in the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies.)

         3.  Complete the number of credit hours required for a specific degree program.

         4.  Complete the thesis, the comprehensive examination, the collaborative research, the action research inquiry project, or the external experience.

         5.  Complete all program requirements within five years from the term of admission. 

LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS 

         1.  Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0.

         2.  File an Application for Graduate Licensure no later than the completion of 21 credit hours and prior to enrollment in the final semester of course work. (Applications are available in the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies.)

         3.  Complete the number of credit hours required for a specific licensure program.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY 

It is the responsibility of students to inform themselves of, and to observe, all regulations and procedures required by the university. In no case will a regulation be waived or an exception granted because students plead ignorance of the regulation or assert that they were not informed of the regulation by an advisor or other authority. Students should be especially familiar with the academic regulations, the requirements for the degree they plan to complete, and the offerings by the major department. Departments reserve the right to determine which graduate courses will be offered in any semester or summer session and should be consulted concerning available courses. The schedule of classes is produced online each term by the Registration Office at www.longwood.edu/registrar. 

GRADUATION 

Only those students who have completed the degree requirements established by Longwood University will participate in commencement ceremonies. Commencement is held once a year in May. Students completing a degree program in August or December may choose to participate in the following May commencement ceremony. Participating students must buy from the university bookstore the caps, gowns, and hoods required for the commencement exercises.
      Diplomas for all degree recipients will be mailed shortly after the term of degree completion.

TIME LIMIT 

The work for a graduate degree is to be completed within five years from the term of admission to the graduate program. If extenuating circumstances prohibit a student from completing their degree requirements within this time period, an extension may be considered. To request an extension of the time limit, the student must submit a written request to the Dean of Graduate and Extended Studies specifying the amount of time needed and the reason(s) an extension is necessary. The dean will submit the request to the Graduate Faculty Petitions Committee and notify the student in writing of the committee's decision. 

FULL-TIME/PART-TIME STATUS 

For academic and financial aid purposes, a graduate-level student must be registered for at least nine (9) credit hours per semester to be considered full-time. Graduate-level students registered for fewer than nine (9) credit hours per semester are considered part-time. 

REGISTRATION PROCEDURES 

On-Campus degree and licensure seeking graduate students are expected to register in person with their advisor; in person in the Office of Registration; by mail or fax with the Office of Registration; or by myLongwood.com during one of the opportunities provided during the academic year:

•   Registration: normally a two-week period in November for the following spring semester or in March/April for the following fall semester and limited to currently enrolled, degree and licensure seeking-students.

•   Summer Registration: normally begins in March with students required to register by the Registration Deadline for the session in which the course is listed to avoid a late registration fee.

•   Final Registration: the day immediately preceding the first day of classes each semester.  

      Off-campus degree and licensure seeking graduate students are expected to register in person with their advisor; by mail or fax with the Office of Registration; by myLongwood.com or in person in the Registration Office. In addition to the official course offerings schedule available on the Registration Office web page, www.longwood.edu/registrar/, the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies can be contacted for more details. The registration deadline for all off-campus courses is two weeks prior to the first day/night of class. Off-campus courses will be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment one week prior to the first day/night of class.

SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENTS - ADD/DROP PERIOD 

On-campus students may make schedule adjustments (adds and/or drops) until the close of business on the sixth (6) day of classes of the fall or spring semester or the published deadline for each summer session A consultation with the advisor is encouraged for any changes made during this period. Courses dropped during this period do not appear on the transcript.
      Off-campus students should consult the withdrawal policy provided at the time of registration or available at www.longwood.edu/grad.
     Online students must add (register) a minimum of five business days before the start date of the class and must drop on or before the start date of class. Please consult the policies posted at www.longwood.edu/online for further clarification. 

DEADLINES 

Appropriate dates for the last day to add and/or drop and the last day to withdraw without academic penalty for on-campus classes are included in the official college calendar and in the Master Schedule of Classes for regular semesters, at www.longwood.edu/registrar.
      Appropriate dates for the last day to add and/or drop and the last day to withdraw without academic penalty are included in the on-campus online summer school class schedule and appropriate descriptive literature for off-campus offerings. All registration and add/drop transactions must be processed through appropriate procedures by the deadline to become effective. Online policies are posted at www.longwood.edu/online.

CLASS ATTENDANCE 

Students are expected to attend all classes. Failure to attend class regularly impairs academic performance. Absences are disruptive to the educational process for others. This is especially true when absences cause interruptions for clarification of material previously covered, failure to assume assigned responsibilities for class presentations, or failure to adjust to changes in assigned material or due dates.
      It is the responsibility of each instructor to give students a copy of his or her attendance policy in the course syllabus.
      Instructors may assign a grade of "0" or "F" on work missed because of unexcused absences.
      Instructors have the right to lower a student's course grade, but no more than one letter grade, if the student misses 10 percent of the scheduled class meeting times for unexcused absences.
      Instructors have the right to assign a course grade of "F" when the student has missed a total (excused and unexcused) of 25 percent of the scheduled class meeting times.
      Students must assume full responsibility for any loss incurred because of absence, whether excused or unexcused. Instructors should permit students to make up work when the absence is excused. Excused absences are those resulting from the student's participation in a college-sponsored activity, from recognizable emergencies, or from serious illness. Faculty may require documentation for excused absences in their attendance policy.

GRADES 

A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on a 4-point scale is required to remain in the graduate program and for graduation.  

      Passing grades for graduate students are A, B, and C.
      A:    Excellent (4 quality points)
      B:     Good (3 quality points)
      C:     Passing (2 quality points)
      F:     Failure (0 quality points)
      I:      Incomplete. The grade of "I" indicates that because of illness or for good reason, the work of the semester has not been completed. When this work has been completed, a final grade will be reported. A grade of "I" will revert automatically to a grade of "F" if the necessary work has not been completed and the grade recorded by the end of the subsequent regular semester. The grade of "I" during the summer terms must be completed and the grade recorded by the end of the spring semester.
      P:     Pass (0 quality points)
      W:   Withdrawal (0 quality points) without penalty. A grade of "W" is automatically assigned for withdrawal from the end of the drop period (first six class days) through noon on the thirty-fifth (35th) day of traditional classes and for other documented withdrawals see paragraph on Withdrawal Policy.
      AU: Audit (0 quality points). Participation on a noncredit basis by students who meet certain minimum standards set by the course instructor. Students wishing to audit must have permission from the chair of the department in which the course is offered and are subject to the same tuition and fees as students enrolled for credit.

The grades of AU, I, W and courses taken under the pass/fail option are not calculated in the grade point average. The Pass/Fail grading option will be used in all thesis research, collaborative special education research, action research, and comprehensive examination courses and will not be used in calculating the grade point average.

QUALITY POINTS 

The quality of work completed by a student is recognized by the assignment of points to various grades. Under the 4.0 system, all grades on courses will be permanently retained in computing a student's quality point average. Each credit hour of a grade of A is assigned 4 points; a grade of B - 3 points; a grade of C - 2 points; and a grade of F - 0 points.
      On the basis of this point system, a student's quality point average may be computed by dividing the number of quality points that he/she has earned by the total number of credits assigned to the courses in which the student has been enrolled. A student's quality point average is based only on work taken at Longwood University. 

REPEATING COURSES 

If a student repeats a graduate course, the most recently earned grade will be averaged into the student's grade point average along with the original grade.  Please note that in calculating grade point average, the second grade in the course does not replace the original grade. All enrollments and grades appear on the transcript. The student must complete a course repeat form in the Office of Registration (when registering for the course the second time).

ACADEMIC WARNING AND DISMISSAL POLICY 

At the end of each semester, the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies will review the cumulative grade point average (GPA) of all degree-seeking and licensure graduate students and will identify those students whose cumulative GPA has fallen below 3.0 after a minimum of six graduate credit hours. Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 will be sent a letter advising them that they have been placed on academic warning and have until the end of the next term (in which they are enrolled in graduate classes at Longwood) to raise their cumulative GPA to a 3.0 or higher. Failure to raise the cumulative GPA to a 3.0 or higher will result in the student’s dismissal from the Longwood graduate program. Under extenuating circumstances, appeals for exceptions to this academic policy may be presented to the Graduate Faculty Petitions Committee. Students must contact the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies for information and deadlines for submitting an appeal.
   Graduate students not admitted to a degree, licensure, or certificate program are expected to meet and maintain the same academic standards as students in those programs.
      Upon dismissal, all access to Longwood technology resources is terminated. These systems include Longwood e-mail, portfolios, personal web pages, Blackboard, and Smartforce.

GRADE APPEALS 

The faculty of Longwood University is unequivocally committed to the principle that evaluation of student work and assignment of grades is a responsibility and a prerogative to be exercised solely by the individual instructor. 
      However, should a student feel the final course grade received was unfairly or inaccurately awarded, the student first should see the instructor involved for an explanation of why the grade was assigned. If the student continues to feel the grade is unfair, the student may file a written appeal with the department chair, giving the reasons why the grade should be changed with any available supporting evidence. The Department Chair will forward a copy of the appeal to the faculty member and will invite the faculty member to make a written response. For grades awarded in the fall semester, the written appeal must be submitted no later than February 1; for grades awarded in the spring semester and in summer school, the appeal must be filed no later than September 15. Appeals filed later will not be considered.
      The Department Chair will within two weeks hold a joint consultation with the student and the faculty member awarding the grade. If the matter cannot be resolved, the Department Chair will, within one week of the joint consultation, request in writing that the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate appoint a committee to review all matters pertinent to the appeal. The committee will consist of three members of the full-time faculty in the same or related discipline(s). The Department Chair will send a copy of the request to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. When the committee has been named, the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate shall inform the Department Chair, who will forward to the committee members the student’s original written appeal, a course syllabus, any written response from the faculty member, and all other materials pertinent to the appeal. Through the Department Chair, the committee may request other materials from the student or faculty member. The committee shall decide that the grade originally assigned will remain unchanged or that it will be changed to a grade decided on by the committee. The decision of the committee is final. The committee will report its decision in a letter signed by all three members and addressed to the faculty member, the student, and the Office of Registration, who will record the grade. The review must be completed so that the grade will be final by the end of the eighth full week of classes.
      Should the appeal involve a grade assigned by a department chair, the Dean of the appropriate school will assume the role normally assigned the chair. Should the appeal involve a grade assigned by the Dean, the Vice President for Academic Affairs will assume the role normally assigned the Dean.
      Students should be aware that the review procedure may result in a grade being raised, lowered or remaining unchanged.

FINAL EXAMINATIONS/STATEMENT OF PURPOSE 

At Longwood University, the evaluation of learning is considered to be an integral part of the educational experience for all students. The constructive use of evaluation measures provides not only assessments of learning outcomes, it becomes part of the learning process itself. Final examinations may be one of the most important components of the evaluation of student learning, and they may also be effective in promoting learning. Final examinations may, for example, enable students to demonstrate mastery of course content and the ability to organize what they have learned. The overarching purpose of final examinations at Longwood University, however, is to facilitate learning in a manner consistent with the pedagogy of each course and in a way that is appropriate to the subject matter of each course. Other valid means of promoting and assessing student learning may be appropriate in some courses, including term papers, project reports, take-home research examinations, and oral presentations.

Final Examination Policies 

  I. Faculty members must require that either a final exam or some final culminating assignment be conducted or due during the final examination period established for the course. In courses for which an assignment other than a final examination has been identified as the most appropriate learning and assessment instrument, the following policies apply:

    A. Final culminating assignments should be distributed to students no later than the beginning of the last week of classes so that students can coordinate them with preparation for other examinations.

    B. Students must not be required to submit examinations or other culminating assignments before the date of the regularly scheduled exam time for a course.

II. During regular semesters, four (4) three-hour examinations are scheduled each day. For courses held during the summer or any other non-traditional block of time, examinations are held during the regularly scheduled class period on the last day of each term. Examinations shall be held or final assignments will be due on the dates and at the hours published by the Registrar. No exceptions are permitted unless approved by the College Dean.

III. The final examination schedule shall be published with the schedule of classes for each semester. One reading day will precede the examination period, except for courses held during the summer or any other non-traditional block of time.

IV. Students may reschedule exams in excess of two per day with the instructor’s approval.

V.  The instructor or a qualified proxy, approved by the College Dean, should be available during the examination period to hand out materials, to make necessary explanations, and to take examinations up when completed.

VI. Examination and semester grades are confidential and must not be posted.

VII. A professor who assigns a take-home examination must inform students at the beginning of the semester. Such examinations (papers, projects, etc.) must be distributed by the beginning of the last week of classes. This will allow the students to begin preparing for their examinations. Students will not be required to submit the work before the date of the scheduled examination.

VIII. Exemptions to these policies must be approved by the College Dean.

IX. The statement of purpose and final examination policies should be published each year in the Catalog and in the Undergraduate Student Handbook.

COURSE SUBSTITUTIONS 

A maximum of two courses can be considered for substitution. NOTE: Another course may not be substituted for a course that a student has failed that is required in his/her program.
      The student should discuss substitutions with the advisor and submit in writing the reason(s) why the substitution is necessary. The advisor will then complete the Substitution Form and forward it, along with the written request, to the program coordinator. If the program coordinator concurs with the advisor’s recommendation, he/she will sign the Substitution Form and forward copies to the Office of Registration, the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies, the student and the student’s advisor.

INDEPENDENT STUDY POLICY 

Independent study under exceptional circumstances may occasionally be offered for University credit to those students wishing to pursue areas not addressed by the regularly scheduled offerings of graduate courses. Independent study may only be offered at the discretion of the individual faculty member and is dependent upon the availability of departmental resources. In order to pursue an independent study, the student must contact a graduate faculty member and get his/her approval to supervise the student’s work. A description of the proposed study and/or syllabus should be forwarded to the Department Chair to be attached to the Course Creation Form. Both faculty and student should sign the proposed study and/or syllabus, indicating their approval.
   Students must enroll for the independent study in compliance with the academic deadlines published in the academic calendar for the term in which the study is to be completed. Students may take a maximum of three credit hours of independent study during one semester and a maximum of six credit hours of independent study during their graduate studies at Longwood University.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY 

Students may withdraw from individual on-campus classes with a grade of W until noon on the 35th day of regularly scheduled classes or, for classes held in non-traditional time frames including summer, until the mid-point of the class. After that date, withdrawals from individual classes are not permitted. A student who needs to withdraw for medical reasons from the University or from a class after the deadlines cited above must, by noon of the last class day, have a letter sent to the Dean of Graduate and Extended Studies. The letter must be sent by a physician, detail the nature of the illness, and recommend withdrawal for medical reasons. In other extenuating circumstances not related to academic performance, the Dean may grant a withdrawal if a written request from the student is received by noon of the last class day. If the Dean approves the request, the Dean will send a copy of the request or letter to the Office of Registration, and the affected grade(s) for that semester will be noted as W on the student’s transcript. The Dean will notify the student’s faculty members of any grade changes.
      If the student is withdrawing from the University, he/she should go to the Dean of Graduate and Extended Studies to initiate the University withdrawal process. All non-degree and non-licensure graduate students should report to the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services.
      To withdraw and receive a grade of W in any off-campus class (course sections numbered 90 and above), students must submit a letter of withdrawal to the Dean of Graduate and Extended Studies postmarked before the mid-point of the class. Students may not withdraw during the second half of the class except for medical or other non-academic emergencies. A student who needs to withdraw for medical reasons from the University or from a class after the deadlines cited above must, by noon of the last class day, have a letter sent to the Dean of Graduate and Extended Studies. The letter must be sent by a physician, detail the nature of the illness, and recommend withdrawal for medical reasons. In other extenuating circumstances not related to academic performance, the Dean may grant a withdrawal if a written request from the student is received by noon of the last class day. Students who withdraw before the first class meeting will have no record of enrollment in this class on their academic records.
     The deadline to withdraw without academic penalty should not be confused with any deadline to withdraw and receive a full or partial refund of charges. Please see the "Expenses and Financial Policy – Refunds and Charge Adjustments" section of this catalog for information related to refunds and charge adjustments.

STATEMENT OF GENERAL TRANSFER POLICY 

In general, graduate credits are accepted from institutions that are accredited by the appropriate regional accreditation agency provided such credits carry a grade of "B" or better, are comparable to graduate courses offered at Longwood, and are no more than five years old. Internships and portfolio-based experiential credits are not accepted for transfer credit. A maximum of six (6) graduate credit hours may be transferred from another accredited institution and applied to a graduate program at Longwood.
      Grades earned at other institutions will be recorded at Longwood University in terms of semester hours of credit earned and will reduce the number of credits required for graduation but will not be included in the calculation of the grade point average. The cumulative grade point average will be calculated only on work taken at Longwood.

Acceptance of Transfer Credits 

If the student has completed graduate course work prior to admission, he/she must submit a written request as part of the application for admission with the course description(s) and an official transcript in a sealed envelope. The Office of Graduate and Extended Studies will have the course(s) evaluated along with the admission application by the Program Coordinator. Written notification of the results of the evaluation will be sent with the acceptance packet. Graduate credits used to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements cannot be reused for graduate credit. 

Approval to Take Courses Outside the Institution 

Any regularly enrolled graduate student, who wishes to take graduate course work at another institution to transfer to Longwood, must secure prior permission from the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies. The student should send a written request to the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies accompanied by an official course description. The request will be forwarded to the appropriate Program Coordinator for evaluation and then returned to Graduate Studies. The Office of Graduate and Extended Studies will provide the student with a written "Authorization for Transfer Credit" form if the course is transferable. Upon completion of the course, the student must have an official transcript sent directly to the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies for processing to the Office of Registration.

THESIS 

The writing of an acceptable thesis is mandatory for some programs and an option for others. Students should check the programs of study as outlined in this catalog to determine if the thesis is required. Students must enroll in three (3) or six (6) credits of thesis research and may receive the grade of Pass/Fail/Incomplete. An incomplete must be satisfied by the end of the subsequent regular semester with the grade of P or F.
      General Requirements (students should consult their advisors for departmental requirements for the thesis): the original copy of the thesis shall be on acid-free bond paper of 16 to 20 pound weight containing 25% or more rag content. Each page of the thesis shall have a margin of at least one and one-half inches on the left and at least one inch on the right. The top and bottom margins shall be at least one inch.
      The thesis must be completed and in the hands of the examining committee no later than four weeks before the end of the semester in which it will be completed. Some departments require an earlier deadline. After the thesis has been accepted by the examining committee and after the candidate has passed his/her oral examination (thesis defense), the candidate prepares an original and two photocopies or three computer original copies, pays the binding fee to the Library and submits them to his/her thesis director. One copy of an abstract of not more than 400 words must be submitted to the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies.
     Administrative procedures for culmination of the process include a) the graduate student in conjunction with the Thesis Director schedules a date for the thesis defense; b) the graduate student submits an Oral Examination form a minimum of 30 days prior to the scheduled defense to the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies; c) the thesis defense takes place; d) the thesis director submits written notification to the Registrar of the successful defense including the thesis title; e) the thesis director awards the final grade in Thesis Research; f) the graduate student delivers the thesis and required copies to the Library for binding; g) the Library submits written notification to the Registrar of the receipt of and payment for the binding of the thesis; and h) the graduate student submits the abstract to the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH/teacher research/action Research Inquiry Project 

Collaborative research, teacher research or action research are options in lieu of thesis for some programs. Students should check the programs of study as outlined in the catalog and any program handbook to determine if this is an appropriate option. Students must enroll in three (3) credits of collaborative research, teacher research, or action research inquiry project and may receive the grade of Pass/Fail/Incomplete. A grade of Incomplete must be satisfied by the end of the subsequent regular semester with a grade of P or F. An unresolved Incomplete results in the grade of F.
    General requirements (students should consult their advisors for departmental requirements for the collaborative research/teacher research/action research): the original copy of the ready-for-publication article shall follow the guidelines of a reputable content area journal. 
   The collaborative research, teacher research, or action research inquiry project must be completed and in the hands of the examining committee no later than four weeks before the end of the semester in which the research will be completed. Some departments require an earlier deadline. After the research has been accepted by the examining committee and after the candidate has passed his/her oral examination, the candidate (except Collaborative Research, SpEd 601 candidates)  prepares an original and two photocopies or three computer original copies, pays the binding fee to the Library and submits them to his/her research director. One copy of an abstract of not more than 400 words must be submitted to the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies.
     Administrative procedures for culmination of the process include a) the graduate student in conjunction with the Collaborative Research, Teacher Research, or Action Research Inquiry Project Director schedules a date for the research defense; b) the graduate student submits an Oral Examination form a minimum of 30 days prior to the scheduled defense to the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies; c) the research defense takes place; d) the  research director submits written notification to the Registrar of the successful defense including the collaborative research, teacher research, or action research inquiry project title; e) the research director awards the final grade in Collaborative Research, teacher research, or Action Research Inquiry Project; f*) the graduate student delivers the research and required copies to the Library for binding; g*) the Library submits written notification to the Registrar of the receipt of and payment for the binding of the research; and h) the graduate student submits the abstract to the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies. 

*Procedures “f” and “g” are not required for Collaborative Research, SpEd 601 Candidates. The final requirement for the collaborative research project is submission of the revised article to the collaborative research chair who will then send written notification of completion to the Registrar.

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION 

The comprehensive examination, if required by the program, will normally be taken in the last semester of the program. Students must have completed or be enrolled to allow for completion of 30-40 semester hours of course work depending on specific program requirements, students must have a B average (3.0 GPA) in all courses completed, and students must have already filed the Application for Graduate Degree to be eligible to enroll in the comprehensive examination. Students who complete a thesis, collaborative research, teacher research, or action research inquiry project requirement do not take a comprehensive exam.
      Students must register for the comprehensive examination (CSDS/EDUC/ENGL/SOCL 699) no later than the last day to add a course in the semester in which they wish to take the examination. The course does not carry any credit hours but does carry a $35 course fee. This fee may be refunded through the last day to drop a course in the given semester.
      The comprehensive examination will usually be of the essay type, consisting of several broad question areas. It is designed to evaluate the students’ competency in written expression and the ability to reason. In addition, the students’ knowledge of and ability to apply specific theory and research relating to their area of study will be evaluated.
      The grading system for the evaluation of the examination will be pass/fail. Students who fail the examination shall be allowed one re-examination.  Please see individual program listings for specifics about the comprehensive examination in each program.

LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY POLICY ON STUDENT RECORDS AND ANNUAL NOTIFICATION 

Longwood University student record policies comply fully with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, enacted as section 438 of the General Education Provisions Act. The accumulation, processing, and maintenance of student data by the University is limited to that information, including grades, which is necessary and relevant to the purposes of the college. Personal data of students will be used only for the purpose for which it is collected.
     Student data, whenever possible, shall be collected directly from the student; every effort will be made to ensure its accuracy and security. It shall be the express responsibility of the student to notify the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs of any changes in status. Any student who initially or subsequently refuses to supply accurate and complete personal information, as is legally allowed, may jeopardize his/her current student status. Falsification of records with the intent to give untrue information is a violation of the Longwood University Honor Code.
      The University shall provide for the confidentiality and security of official student data and will release student information only as follows: 

         1.  Directory information which may include the student’s name, birth date, sex, ethnicity, nationality, local address, permanent address, e-mail address, telephone number, digitized photo (as appears on student University ID), parent’s name, major field of study, classification, participation in officially- recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, most recent educational institution attended by the student, dates of field experience, and other similar information. A student may inform the Office of Registration in writing that any or all directory information may not be released without prior written consent. A student who desires to restrict directory information from the public must complete the Student Directory Information Restriction form (available in the Office of Registration) at the time of registration for the current academic year. Forms received after the last day to add a class for any semester, including summer, will not become effective until the following semester.

         2.  To the students themselves.

         3.  To parents or a financial institution where financial support of the student is in evidence as defined in Section 152 of the IRS Code of 1970.

         4.  To authorized University personnel (administrative officers, faculty, or their designees) who have legitimate educational interests as determined by the University, such as instruction, advising or educational research, or in performance of other duties promoting necessary functions and management of the University as approved by the records access control officer.

         5.  To a third-party agency as expressly designated in writing by the student.

         6.  As required by judicial order or court subpoena, or as may be required or permitted by law.

         7.  In a situation of emergency in which the knowledge of confidential student information is necessary to protect the immediate health or safety of a student or other persons.

         8.  Student arrest and charge information classified as public information.  

     Under FERPA, Longwood is not required to provide prior notification to a student when responding to a Federal grand jury subpoena or other law enforcement subpoena, which specifies that the student not be informed of the existence of the subpoena.
     In cooperation with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and its efforts to support assessment, Longwood University will provide student transcripts to any public high school or community college in Virginia, which the student has previously attended, or to any agency charged with the responsibility for collecting and/or analyzing data for the purpose of educational assessment for such a unit. The receiving agency will be charged with responsibility for protecting the student's right to privacy and for appropriate disposition of the records.
     Eligible students are permitted to inspect and review educational records of which the student is the sole subject. University policy regarding the inspection and disclosure of educational records is in compliance with the federal statute. To obtain a copy of the Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Section 438) or a copy of the university’s policy on student records, contact the Office of Registration, Longwood University, 201 High Street, Farmville, VA 23909.
     Student access to all personal records shall be permitted within 45 days of a written request during normal office hours. All records shall be available and in a form comprehensible to the student, except for
         1.  Medical records which, upon written authorization, shall be submitted to a psychologist or physician designated by the student,
         2.  Confidential financial statements and records of parents as excluded by law,
         3.  Third-party confidential recommendations when such access has been waived by the student. Where a waiver has been given, parents, as well as students, are excluded from viewing such confidential information. Students may also obtain copies of most parts of their records for a nominal fee.
      During normal office hours, the University shall provide an opportunity, for a student either in person, or by mail with proper identification, to challenge information believed to be inaccurate, incomplete, inappropriate, or misleading. All personal data challenged by a student shall be investigated by University officials. Completion of an investigation shall result in the following actions:
      If the University concurs with the challenge, the student’s records shall be amended or purged as appropriate; all previous record recipients shall be so notified by the University.
      If the investigation fails to resolve the dispute, the student shall be permitted to file a statement of not more than 200 words setting forth the student’s position.
      Copies of the statement will be supplied, at the student's expense, to previous and subsequent recipients of the record in question.
      If a student wishes to make an appeal of the decision, the student may do so in writing to the President of the University.
      The names, dates of access, and purposes of all persons or agencies other than appropriate Longwood University personnel given access to a student's personal records shall be recorded and maintained. Student records are retained by the University for at least one year after completion of work at the University. Permanent academic records from which transcripts are derived are maintained indefinitely. A student may request and receive information concerning the record of access to official University records filed under the student’s name.
      Inquiries concerning student records should be directed to the following departments. When applicable, a schedule of fees for copies of these records are available from that office. 

      Academic Records/Transcripts – Office of Registration, Barlow Hall
      Disciplinary Records – Office of Honor & Judicial Programs, Lancaster Hall
      Financial Records – Office of Student Accounts, Lancaster Hall
      Financial Aid Records – Office of Financial Aid, Lancaster Hall
      Medical/Health Records – Office of Student Health, Health & Fitness Center
      Mental Health Records – Office of Counseling Services, Health & Fitness Center

RELEASE OF TRANSCRIPTS 

Requests for transcripts of academic records should be directed to the Office of Registration. Upon written request by the student, an official transcript of the academic record will be issued to the person or institution designated, provided that all the student’s obligations to Longwood University have been satisfactorily settled.
     The only circumstances in which a student’s transcripts are released in the absence of a written authorization are those specific exceptions stated in the preceding policy on student records.
     Written requests for a transcript generally require one week for processing.