It has occurred to me that some adjuncts get into trouble because they don’t knowing the lingo. As time goes by, I will attempt to construct a list of the most important terms to know and understand. I feel it is important to include even the most basic, common, well-known terms, ones the vast majority of you know well. So, please don’t feel that I am talking down to you.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) – What college teachers need to know is that FERPA prohibits them from sharing information about students with anyone inside and outside the college who does not have the right to know. There are a couple exceptions, but my advice is to ignore them. If a belligerent father demands to know if his son is attending class, explain that you cannot answer. If an angry mother wants to know why her daughter failed the last exam, request that the daughter talk to you directly. If someone wants to know if a particular person is attending your class, you cannot even comment on that. For all you know, it could be an ex-boyfriend with less than honorable intentions. Be careful leaving telephone message for students. Give nothing more than your name, the name of your college, and the number you wish your student to call. Law suits have arisen when FERPA statutes has been violated.
As a parent of one straight-A daughter, and a bright but failing son, I can tell you this law has driven parents of college students crazy! And it has led to huge mistakes by some students, such as running up big debts while pretending to attend college. Hmmm…a good topic for my Ethics course.
But thanks for the advice — in our litiguous society, educators need to protect themselves.
Bob