State and Federal Regulations

• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
• Drug Free Schools and Campuses Act of 1989
• Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts Voter Registration Law of 1996
• Tax Relief Act of 1997
• Hazing

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

Both Extension School policy and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as amended, provide students with certain protections concerning the confidentiality of their educational records. No information about Extension School students, except that which is defined below as directory information, will be released outside the University without the student's prior written consent, unless otherwise authorized or required by law. Harvard Extension School defines the following student information as directory information: name; dates of enrollment; full- or part-time status; degree, certificate, or diploma program; area of concentration; academic honors; prior degrees and schools attended; and expected or actual date of graduation. Students have the right to withhold the disclosure of this information. They may use forms that are available at 51 Brattle Street and online, or they may submit their own clearly written requests. Such requests will remain in force until August 31, 2004, at which time students must submit renewal requests.

Under FERPA, the Harvard Extension School is allowed to disclose, without the student's prior written consent, student information that is not considered directory information to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by Harvard University in an administrative, teaching, research, law enforcement, or health services position; or an agent of the University, such as a person with whom or a company with which the University has contracted. The Harvard Extension School will determine whether an official has a legitimate educational interest based on whether disclosure of the information is appropriate for the effective functioning of the person's office, their position, or the University.

Students have the right to inspect and review their educational records. To do so, they should submit written requests to Academic Services identifying the records they wish to inspect. Academic Services will contact students to arrange for access to the educational records within 45 days of receipt of the requests. Students should call Academic Services for more information. Students have the right to request the amendment of their educational records to ensure that they are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of their privacy or other rights. Academic Services will notify students of the decision concerning their requests and advise students of their right to a hearing if they continue to disagree with the content of their educational records.

Students have the right to file a complaint with the US Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Harvard Extension School to comply with FERPA. Such complaints may be submitted in writing to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202.

Drug Free Schools and Campuses Act of 1989

The Drug Free Schools and Campuses Act of 1989 prohibits the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of drugs and alcohol by students and employees on University property or as part of any University-sponsored activity. Information is available about the University's standards of conduct regarding alcohol and drugs, applicable legal sanctions under public laws, health risks associated with the illicit use of drugs and the abuse of alcohol, drug and alcohol counseling and treatment resources on campus, and the disciplinary sanctions which may be imposed in instances of misconduct involving alcohol and drugs. This information is available at 51 Brattle Street and Grossman Library.

Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990

In compliance with the Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990, the Harvard Extension School makes available to students the Harvard security guide, Playing It Safe, at 51 Brattle Street and at Grossman Library. The guide is also available online. The guide, published by the Harvard University Police, describes Harvard's security policies, provides statistical information on the occurrence of crime on campus, and outlines some of the counseling programs the University provides.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Voter Registration Law of 1996

In compliance with the 1996 Commonwealth of Massachusetts Voter Registration law, the Harvard Extension School makes available affidavits of voter registration forms at 51 Brattle Street and Grossman Library.

Tax Relief Act of 1997

The Harvard Extension School will file Form 1098-T with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for every student who is enrolled in at least one course during the 2003-04 calendar year. Students will be mailed confirmations of the 2003-04 enrollment and financial information that is filed for them by February 1, 2004. Students must provide the Extension School with their Social Security number for their enrollment and financial information to be filed. If they do not wish their Social Security number to be used as their Extension School student identification number, they may submit a written request to the Registrar's Office for a different student identification number to be assigned to them.

Students who have questions about their eligibility for Hope Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit should speak with their tax advisors or visit www.1098T.com, where they can view their enrollment and financial information and print a copy of their 1098-T form. This site also provides useful information about the Tax Relief Act of 1997, which provides educational tax incentives for eligible taxpayers.

Hazing

Massachusetts law prohibits any form of hazing in connection with initiation into a student organization. The law applies both to officially recognized and unrecognized groups, and to practices conducted on and off campus. The term hazing, as used in this law, is defined as "any conduct or method of initiation . . . which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person" (Massachusetts General Laws, c. 269, sec. 17). Hazing is a crime punishable by fine or imprisonment. The Administrative Board will consider all reports of hazing in the normal course of its oversight, taking disciplinary action in appropriate cases, and reporting confirmed incidents to appropriate law enforcement officials. In addition, failure to report hazing is illegal (Massachusetts General Laws, c. 269, sec. 18). A full copy of the Massachusetts laws relating to hazing may be may be downloaded from this website. (To download PDFs students must have Adobe's Acrobat Reader installed on their computers.) Copies are also available in the Office of the Dean of Students, 51 Brattle Street, (617) 495-3481, and at the reference desk in Grossman Library.