Policy, Resources & Laws

Policy Resources

It is the responsibility of all students, both undergraduate and graduate students, to be familiar with their respective Bulletin-of-record, including institutional and program-specific academic and non-academic regulations.

• Undergraduate Bulletin
• Graduate Bulletin
• VCU Policy Index 
• Other resources include:
  • Department of Enrollment and Registration Services
  • Department of Academic Affairs (Office of Academic Advising)
  • Department of your academic program.

ARAC

• The Academic Regulations Appeals Committee (ARAC) considers appeals for exceptions to undergraduate program academic regulations listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin. 
• ARAC is comprised of the Academic Leadership at VCUarts Qatar, and chaired (non-voting) by the Assistant Dean for Enrollment and Registration Services.
• Detailed information on the ARAC Appeals Procedures is available to from the VCUarts Qatar Intranet. (Section: Enrollment and Registration Services).

FERPA

• FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, is a federal law in the United States of America that pertains to the release of and access to educational records. 
• The law (also known as the Buckley Amendment) applies to all institutions which receive funds under an applicable program of the US Department of Education. VCU, and by extension VCUarts Qatar, must comply with FERPA. 
• FERPA applies to personally identifiable information in educational records that make the student’s identity easily traceable, such as grades, GPA, financial aid awards, registration information, etc.
  • Educational records are records that contain information directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational agency or institution, or by a party acting on its behalf. 
  • A record means any information recorded in any way, including handwriting, print, tape, film, microfilm, etc.
• In addition to Educational Records, FERPA also identifies certain information which it refers to as ‘directory information’. Directory Information may be disclosed without the student’s permission. The university has designated the following information as directory information:
  • Student’s name; Date of Birth
  • Date admitted; Semesters of attendance; Majors/Minors/Specializations; School/College
  • Full or part time status; Classification (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, etc.)
  • Degree sought; Degrees earned and dates on which degrees were earned
  • Academic Honors and Awards; Participation in an officially recognized sports
  • ID Photograph
  • Note that Directory information does not include Race, Gender, Social Security Number, Grades, Grade Point Average, Country of Citizenship, Religion.
• All VCUarts Qatar’s FERPA-forms related to a student’s provision or revocation of consent, etc. can be found at the VCUarts Qatar Intranet. (Section: “Enrollment and Registration Services”.)
• FERPA training, as provided to all new VCUarts Qatar students and employees during their respective Orientations, is also available from the VCUarts Qatar Intranet. (Section: “Enrollment and Registration Services”.) 
• Read more on FERPA.

VA-Code

• VA-Code refers to the Code of Virginia section 23.1-405(C), effective July 1, 2018. 
• While VCU designates a student’s address, phone number and email address as “directory information” under FERPA, the Code of Virginia section 23.1-405(C), effective July 1, 2018, prohibits the university from disclosing that information under FERPA’s “directory information” exception, 34 C.F.R. § 99.31(a)(11), or the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Va. Code § 2.2-3700 et seq., unless the student has affirmatively consented in writing to such disclosure. 
• Accordingly, VCU may disclose this information when a student has consented in writing or another FERPA exception applies. 
• Read more on Disclosure of Student Contact Information.