These general administrative policies apply to all students.
APPLICATION TO GRADUATE
Students anticipating graduation must submit to the Office of the Registrar a degree application. Students are responsible for obtaining a degree application to graduate at the Office of the Registrar in sufficient time to meet the filing deadline.
Students are responsible for monitoring their progress to ensure they meet all degree requirements by their anticipated graduation date. Regardless of the completion of all academic requirements, a diploma will not be issued until the student has a clear student account balance. In addition, transcripts, diplomas, bar certification and other certificates will not be released if there is an outstanding student account balance, or if a student who has received financial aid has not fulfilled the federal requirement for a financial aid exit interview.
On the degree application, students provide information necessary to order diplomas and prepare the commencement book:
| February 2008 graduates: |
Deadline October 19, 2007 |
| May 2008 graduates: |
Deadline February 1, 2008 |
| October 2008 graduates: |
Deadline April 18, 2008 |
INTERIM POLICY FOR AUDIO-RECORDING OF CLASSES
Recording by Students
Consistent with our mission of training lawyers who act with the highest standards of honesty, integrity and trustworthiness, and with respect for the legitimate interests of others, students are not permitted to record a class themselves by any means without prior express authorization of the faculty member. Violation of this rule may be deemed a violation of the Student Disciplinary Code.
Recording by the Law Center
The Law Center will record classes and make those recordings available to students only under the following circumstances and only if permitted by the faculty member:
RECORDING BY THE LAW CENTER FOR
INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS
All students are expected to attend class regularly and to miss class only in exceptional circumstances. Therefore, the Law Center will record classes for individual students only for the reasons set forth below and only with the approval of the appropriate Law Center administrator. Recording for individual students will be authorized only in the following situations:
serious medical situation or family emergency;
religious holiday;
to provide reasonable accommodation for a student with a disability, after consultation with the Coordinator of Disability Services;
sanctioned participation in a Law Center approved moot court event held out of town;
appearance in court in connection with a clinic in which the student is enrolled;
rescheduled class;
other comparably urgent reasons, and not including job interviews, vacation plans, minor illness, or work conflicts.
Students submit requests for the audio-recording of classes through the online request form located on the IST Website. These requests are directed to the office of J.D. Academic Services or LL.M. Academic Services, as the case may be. Recording that is done pursuant to an approved request of an individual student will be made available only to that student. Students who receive or are provided access to a Law Center recording of a class under this section are prohibited from distributing the recording or any portion thereof to anyone.
RECORDING BY THE LAW CENTER FOR THE ENTIRE CLASS
On occasion, the Law Center will record a class or classes and make the recording available to all students enrolled in that class. Such recording may be done at the request of an appropriate Law Center administrator on occasions when severe weather or similar conditions make it difficult for large numbers of students safely to come to the Law Center. Such recording may also be done at the request of the faculty. When classes are recorded under this provision, the recording will be made available to all students enrolled in the course, but students are prohibited from distributing the recording or any portion thereof.
DISTRIBUTION OF RECORDINGS: GENERAL
PROHIBITION
Permission to record a class is not permission to distribute to any other person or for any use other than the student’s own education. Unauthorized distribution of all or any portion of a permitted recording also may be deemed a violation of the Student Disciplinary Code. Students may not distribute any class recording made by the Law Center. However, students who have obtained permission to record their class themselves may also seek their Professor’s permission to distribute the recording that they themselves made. Students must make clear to the Professor to whom they intend to distribute the recording and the manner and means which they intend to use.
Caveats: Recording may be limited by available technology or demand, by equipment failure or human error; this policy is not a guarantee of successful recording. Recordings will be provided or made available under the circumstances, in the manner and for the time period to be specified by the Law Center.
BAR ADMISSIONS, EXAMINATIONS AND REVIEW
Each state has promulgated rules that govern eligibility to sit for the bar examination and to gain admission to the bar. Common requirements pertain to required courses, minimum course loads and similar matters. Some states require completion of courses which are not required by the Law Center. Most require the successful completion of the Multi-State Professional Responsibility Examination prior to sitting for the bar examination.
It is the student’s responsibility to become familiar with the rules and procedures, including the investigation of character and other qualifications, that pertain to the state where he or she plans to sit for the bar examination. Early investigation of these matters is important. The Office of the Registrar has contact and other relevant information for all state bars on their website.
As a rule, questions should be resolved with appropriate authorities at the particular state bar admissions offices. Access to state bar admission offices may be found at: www.ncbex.org.
The Law Center’s Ethics Counsel, Michael Frisch, (202) 662-9926, will advise students on issues regarding disclosures on bar applications.
THE CRIME AWARENESS AND CAMPUS SECURITY ACT OF 1990
This law requires the University to prepare information on current campus law enforcement policies, crime prevention programs, and campus security statistics. The information is available upon request from the Director of Public Safety, Georgetown University Law Center, 600 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Room 101, Washington, DC 20001-2075, (202) 662-9312. The 2007 edition of the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Report (which reports crime statistics for the three previous calendar years) is available for review electronically on the Office of Publis Safety's website.
EXAM DEFERRAL POLICY
The Law Center’s rules for deferred examinations are as follows:
1. Requests to defer exams will be DENIED if for:
a). Travel, vacation or other personal plans
b). Employment reasons for full time J.D. students.
Dates for all examinations are announced at the time the course schedule is released so that students may anticipate the dates of their exams and schedule personal, travel, and employment plans that do not interfere with these dates. DO NOT schedule any employment or personal travel plans during the examination period. LL.M. and part time J.D. students may for unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances request to have an examination rescheduled for reasons of employment.
2. Examinations will be rescheduled for
a). Exam Conflicts
1). for any student who has two examinations which BEGIN within 24 hours. Examinations which BEGIN more than 25 hours apart (for example, at 9:00 a.m. on one day and 1:30 p.m. on the following calendar day), DO NOT constitute a conflict under this rule.
2). for any student who has three examinations scheduled within four consecutive days, or four examinations scheduled within five consecutive days.
b). Exam Relief*: Students may request exam relief for extraordinary cause. The following are reasons which will be considered in granting relief:
1). Illness of Student. If you are seeking a deferred examination for medical reasons, a written medical diagnosis from your doctor, Student Health, the Law Center Nurse Practitioner, or emergency room is required. All medical certificates are subject to verification and approval. Please remember that once you start an exam you must finish it, so if you feel ill before beginning, please contact the Office of the Registrar. If you become ill during an exam, report to the proctor immediately and follow his/her directions.
2). Death or serious illness in immediate family.
3). Automobile accident, mugging, robbery or similar traumatic experience at the time of the exam or period immediately preceding the exam.
4). Subpoena requiring court appearance at the time of exam or period immediately preceding the exam.
5). Childbirth that interferes with exam or period immediately preceding the exam (applies to either parent).
6). Religious holiday.
7). Military commitment. Written military orders are required.
8). Extraordinary family circumstances, such as the wedding of a sibling.
3). Requests for an exam deferral must be in writing. If your file shows that you have previously deferred one or more examinations for reasons other than exam conflicts, another deferred examination will be granted in only the most extraordinary circumstances.
4). Requests for exam relief require satisfactory documentation of the reasons. Students should be prepared to provide complete documentation, which is subject to verification and approval.
5).To protect your anonymity and remain in compliance with the Student Disciplinary Code, students may not indicate to the professor(s) that an exam has been deferred. Students may not discuss the subject of the deferred exam with the professor or other students after the originally scheduled exam date/time. Under no circumstances may a student initiate communication with the course professor(s) about the examination (including anonymous communications) until grades are posted.
6). Some guidelines the Office of the Registrar follows in rescheduling examinations:
a). No examination will be given earlier than its original date.
b). An exam conflict does not permit the student to self-schedule examinations.
c). The conflicting examination to be changed will be determined by the Office of the Registrar.
d). In most cases, the conflicting examination which carries the lowest number of credits is changed.
e).Students with self-scheduled take-home examinations are responsible for avoiding conflicts with in-class examinations.
f).Examinations rescheduled because of conflicts may be given at any date during the examination period or on the date listed for deferred examinations on the academic calendar.
7). If, after the Office of the Registrar has rescheduled an examination, there is a material change in a student’s examination schedule (i.e., withdrawal from a course, substitution of a take-home examination or a paper option for an in-class examination, etc.) which would eliminate the conflict, it is the student’s responsibility under the Student Disciplinary Code, as outlined in the Conduct Policies section of this Bulletin, to notify the Office of the Registrar of the change in order to determine whether he or she remains eligible for a rescheduled examination.
*Any student who does not take an examination as originally scheduled and who does not obtain permission from
the Office of the Registrar to take a deferred examination will receive a grade of “F” in the course. Permission to
take a deferred examination must be sought and obtained prior to the original administration of the examination.
HEALTH INSURANCE
Law Center students registered in a degree program for 8 or more credits must have medical insurance coverage in effect for the entire academic year. Students may submit proof of private coverage or purchase insurance through the University. Plans are also available for spouse and family coverage. Health insurance rates are posted on the Student Accounts website.
Georgetown students attending an off-campus program or visiting at another school must provide proof of private coverage or they will be covered by the Georgetown plan and the appropriate charge will be posted to their student account. Health insurance benefit information and acceptance/waiver instructions are on the Student Health Insurance web site.
I.D. CARDS
The Georgetown One Card (GOCard) is the official Georgetown University identification card. All students, faculty and staff affiliated with the University need to carry the GOCard for identification purposes. The GOCard is used to gain access to Law Center buildings and Library services and has a debit account feature, which can be used around campus. Funds can be deposited onto the card at the Law Center GOCard Satellite Office (Room 101 McDonough Hall), at various VTS machines around campus or at the Online Card Office. Items that can be purchased with the GOCard are parking tickets, laundry in the Gewirz Center, vending items and copying. The GOCard can also be used in the Law Center’s food service facilities, as well as several local off-campus establishments.
Please retain your GOCard throughout your years at Georgetown. If your GOCard is lost or stolen, it should be deactivated as soon as possible. You can deactivate your GOCard online 24 hours a day at the GOCard web site you may report the lost or stolen card to the GOCard Satellite Office. In order to receive your replacement card, you will need to go to the GOCard Office to get your replacement ID. A replacement card will be issued for a $25 fee.
REGISTRATION FOR COURSES
Registration for continuing students takes place in April each year for the entire upcoming academic year. Faculty, deans, and other advisors are available for individual academic counseling and provide curricular advice at various events throughout the Spring registration period. Course descriptions, schedules and curriculum essays are available in the Law Center’s searchable Online Curriculum Guide. Continuing students register online, using Student Access+. Students may adjust their course schedules during the periods announced in the registration materials distributed to students early in April. The registration deadlines are also published in these materials.
First-year students register during their August orientation. If students register after the published deadlines for registration, they incur a late registration fee of $80.00. A student’s registration is not processed until all outstanding tuition and fees have been paid in full. Tuition is charged for all courses in which a student has enrolled until the Office of the Registrar receives a written notice of withdrawal. See Withdrawal Refunds in the Tuition and Fees section of this Bulletin.
STUDENTACCESS+
Student Access+ allows each student to view and print his or her address, class schedule, grades, billing statement, and other personal data, and to forward address changes to the Office of the Registrar. Each student is assigned a NETID and temporary password (which needs to be reset) to gain access to this information. If you lose or forget your NETID or password, please contact the Office of the Registrar or the IST Student Help Desk located in the Law Library.
STUDENT RECORDS, ACADEMIC
In compliance with federal law, the Law Center has implemented policies and procedures designed to preserve the confidentiality of a student’s academic records. Unless required by law to do so, the Law Center will not release a student’s record except with the student’s written permission. The policies governing release of a student’s academic records, and the circumstances under which such a record will be released without the student’s written permission, may be obtained from the Registrar.
STUDENT RECORDS, ACCESS
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records:
1). A student has the right to inspect and review his or her education records within 45 days of the day the Law Center receives a request for access. To do so, a student should submit to the Registrar a written request that identifies the record(s) he or she wishes to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
2). A student has the right to request the amendment of the education records that the student believes are inaccurate. To do so, a student should submit to the Registrar a written request clearly identifying the part of the record he or she wants changed, and specify why it is inaccurate. If the Law Center decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the Registrar will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
3). A student has the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official can be a person in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the Law Center has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Directors; or a student serving on an official committee, such as the Committee on Professional Responsibility, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
4). A student has the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the Law Center to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-5920
STUDENT RECORDS, DIRECTORY INFORMATION AND CONFIDENTIALITY
Georgetown University Law Center considers the following information as “directory information,” that is, information that can be made available to the general public: name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, photographs, parents’ names, major field of study, full time or part time program, dates of attendance, expected graduation date, degrees and awards received, and previous educational institutions. No other items of student information will be released to any person or organizations outside of Georgetown University without the written consent of the student, except for certain categories of outside persons or organizations specifically exempted by federal law. A document listing these exceptions is available at the Office of the Registrar.
Under the provisions of FERPA, students have the right to instruct the University to withhold the “directory information” listed above. To do so, students need to fill out a “Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information” form available at the Office of the Registrar within the first two weeks of the Fall semester.
Students should consider very carefully the consequences of a decision to withhold “Directory Information,” which means that the Law Center will not release this information, unless excepted by law. The Law Center assumes no liability for honoring instructions that such information be withheld.
STUDENT WORK, CONFIDENTIALITY
Students who work at the Law Center may be asked to sign a confidentiality statement as a condition of their employment.
TRANSCRIPTS
The Office of the Registrar will provide transcripts for students upon a written request from the student and the payment of a $5.00 fee per transcript. All requests for transcripts must identify the student by student identification number and bear the student’s signature. Transcripts may be requested at the Registrar’s Office on the third floor of McDonough Hall, by mail, or by fax (202) 662-9235. Transcripts will be issued according to the following schedule:
Current students who request a transcript in person prior to 4:00 p.m. may claim their transcript after 2:00 p.m. on the next business day.
Transcripts ordered by mail are usually provided in three business days.
We regret that we cannot accept telephone authorization to release a transcript, even from the student. Third party authorization to release a transcript or third party requests for a transcript will not be honored without the student’s written authorization. These restrictions are the result of our concern for our students’ privacy and regulations governing the Law Center under FERPA. Transcripts cannot be released for any student who has an outstanding student account balance.
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