Information Dissemination Requirements Report

Dear Current and New Students:

The reason for this communication is to let you know where you can find important information regarding Rensselaer at Hartford. Recent Amendments to the Higher Education Act stipulate that educational institutions participating in Title IV programs annually must provide enrolled and prospective students with a list of the U.S. Department of Education's information dissemination requirements. There are a number of disclosure requirements that apply to Rensselaer. They include distribution of the following information:

• General information about the school
• Financial aid information
• A description of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• A description of our drug prevention program
• A campus security report

For the most part, the preceding information is available on the Web version of Rensselaer's current Course Catalog & Student Handbook or Campus Security Report. (Exceptions are noted.) You can request printed copies of the Catalog from the Registrar's Office by phone (860/548-2425), e-mail reg-info@ewp.rpi.edu or in person. The Registrar's Office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Fridays until 5 p.m. For a copy of the Campus Security Report please call Paul Murphy at (860) 548-5392 or e-mail him at: murphp2@.rpi.edu.

We hope this information is useful. Please don't hesitate to call or write us with your comments or concerns.

Sincerely,

Paul Murphy
Manager, Operations & Facilities
860-548-5392 Voice
860-548-7887 Fax
E-mail: murphp2@.rpi.edu

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

• Institutions must provide the following minimum information:
• The costs of attending the school (tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation costs for commuting students) and any additional costs of the program in which the student is enrolled or has expressed an interest
• The academic program of the institution including: current degree programs and other educational and training programs; the instructional, laboratory, and other physical facilities which relate to the academic program; and faculty and other instructional personnel
• The satisfactory progress standards that must be maintained
• A statement of the institution's refund policy for the return of unearned tuition and fees or other refundable portion of costs paid to the institution
• A statement regarding the requirements for officially withdrawing from school
• The names of associations, agencies, and/or governmental bodies that accredit, approve, or license the school and its programs and the procedures by which a student may receive a copy of the schools accreditation, licensure, or approval for review
• A description of any special facilities and services available to students with disabilities
• The titles of persons who have been designated to be available on a full-time basis to assist enrolled or prospective students in obtaining information regarding general institutional issues or student financial assistance

FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION

• The following minimum information must be provided:A description of the federal, state, local, private and institutional student financial assistance programs (need based and non-need based) available
• For each of the above-mentioned programs: the procedures and forms by which students apply for assistance; the eligibility requirements; and the criteria for selecting recipients and for determining the amount of a student's award
• Information on preventing drug and alcohol abuse
• A description of the rights and responsibilities of students receiving financial assistance, including specific information regarding the following:
  • criteria for continued student eligibility under each program
  • standards for maintaining satisfactory academic progress and how a student who has failed to do so may reestablish eligibility for federal financial assistance
  • how financial aid disbursements are made and the frequency of those disbursements
  • the terms of any loan received, a sample loan repayment schedule, and the necessity for repaying loans
  • the general conditions and terms applicable to any employment provided as part of a student's financial assistance package
  • exit counseling information as required for borrowers under the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program
  • requirements for the return of Federal Direct Student Loan program funds when a student withdraws
• Information on the availability of the Department of Education's Office of the Ombudsman for student loans

Rensselaer's Financial Aid Handbook offers information specific to our institution. Printed copies of Rensselaer's Financial Aid Handbook are available upon request from the Financial Aid Office: (860) 548-2422 or email: hoffman@ewp.rpi.edu

FAMILY EDUCATION RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT (FERPA)

This regulation requires schools to annually notify currently enrolled students of their rights under FERPA. These include your right to:

• review and inspect your educational records.
• seek amendment of your educational record that you believe to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of your privacy rights.
• consent, under certain conditions, to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in your education records.
• file a complaint with the Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the school to comply with statutory and regulatory student and family privacy rights.
• In addition, procedures for exercising the right to inspect your educational records and for seeking to amend those records must be stated.

DRUG PREVENTION PROGRAM

Pursuant to the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Regulations, institutions of higher education annually are required to distribute to students and employees the following minimum information

• Standards of conduct that clearly prohibit the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees on its property or as part of any of its activities
• A description of the applicable legal sanctions under local, state, or federal law for the unlawful possession or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol.
• A description of the health risks associated with the use of illicit drugs and with alcohol abus
• A description of available drug or alcohol counseling, treatment, or rehabilitation programs
• A clear statement that the institution will impose disciplinary sanctions on students and employees, a description of those sanctions (up to and including expulsion or termination of employment and referral for prosecution) for violations of the stated standards of conduct.

CAMPUS SECURITY REPORT

The portion of the law that addresses campus security issues is now called the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

By October 1 of each year, a school must publish and distribute its annual Campus Security Report to current and prospective (by request) students and employees. This report provides information regarding both campus security policies and procedures, crime prevention programs, and campus crime statistics.

At a minimum, the Campus Security Report must contain:

• The required crime statistics for the three calendar years preceding the year in which the report is disclosed. Schools are now required to report crime statistics by means of separate categories: on campus; in or on a noncampus building or property; and on public property.
• A statement of the procedures and facilities for reporting crimes and other emergencies occurring on campus (including a list of the titles of each person or organization to whom students and employees should report the crimes).
• The policies for the institution’s response to such reports, including policies for making timely reports of the following crimes that are reported to campus officials or local police agencies to members of the campus community:
  • Murder
  • Forcible and nonforcible sex offenses
  • Robbery
  • Aggravated assault
  • Burglary
  • Motor vehicle theft
  • Manslaughter
  • Arson
  • Arrests or persons referred for campus disciplinary action for liquor law violations, drug-related violations, and weapons possession
  • Under the category of "prejudice" crimes of forcible and nonforcible sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglar, motor vehicle theft, manslaughter, arson, and other crimes that involve bodily injury that show evidence of prejudice based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity or disability
    
• Statistics on the occurrence on campus, in or on noncampus buildings or property, and on public property of the crimes listed above.
• A statement of the policies concerning the security of, and access to, all campus facilities, including residences, and security considerations used in the maintenance of campus facilities.
• A statement of the policies concerning campus law enforcement, including:
  • The enforcement authority of campus security personnel, their working relationship with state and local police and other law enforcement agencies, and whether the security personnel have the authority to arrest individuals.
  • Policies that encourage accurate and prompt reporting of crimes to campus police and the appropriate police agencies.
• A description of programs for students and employees on campus security procedures and practices that encourage them to be responsible for their own security and the security of others, and on crime prevention.
• The policies concerning the possession, use, and sale of alcoholic beverages including the enforcement of state underage drinking laws, and the policies concerning the possession, use, and sale of illegal drugs including the enforcement of state and federal drug laws.
• A description of the drug and alcohol-abuse education programs available to students and employees.
• A statement of the sexual assault prevention programs available and the procedures to be followed when a sex offense occurs.

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