Notice to the Public
VCU is committed to protecting student privacy in accordance with the Student Privacy practices set by Records and Registration and applicable law, including the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Sanctions and other student conduct records that identify an individual student are part of that student’s educational record and are generally protected from release without their written authorization. However, consistent with FERPA, the University may release conduct records without consent in the following circumstances:
1. If the student is alleged to have committed a crime of violence or a nonforcible sex offense, once a final determination of responsibility has been made, the University may release the final results of the disciplinary proceeding (limited to the student respondent’s name, the violation committed, and any sanction imposed) as follows:
A. To the public, if the student respondent is found responsible.
B. To a victim of the crime of violence or nonforcible sex offense, the final results with respect to the alleged crime or offense, regardless of the determination of responsibility.
For the purpose of this policy, a “crime of violence” includes the following offenses or attempts to commit the following offenses: arson, burglary, robbery, criminal homicide, assault, destruction/damage/vandalism of property, and kidnapping/abduction. A “nonforcible sex offense” means statutory rape or incest.
2. If a student under the age of 21 is found responsible for violating any Federal, State, or local law, or any VCU rule or policy, governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance, VCU will notify their parent, guardian, or individual acting as a parent in the absence of a parent or guardian of such violation, if the student is under the age of 21 at the time of the notification. Students eligible for amnesty under this policy will not be found responsible and will not be subject to parental notification under this provision.
3. If a conduct record is a joint record of one or more students in addition to the respondent, then each student may inspect the portions of the records that directly relate to them. In this case, the university will redact from any record provided to a student the information that identifies any other student, to the extent possible.
While the university carefully protects the privacy of individual students as described above, Registered Student Organization (RSO) conduct records that do not contain information concerning identifiable students, are generally subject to mandatory disclosure under Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). To inform the University community, VCU may report RSO conduct on its website.