Students

Current Students

Counseling Confidentiality Policy

The relationship between a counselor and a student is particularly important in the student's academic career. The ideal counselor/student relationship is one of mutual respect and sharing of important and often sensitive information.

In the College of Engineering, counselors are bound by professional ethics and the federal Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (Buckley Amendment) to keep information confidential. Information will only be released to parents/guardians if the student is under the age of 18 or the parents/guardians have provided documentation to the University proving that the student is still a legal dependant. The only other exceptions are:

There is a clear and present danger to the student or others (including cases of child/elderly abuse). In these cases, only the relevant parties will be notified.
A court order has been issued. In this case, we will make every effort to notify the student that information will be released.
With regards to academic concerns, it may be necessary for a counselor to consult with the other counselors, the associate dean, and/or faculty members. In such cases, only information relevant to the specific concern will be released

Counselors prefer that students having questions come into the office for a face to face meeting. If this is not possible, they will answer general academic questions by e-mail. Please remember confidentiality may not be possible if an unsecured communication (such as e-mail or fax) is used.

For more information on your rights to privacy, see the American Counseling Association's Code of Ethics or the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).