University Rules and Provisions

Program Standards
This website clarifies minimum university-level requirements and policies that apply to all graduate students throughout the University of Cincinnati. Beyond these, each student is also expected to adhere to requirements, policies, and procedures specific to his or her own degree program and college.

All graduate programs must publish in writing in accessible format the minimum academic standards for each graduate program offered, including the following:

• minimum grade point average, including grades earned in required courses;
• acceptable grade distribution, including grades earned in required courses;
• nature and number of programmatic examinations, such as preliminary or qualifying, and the consequences of failing all or part of each examination;
• specified research requirements;
• a time-related definition of normal progress for all full-time and part-time students;
• standards and procedures for annual review of academic performance;
• standards and procedures for probation, suspension, and dismissal from the program.

Record Accessibilty
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights are:

• The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the appropriate office at the university receives a request for access. Records excluded from this right by law include parents’ financial statements, portions of records pertaining to more than one student, and those maintained by physicians or psychiatrists. Educational records are maintained at offices such as, but not limited to, the Graduate School, Student Records, Financial Aid, college deans’ offices, and academic program offices. Students should submit to the office that maintains the records in which they are interested a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The appropriate university representative in that office will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the record(s) may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the office to which the request was submitted, a representative from that office shall advise the student of the correct office or person to whom the request should be addressed.
  
  [It is the policy of the University of Cincinnati to provide to the student copies of any portion of his or her record at cost, except transcripts for which the university’s transcript policy, listed below, will apply.]
  
  Transcript Policy: In recognition of the confidentiality of student records, an official transcript of a student’s record will be released only with the written permission of the student, except under due process of law. Requests for transcripts must be made in writing, via the Internet, or in-person at One Stop Student Service Center, University Pavilion. There is a charge of $6.00 for each transcript. The fee must be paid at the time of filing the request. There is no charge for an official transcript that is sent to one of UC’s colleges. Students are not permitted to receive these official on-campus transcripts. Requests for transcripts are processed as promptly as possible; however, as many as five to seven working days may be required at certain peak periods.



• The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the university to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the office responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the university decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the university will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment.



• 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 is defined as a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic, or support staff position (including law enforcement and health staff); a person or company with whom the university has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees 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.
  
  Certain categories of information are considered public or directory information (e.g. name, address, telephone number, electronic mail address, college, class, program, major field of study, dates of attendance, enrollment status, degrees and awards received, institutions attended) for purposes of facilitating the educational process and optimizing opportunities for students.
  
  A University of Cincinnati student may withhold disclosure of any part of their directory information. To prevent directory information from appearing in the on-line Student Directory, requests for nondisclosure may be submitted at any time to the Office of Student Records. To prevent directory information from appearing in the published Student Directory, requests for nondisclosure must be submitted to the Office of Student Records no later than the second Friday of the autumn quarter. In either case, forms may be obtained at the Office of Student Records, 4150 Edwards, or on the Web at https://www.uc.edu/registrar/ferpa_form.asp.The University of Cincinnati embraces the policy that all records other than directory information are treated with confidentiality so that the only access afforded faculty or staff is on a need-to-know basis.



• The right to file a complaint with the United States Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the university to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, 20202-4605.

Discrimination
The University of Cincinnati reaffirms its policy that discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era, or age shall not be practiced in any of its activities. Furthermore, where past or present discrimination continues to have an adverse impact upon protected class members such as minority groups, women, disabled, Vietnam era veterans, or disabled veterans, the university will take affirmative action in carrying out its policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all.

Complaints involving violations of the University of Cincinnati’s nondiscrimination policy are addressed by the Office of Equal Opportunity.

Student Code of Conduct
The Student Code of Conduct defines behavior expected of all University of Cincinnati students. It is each student’s responsibility to know and comply with the university’s Student Code of Conduct, which defines behavior expected of all University of Cincinnati students, and sanctions or penalties are outlined. (Law and medical students are subject to their respective honor codes. However, these students are covered by the appeal process of the university’s Student Code of Conduct.) Academic behavior considered to be misconduct is defined in Part I of the Student Code of Conduct. The code also addresses nonacademic misconduct (such as disturbing the peace, destruction of property, and theft). Disciplinary procedures are explained in a step-by-step manner, and the procedures for appeal of decisions are stated.

In addition to this code, students must adhere to their college’s professional code of conduct and honor codes where applicable. Students may obtain copies of college honor codes from their college offices.

Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty in any form is a serious offense that cannot be tolerated in an academic community. Dishonesty – including cheating, plagiarism, deception of effort, and/or unauthorized assistance – may result in a failing grade in a course and/or suspension or dismissal from the university.

Each graduate program or college must adopt and publish procedures for investigating charges of academic dishonesty. These procedures must take into account due process and rules of evidence, and they must conform to the university’s Student Code of Conduct.

Restricted Research
The right to open exchange of information and opinion in faculty relations with students carries the obligation to avoid comments or violations of confidentiality that would reduce free expression or inquiry by students. Student involvement in industrial proprietary projects should be permitted only when these projects in no way restrict the student’s ability to fulfill his or her degree requirements, which includes the obligation to publish dissertation results.

Faculty members have the right to publish their research findings and the right to protection against retaliation because of displeasure over their conclusions by the public, administration, government, or others. They have the concomitant responsibility to refrain from conducting secret, non-publishable research as part of their university duties.