In order to prepare students for personal and professional success, we expect that students will communicate directly with their family about their academic and personal well-being. Carleton’s policies, in the situations described below, are informed by the legal rights to privacy mandated by FERPA.
In matters of health and safety—such as serious illness or injury—we encourage students to contact their parents and families, and for parents to call the Office of the Dean of Students if they have any questions or concerns. Unless there is a health and safety or academic disruption concern, parents and families are seldom contacted. Student Health and Counseling staff may not breach client confidentiality; consequently, on some occasions neither parents nor other College officials may know of problems.
Grade reports are sent directly to the students at the end of each term. If a student is placed on academic review (Carleton’s version of probation) by the Academic Standing Committee, a letter is sent to the student.
On disciplinary matters, student life staff members, usually from the Office of Residential Life or the Office of the Dean of Students, respond to incident reports and complaints. Most times this results in a conversation about acceptable behavior. For students who engage in egregious conduct or patterns of unacceptable behavior, we address the behavior through formal disciplinary channels. The Campus Handbook includes a full description of expectations, rules, and disciplinary processes.
Student disciplinary records are confidential and are not released to third parties without the student’s consent. However, if we feel that parents and families should know of a situation or pattern of behavior, we will encourage the student to contact their parents. Our approach is to join in partnership with parents and families to ensure the well-being and success of students. In doing so, we try to avoid triangular relationships, especially those that involve private communications between College officials and parents and families. That said, we are always receptive to calls from parents and families. Your student’s class dean can assist you by answering questions about any aspect of student academic and co-curricular life at the College.