Student Rights and Policies
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects all students, including University of North Dakota student teachers. Cooperating Teachers and Supervisors may have access to student teacher records that contain information about their academic history, their student teaching progress, and other personal information. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits disclosure of such information to those other than authorized personnel who have a legitimate educational interest. The intentional disclosure of protected information by the Cooperating Teacher or the Supervisor violates FERPA and the University of North Dakota’s policy of confidentiality.
An exception to the above is that student information may be disclosed if the student signs a statement of permission for the information to be released.
If there are questions regarding the above statement, please contact the Teacher Education Office of the University of North Dakota at (701) 777-4128.
Withdrawal from Teacher Education Program
If you were formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program and have decided to withdraw from the program, you must submit a formal letter of withdrawal to the Teacher Education Office in the College of Education and Human Development. Should you decide to pursue teaching in the future at the University of North Dakota, you will have to contact the Teacher Education Office to determine whether you will need to reapply.
Due Process for Students
Due process exists to assure students of an orderly set of procedures when there is a possibility of prejudice, capricious evaluation, or other perceived unfair treatment on the part of members of the College of Education and Human Development. According to the UND Code of Student Life, an academic grievance is, "A statement expressing a complaint, resentment, or accusation lodged by a student about an academic circumstance (such as grading, testing, or quality of instruction) which is thought by the student to be unfair." To protect both the student and the faculty or staff member who might be involved, if a dispute arises that cannot be resolved through routine interactions, the following due process will be followed.
Steps:
- Initial Meeting: A meeting between the student and the faculty or staff member to try to resolve differences.
- Second Level Meeting: The intervention of the department chair to assist the student and the faculty or staff member in arriving at a solution.
- Formal Hearing: A college appeals committee is convened to hear both sides of the dispute and to decide on a solution to the problem.
- Appeals beyond the College: An appeal is made to the Academic Standards Committee of the University.
A complete statement of due process procedures is available in the Dean's Office, Suite 200 of the Education Building.
Teacher Education Student Review Committee
The progress of candidates in Teacher Education is reviewed regularly from the time of formal admission to Teacher Education through the completion of student teaching. It is expected that candidates will demonstrate professional growth as they continue through the sequence of courses and field experiences.
Candidate’s progress is measured through the following:
- Course grades and GPA
- Performance on Critical Tasks (key assignments in designated courses)
- Level I Disposition Report (based on Intro to Education field experience)
- Level II Disposition Reports (based on professionalism in coursework)
- Level III Disposition Report (based on professionalism student teaching)
- Evaluations completed by cooperating teachers and university supervisors based on observation of student teaching.
Some programs also have additional review processes such as admission to TEAM in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education programs.
If there is concern about a candidate’s progress, through evidence presented in one of the routine reviews or when a faculty member, cooperating teacher or supervisor notifies the Office of Teacher Education with a concern, a Teacher Education Student Review Committee will be formed to discuss the concern and meet with the candidate. In such cases, the committee may decide to monitor the candidate’s progress more closely or dismiss the candidate from the teacher education program.
The Student Review Committee will consist of the coordinator of the program(s) to which the candidate was admitted, the candidate’s program advisor, and the Director of Teacher Education. In the case of candidates in Secondary Education programs, the review committee may also include a faculty representative of the Major.
The role of the Teacher Education Student Review Committee is as follows: 1) to monitor the progress of teacher candidates who have failed to meet ongoing program requirements; 2) to review the situation of candidates referred because of a concern about their performance as teacher candidates; and 3) to recommend to the Dean the dismissal from or conditions for continuation of such candidates in the Teacher Education program. The status of candidates who have been formally admitted to Teacher Education is subject to review under any of the following circumstances:
- Failure to retain the overall GPA or Major GPA required by the program;
- Report of unsatisfactory performance in a required or elective field experience;
- Report of disciplinary action which might prohibit the candidate from being licensed to teach;
- Report of behavior involving academic dishonesty or other violations of the code of ethics which pertain to professional educators and, by extension, to educator candidates;
- Report of faculty or cooperating educator concern about physical or mental health factors which might interfere with the candidate's ability to perform the duties of a teacher;
- Receiving an “Unsatisfactory” rating on a Critical Task or Professional Disposition Evaluation
- Referral by a faculty member, cooperating educator, or the teacher candidate due to some circumstance leading to the opinion that a review would be helpful.
Candidates will be given prior notice of the date of the review meeting and invited to communicate with their adviser either in writing or in person about their progress toward meeting program requirements. Candidates will be offered the opportunity to meet briefly with the committee during the review meeting. The Office of Teacher Education will notify the candidate of the outcome of each review meeting.
Should the candidate wish to appeal the decision of the Committee, they should submit a formal letter of appeal to the Dean of the College of Education and Human Development within 15 working days after notification of the decision and adhere to the grievance process outlined under point 3 in the College Academic Concerns and Grievance Process.
Student Support Services
Students who would benefit from support for a disability or otherwise are urged to contact Student Support Services (SSS) located on the third floor of McCannel Hall, call 701.777.3426, or connect with Joan Jorde.
This office offers counsel and advocacy for students who may require additional support. The Teacher Education programs make accommodations in the admissions process for students with disabilities, and applications of all students are screened without regard for disability.
After admission to Teacher Education, students can expect reasonable accommodations to support their learning upon request and with the involvement of Student Disability Resources. Faculty will not adjust assessments of student work prior to being informed of the need for student accommodation.
Please contact Student Disability Resources to engage in a confidential discussion about accommodations for the classroom and clinical settings. Accommodation is not provided retroactively. Students are encouraged to register with Student Disability Resources at the start of their program. For more information, visit Disability Services for Students or call 701.777.2100.
Contact Information
Questions about the Teacher Education Program can be directed to the Office of Teacher Education.