Student Rights and Responsibilities

Philosophy of Academic Standards

To maintain standards which foster an atmosphere of academic excellence:

Central Missouri retains students who, through periodic university-administered assessment and evaluation, meet or exceed established university academic standards.

Central Missouri grants degrees and/or certificates to students who fulfill prescribed program requirements and meet or exceed the minimum academic standards established by the university and the state of Missouri.

Central Missouri assesses former students to determine to what extent the university experience has helped them attain an intellectual orientation by which they can develop, throughout their lifetimes, the capacity for self-improvement, career achievement, and responsible living in a free society.

Student Responsibility

Central Missouri, through action of the faculty, administration, and Board of Governors, establishes and maintains requirements for its various degrees and certificates. These requirements must be completed before a degree or certificate is granted. The staff of the university will assist students in understanding and meeting these requirements, but the individual student is responsible for fulfilling them. Therefore, it is important for each student to be familiar with the requirements pertaining to the degree or certificate being sought and to remain informed throughout the period of enrollment. The success advisors, faculty advisors, and Registrar’s Office can be of assistance in this process.

The approved method of communication between the university and students is through the use of the campus email system. Each student is assigned a campus email address (Example: abc12340@ucmo.edu). Students are responsible for checking this email account regularly. Many offices no longer send paper mailings. Information regarding deadlines, grades, holds, graduation status, and academic standing are no longer sent by paper mail.

In addition to email, students are responsible for reading messages posted to their account in MyCentral in the form of both Campus Announcements and Personal Announcements. Campus Announcements are general notices sent to all students on campus and may not apply to each student. Personal Announcements are directed towards a particular student or a small group of students.

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

Academic honesty is a prerequisite for academic achievement; all members of the academic community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. The university recognizes plagiarism as a serious academic offense.  The university’s policy on academic honesty may be found in the UCM Student Handbook.  Students must be aware that the consequences of violating standards of academic honesty are extremely serious and costly and may result in the loss of academic and career opportunities.  Students found to have committed violations against academic honesty face removal from university classes and degree/certificate programs, and/or suspension from the university.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Central Missouri adheres to the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Information about the act can be found at https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html. Additional information can be found on the Registrar’s Office web page at ucmo.edu/registrar/ferpa.

UCM faculty and staff, under the rules of FERPA, will not release academic information about a student to anyone unless written permission is granted from the student.

This includes but is not limited to:

• Grades (student progress reports or final grades, grades on assignments/tests)
• Grade point averages (cumulative, UCM, major, minor)
• Academic Transcripts
• Central Degree Audit Reports
• Course schedules (including classes enrolled in, number of credit hours enrolled in)
• Course assignments and tests

The above items are never released to agencies or persons outside the university without the written consent of the student. Students who wish to give consent for the release of their academic information may fill out an Authorization to Release Educational Records form with the Office of the Registrar in the Ward Edwards Building, Suite 1000 (660-543-4900, registrar@ucmo.edu).

Directory information is not generally considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. The university does not sell student directory information; however, unless a student requests in writing to the contrary, federal law permits the university to release the following directory information to the public without the student’s consent:

• Name
• Mailing and permanent address
• Telephone numbers
• Email addresses
• Photo
• Date and place of birth
• County, state, or U.S. territory from which the student originally enrolled
• Major field of study
• College
• Class (junior, senior, etc.) (but not particular number of hours earned)
• Enrollment status (full-time, part-time, etc.) (but not particular number of hours or classes enrolled in)
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Dates of attendance and anticipated date of graduation
• Degrees/certificates and awards received
• The most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student
• Honors information (graduation with honors, not GPA or grades or Honors College membership)

Directory information does not include:

• Social security numbers
• Ethnicity/race/nationality/religion
• Gender
• Parent name and address

Students who wish to suppress public access to their directory information can do so by filling out a Request to Suppress Directory Information form and submitting it to the Office of the Registrar in the Ward Edwards Building, Suite 1000. Doing this will remove the student from the online UCM directory which displays only student name and campus e-mail address.  Suppressing public access to directory information also means that student names will not be released for Dean’s List designations in local newspapers, inclusion in the printed Commencement Program and online graduation lists, or inclusion in lists requested for club participation, employment, or awards.

Amendment of Education Records

1. If a student believes the education records relating to the student contain information that is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s rights of privacy, he or she may ask the university to amend the record by contacting the University Registrar.
2. The university shall decide whether or not to amend the record as requested within a reasonable time after the request is received.
3. If the university decides not to amend the record as requested, the University Registrar shall inform the student of its decision and of his or her right to a hearing under The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

NOTE: The amendment of education records is NOT the process used for a grade appeal. Please refer to the current Academic Appeal Procedure in the UCM Student Handbook for information regarding this procedure.

Application for Exception Procedure

All requests for an exception to undergraduate academic university policies and procedures will be processed through the Office of the Registrar. Please refer to the current Exception Procedure in the UCM Student Handbook for information regarding this procedure.

Vehicles on Campus

Because parking space is limited, the university asks that students who can arrange other transportation not bring vehicles to campus. To park in student lots, students may buy parking permits at Parking Services (306 Broad Street). However, parking permits are limited by the number of parking spaces and may not be available for purchase. Accessible parking permits are available at the standard student rate when medical verification is presented to Parking Services (306 Broad Street) or Accessibility Services (Elliott Student Union 224).

Students may get complete information on parking and operating motor vehicles on campus by picking up a copy of The University of Central Missouri Parking and Traffic Regulations at Parking Services, or contacting Parking Services  toll free at 800-873-8577.

Tobacco

UCM is a tobacco-free campus to promote the health of the university community, to preserve and protect university property, and to provide a respectful, clean, and safe environment to study, work, and learn. This policy encompasses all tobacco products (traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes, pipes, cigars, hookah, water pipes, and all other forms of smoke-generating products, chew snus, snuff, etc.) or any nicotine delivery method not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as nicotine replacement therapy.

Tobacco use is prohibited in all university-owned, leased, or controlled buildings and residences. Tobacco use is also prohibited in all outdoor areas of UCM campus; however, tobacco use is allowed in personal vehicles, at the Keth Memorial Golf Course, and in designated parking lots during designated events such as commencement, sporting or performing arts events. Students, faculty, and employees will be provided, upon request, assistance with identifying tobacco cessation resources, including free information and access to low-cost referral programs, through appropriate campus resources determined by UCM.

University of Central Missouri Drug-Free Schools and Workplace Statement

The University has established and is committed to enforcing clear policies that promote an educational environment free from the abuse of alcohol and other substances. 

The University complies with federal regulations that require an alcohol and drug testing program for safety sensitive positions.  The University expects students, employees, visitors, and organizations to adhere to state statutes prohibiting individuals under the age of 21 from drinking or having alcohol in their possession.  Drinking or possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in University buildings and residence halls except in those places where an explicit exception has been granted. 

The University also expects students, employees, and visitors to comply with laws that govern the possession, use, distribution, and sale of alcohol and illicit drugs.  Anyone found to be in violation of such laws shall be subject to all applicable criminal penalties, as well as disciplinary action in accordance with applicable policies of the University of Central Missouri. 

Students under the age of 21 are reminded it is unlawful to use fictitious identification for purchasing alcohol.  Health risks associated with the use of illicit drugs and alcohol include, but are not limited to, addiction, accidents as a result of impaired judgment and ability, overdose, damage to internal organs or a developing fetus, and unpredictable or violent behavior.  Information on referral and assistance with alcohol or drug-related problems is available from the Counseling Center (660-543-4060), University Health Center (660-543-4770), or Human Resources (660-543-4255).