Advocacy and Privacy

Privacy

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Download NYU-Poly’s FERPA brochure to learn about the procedures we follow to comply with FERPA and to read about your privacy rights with respect to your education records.

Advocacy

The Office of Student Development serves as a comfortable and friendly environment for students that may have concerns about their experience at NYU-Poly, both in and out of the classroom. After consulting with one of our staff members, students can receive assistance in the following areas.

Absence Notification to the Faculty

It is important for instructors to know when you are experiencing an issue that might interfere with your studies. However, it is also important that your personal matters be kept confidential. Therefore, Student Development is the office designated to receive documentation regarding private concerns. An official verification notice must be sent to instructors, but this notice does not share personal details. Notification can be provided for the following matters:

• Death in the family
• Medical conditions and illnesses
• Other emergencies and situations
• Students attending Institute-related conferences

Student with Disabilities

At NYU-Poly we do not discriminate in our admissions practices and base acceptance decisions primarily on academic records. We are committed to assisting students with disabilities in developing the personal, as well as academic, skills necessary to fully participate in NYU-Poly student programs. To that end, we provide services to students with disabilities based on their individual needs. Click for more information.

We are also committed to working with these students so they may become effective self-advocators. Services for students with disabilities do not include the waiving of academic course requirements, nor the changing of courses subject matter.

Student Religious Observance

NYU-Poly has adopted the following guidelines regarding student religious observances, as recommended by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities. The intent of these guidelines is to encourage schools to reasonably accommodate individual students’ religious obligations and practices without penalty.

• Students will not be expelled or refused admission to NYU-Poly because they are unable to participate in any examination, study, or work requirement due to their religious obligations and practices
• Students who are absent from school because of their religious obligations and practices will be given an opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirement that they missed
• Students must notify their instructors and the Office of Student Development in writing, no later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, that they will be absent from a class that conflicts with their religious obligations and practices

In effecting these provisions, NYU-Poly’s administration and faculty agree to exercise the fullest measure of good faith and agree that no adverse or prejudicial effects will happen to students who follow these guidelines regarding religious observances.

Student Grievances and Complaints

Students may contact the Office of Student Development to address any grievances or complaints about life at NYU-Poly. (See contact info below.)

Involuntary Withdrawals

The health, safety, and well-being of all students is paramount at NYU-Poly. Therefore, a student found to be a threat to self or others may be involuntarily withdrawn from the Institute. The Institute seeks, whenever possible, to allow the student to continue active enrollment provided that they agree to appropriate care from a professional.

Reporting Incidents and Crises

If you have safety concerns, or witness a disturbance to the campus community, please contact an on-campus security officer and follow up by reporting the incident to the Office of Student Development.