Tony Wiley

I learned that in regard to online discussions, students cannot demand anonymity, and that there are other laws/agencies that can override FERPA, depending upon circumstances.

I found it interesting that FERPA has time limits.  That those who are no longer students at an institution are no longer guaranteed privacy of their records.  It is good to know that it is suggested that certain policies be established to contact former students depending on the records released, however.

I have learned that Directory Information is generally allowed to be released without student consent, but that students need to know what information is considered to be D.I.  I also learned that instructors should not just share grades of students they have in common (though I guess I knew that).

FERPA is designed to provide students with access to their records, but also to guarantee that those records are kept confidential.  As an online instructor, maintaining confidentiality with student information should be maintained as a simple matter of policy.

It is important to understand that state and federal laws may differ and impact the procedures taken in an investigation.  It is also important to understand the psychology of the victim of sexual assault/harassment.  It may help to explain certain behaviors related to cooperation.

The legal conseqences and the school consequences may differ.  Someone who is accused of sexual harassment or sexual crimes may be found not guilty or there may be a decision made not to even prosecute, but the school still needs to fully investigate and can establish their own consequences based upon the results of the investigation.  This is actually a good discussion to have in a classroom discussion of the operations of our justice system.

The Title IX Coordinator's role is important, and visibility is also important.  That is, people need to know who this person is in case reports need to be made.  The issue of confidentiality was also discussed and is also important in order to protect both parties while any investigation is ongoing.

I agree with others who have stated that this was a more in depth description of Title IX than I have experienced in the past.  The basic description that Title IX is designed to protect all who are connected to federally funded schools from any form of sexual discrimination is emmphasized, and from the discussion posts of others, it is interesting to hear their opinions on how Title IX should be applied or at least a concern for those who are teaching fully online courses.  Especially considering that most of the student-student and teacher-student interaction is through discussion boards and… >>>