out the Grade Appeal Petition form. The appeal will be reviewed, and the student will be notified of the petition results within three weeks.

PREGNANT STUDENTS

STUDENT HOUSING GRIEVANCE

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities. This prohibition includes discrimination against pregnant students, extending to childbirth.

To ensure access to educational programs, when necessary, FIDM will make reasonable adjustments for pregnant students. A student in need of an educational adjustment should submit a request to the Title IX Coordinator. Medical information may be required.

REQUIRED CONSUMER DISCLOSURES

College information as reported to the U.S. Department of Education may be accessed at the College Navigator site at nces.ed.gov/COLLEGENAVIGATOR/. The site has a large amount of statistical information about expens-es, financial aid, enrollment, admissions, retention rates, and much more. The site allows consumers to compare information from different colleges.

RIGHTS OF EXPRESSION

STUDENT WORK

FIDM is proud of the work produced by its students and reserves the right to photograph, publish, display, or retain work done by students and alumni. Final projects must be picked up no later than the first two weeks of the next quarter. After that time, the projects become the property of FIDM.

The student housing grievance process aims to provide a prompt and equitable resolution for any student who believes a decision or action by FIDM Housing has adversely affected their status, rights, or privileges. The student must first make a reasonable effort to resolve the issue on an informal basis with the Resident Advisor. If there is no satisfactory resolution, the student(s) should provide a written statement about the grievance to the LA Housing staff. The FIDM Housing staff may arrange a meeting with the student(s) for further investigation of grievances filed. Should a student concern remain unresolved, the student then forwards the written complaint to the Vice President of Admissions (LA Campus) who will consult with the FIDM Housing Committee and provide final resolution.

Students are expected to acknowledge the existence of different opinions and to respect the right of others to hold those views, specifically:

STUDENTS’ EDUCATION RECORDS & FERPA POLICY

Student files reside permanently on the system data-base. Transcripts are generated on demand.

• – To hear, discuss, and study any issue related to the academic content of the class in an atmosphere conducive to learning.

• – To have easy access to all academic information.

• – To receive competent instruction in an atmosphere of respect, free from favoritism, prejudice, discrimination, and harassment.

• – To form and civilly express opinions on issues without jeopardizing their relationship with the instructor.

• – To be evaluated based on academic merit and performance and not on matters irrelevant to that performance.

STUDENT ACADEMIC GRIEVANCE

The student academic grievance process aims to pro-vide a prompt and equitable resolution for any student who believes a college decision or action was unfair or has adversely affected his/her status, rights, or priv-ileges. The student must make a reasonable effort to resolve the issue on an informal basis. Within 30 days, the student must meet with the Department Chairper-son or the Education Department and may be required to complete a written statement about the grievance. If there is no satisfactory resolution, the student then forwards the written statement to the Dean of Academ-ic Development, who will submit the statement to the Ad Hoc Committee on Student Concerns. This committee acts as advisor to the Dean of Academic Development, who is responsible for final resolution of the problem. For further information or copies of the Student Grievance Procedures, contact the Office of the Dean of Academic Development.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FER-PA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Edu-cation. FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandis-ing fully complies with FERPA regulations.

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when they reach the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are "eligible stu-dents." In accordance with FERPA, students have the following rights:

• – The right to review their educational records.

• – The right to seek correction of the contents of these records.

• – The right to a formal hearing if seeking the correction of these records.

• – The right to place a note of explanation in the records if their requested correction was unsuccessful.

• – The right to request disclosure of the contents of the records.

• – The right to file a complaint with the Depart-ment of Education if the Institute fails to comply with FERPA policies.