MANAGING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Q: What personal information can you view online—your contact information, grades, degree progress, financial status, or other information?
A: The University has an extensive web site that allows students to view their personal data: Student profile, name, address, phone, email, mailbox number, and mailbox combination; academic data: advisor, program of studies, anticipated graduation date, counselor information, current schedule, mid term and final grades (by term and full transcript), degree audit with what if scenario, and registration holds flags, if any. In addition, students are able to access the Mail Center system to view parcels received, and the Building and Grounds system to request maintenance.
Q: Can you update any of this information online yourself?
A: Yes. There is a change of address link where a student can submit a change of name, address and phone number.
CONDUCTING BUSINESS
Q: Which of the following can you do online?
A:
- Check admissions status:
Students are not able to check their admissions status online. - Pay bills:
Students can make tuition payments at the Cashier's office. Charges are also accepted via fax. - Apply for and view financial aid awards:
The University plans to go live by December on the implementation of a system which allows students to apply and view their financial aid awards. - Register for, add, and drop courses:
Students are able to search for a course, register for, add, drop courses, and print their course schedule. The system will check for compliance with prerequisites, health shots, and any outstanding balances. - Learn course grades (online or by phone):
Students are able to log into Web Advisor https://webadvisor.sacredheart.edu and view their mid-term and final grades. - View and print unofficial transcripts:
Students are able to view and print unofficial transcripts. - Check progress towards completion of degree requirements:
Students are able to check progress toward completion of degree requirements. They can perform what if scenario in case they are thinking of changing their majors. - Make campus bookstore purchases:
Students can make online purchases on selected items by way of our partnership with Follett Bookstore at http://www.sacredheart.bkstr.com/ where they can also procure school supplies, accessories, gifts, and apparel. - Other: Students are able to manage their network accounts and change their email forwarder. They are able to view their parcels online (received by the Mail Center), open tickets with Building & Grounds, and the University Calendar of events.
Q: What campus and community services are covered by debit-card, smart-card, or one-card systems?
A: Sacred Heart University is among a growing number of universities that is committed to technology. We have invested in a debit card system that is currently used in our dining and library facilities. The University is planning to continue the installation of this system in order to extend its use to the duplicating units, laundry service, bookstore and elsewhere.
Q: Are the school catalog—including course descriptions, degree requirements, and academic policies—and the semester/term schedule of classes available on the Web?
A: The Academic site has an extensive web site [link to academic catalogs] that lists tuition rates, academic calendar, final exam schedule and other pertinent information.
PRIVACY, SECURITY, AND USAGE RULES
Q: What security and privacy policies are in place to protect student information?
A: All faculty and staff who have access to students' data sign a confidentiality agreement to not disclose any FERPA regulated information to anyone besides the students without their written consent. In addition, Health Services complies with HIPAA regulations and does not release any students' medical records without their written consent. In addition, the I.T. Department published a comprehensive Data Security Policy on July 1, 2005, which is currently up for review by the Cabinet.
Q: How does the campus protect students from identity theft?
A: We do not use students' social security numbers for any authentication; we assign to students a unique 7-digit ID number and have a strict policy on who has access to this data.
Q: How does the campus notify students of their rights under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)?
A: The University enforces FERPA on all access requests to our database.
Q: Is network bandwidth limited for peer-to-peer software, gaming, Web cams, or other programs requiring high levels of network resources? Are Web pages filtered?
A: Web pages are not filtered in any way, but bandwidth-hungry applications are filtered at the external gateway to enable normal use of Internet resources.
Q: Is there a campus code of behavior about using computer resources?
A: Students sign an Acceptable Use Agreement pertaining to use of computers, labs, and other network resources when they first pick up their laptops in September. This agreement includes most ‘common sense' areas of behavior, such as those pertaining to unlawful file sharing, hacking, and virus coding, as well as some which are particular to the campus, such as procedures for maintenance, warranty, and repair.
Q: Does the campus have policies addressing peer-to-peer file sharing, virus software, and copyright?
A: Sacred Heart has a file-sharing policy that we documented which explains the scope, background and clearly states what the users should and should not do. A copy of this policy has been issued to all full-time students who received a laptop. The University provides all its users with a virus software protection at no additional costs where the client computers are updated periodically when they log into our network.
Students are free to install any programs they like on their laptops, but bandwidth for peer-to-peer file sharing is limited through the Internet gateway. Anti-virus software is installed as part of the standard image, and is updated constantly from an on-site definitions server. If system files are ever irretrievably damaged or corrupted, the Help Desk has the means to quickly re-image student hard drives without damaging user data. We encourage students with questions about peer-to-peer file sharing, to visit the site www.musicunited.org and we support the efforts made by this site to educate others on file sharing activities.
Copyright policies are outlined in detail at the University's web site, [link to copyright page in library site], and the University library has clear policies posted wherever “fair use” may come into question.
Q: How does the campus manage e-mail spam?
A: In April 2004, Sacred Heart University installed a MailFrontier server [spam.sacredheart.edu], following some early-adopter beta-testing. This anti-spam software uses Bayesian algorithms, combined with collaborative blacklisting and personal black/white lists, to create a completely personalized spam filtering methodology that is customized to each and every user on the campus.
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