Pursuant to the 1998 Congressional revisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Roger Williams University has the option to, and generally will, inform a parent or guardian of any student who is under the age of 21 or is financially dependent (as defined by the IRS), of any alcohol or other drug violations relative to the Student Conduct Code.

The University may choose to inform the parent or guardian of other types of incidents that involve violations or that may be life threatening or harmful to the student's (or other's) health.

Roger Williams University will assume all undergraduate students are financially dependent and therefore, where allowed by law and University policy, notify parents or guardians of violations of the Code of Conduct, especially substance abuse violations. A student may declare financial independence by contacting the Office of Student Affairs and providing the appropriate documents.

Parental notification will either take the form of a written letter or phone call, predicated upon the seriousness of the violation and/or the urgency of the situation. The University believes that clear, effective lines of communication between the school, parents, and student will assist us all in resolving issues of inappropriate behavior.

 We encourage parents and students to openly discuss these issues with one another so a better understanding may exist throughout the school year.