Confidentiality and Release of Information
The Office of Learning Assistance considers all materials pertaining to a student’s disability as confidential. Any material received by Office of Learning Assistance is used to verify the student’s disability, to plan for appropriate services, and to document services and contacts with this office. HPU follows the following guidelines in handling disability-related information.
- Disability-related information for students at HPU is housed in The Collegium.
- Disability-related information is kept in individual files and housed in secure filing cabinets.
- Access to disability-related files is restricted to The Collegium professional staff and university officials with a “need to know” restriction.
- Disability-related information is released only with the student’s written permission.
The “need to know” restriction does not permit university faculty access to disability-related files. According to guidelines established by the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), faculty “need to know” is restricted to verification through the Office of Learning Assistance of a student’s claim to need classroom-related disability accommodations. Students with disabilities, however, are encouraged to share information with their professors in order to clarify their specific needs and find creative ways to address those needs.
A student may request to review the contents of his/her own file. This must be done with either the coordinator of the OLA or a qualified staff member from The Collegium. All information in student files is the property of the Office of Learning Assistance.