Governance

PREAMBLE As members of the Carolinas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, we affirm our profession, its philosophy, and its goals.  As professionals, we expect of ourselves and our colleagues high ethical standards of conduct. We believe in the worth and potential of those we serve both the institutions which have our loyalty and the individuals who seek our services.  We shall uphold only those principles, practices, and programs which respect the dignity and rights of the students and other individuals we serve.  We recognize our responsibility, both as concerned people under the law, to work for the elimination of bias where it may exist in policy and practice, to protect the students' right to privacy, and to respect all other rights of individuals.  At all times we shall strive to be fair and honest. Because of our commitment to our profession, we as members of the Carolinas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers agree to observe and promote the following statement of principles of good practice for our membership.

I. Principles of Good Practice for Registrars

A.   General Practices
1. Registrars will discharge their professional responsibilities without consideration for personal or economic gain other than the compensation provided by their institutions.

2.  Registrars are responsible for educating their personnel accurately in presenting and implementing their institutions' policies and programs.

3.  Registrars should strive to improve educational standards by keeping abreast of changes in the academic world and experimenting with new ideas.

4.  Registrars Jshould ensure and promote the welfare of all students being accessible to them and respecting their right to privacy.

5.  All individuals should be treated as equals under the law and institutional policy.

6.  All printed matter should be accurate as to availability of courses, sections and procedures.

B.  Evaluation, Records Reports
1.  Evaluation of previously earned credit should be done at the earliest possible time by consistent methods that ensure the integrity of academic standards of the institution.

2.  Registrars should provide accurate data for research to assist appropriate academic personnel in the improving of evaluative methods in courses and grading.

3.  Registrars should take all essential precautions to assure the physical security of students' academic records.

4.  An accurate, complete, and unambiguous record on the academic status and progress of each student should be maintained.  Only pertinent and properly substantiated information should be kept in the records, and alterations in these records should be made only to correct errors.

5.  A transcript sent to other institutions or outside parties should reflect the complete academic record and current standing of the student.  If any deviation from this practice occurs, a clear statement of institutional policy must be included.

6.  Except as required by federal and state legislation, the records of a student are confidential and should not be released to any person or agency outside the institution without the student's consent.

7.  For the partial or total certification of candidates for graduation, registrars should see that there is a structured process, a definite time sequence, and a clear description of personnel functions and responsibilities for accomplishing this task.

8.  In completing statistical reports and documents of certification, registrars should take extreme caution to make accurate and clear reports.

C.  Registration
1.  Registration procedures should be conducted in an impartial manner and work to the best interest of the student.

2.  Clear information about registration and drop-add procedures should be widely disseminated among the students and faculty for each registration period.

3.  Registrars should strive to assist in developing institutional policies as well as procedures that will assure proper access to courses.

II. Principles of Good Practice for Admissions Officers

A.  Admissions Promotion and Marketing
1.  Admissions officers are professional members of their institutions' staffs.  As professionals, their compensation should take the form of a fixed salary rather than commissions or bonuses based on the number of students recruited.

2.  Directors of admissions are responsible for the training of new personnel in performing all duties related to admissions promotion and marketing, and for educating them about the principles outlined in this statement.

3.  Admissions officers are responsible for educating all people who the institution involves in promotional, recruitment, and admissions activities (including their alumni, coaches, students, and faculty) to the principles outlined in this statement and to the expectation that they will abide by these principles. College and universities that engage the services of admissions management firms or consulting firms shall be responsible for assuring that such firms adhere to this statement.

4.  Admissions officers should avoid unprofessional promotion tactics such as: a.  Contracting with high school personnel for remuneration for referred students. b.  Contracting with placement services that require a fee from the institution for each student enrolled. c.  Recruiting students enrolled and registered at other institutions unless the students initiate inquiries themselves or are in the final year of a terminal program or unless cooperation is sought from institutions that provide transfer programs.

5. Admissions officers should assume the responsibility for insisting that the media developed for their institution's promotional and recruitment activities, both written publications and audiovisual presentations, shall:

a.  State clearly and precisely the requirements for secondary school preparation, admissions tests, and transfer student admissions. b.  Include current and accurate admissions calendar information. c.  Give precise information about educational expenses and other opportunities for financial aid. d.  Describe in detail any special programs such as overseas study, early decision, early admission, credit by examination, and advanced placement. e.  Contain pictures and descriptions of the campus and community that are current and realistic.

6.  Admissions officers should be forthright, accurate, and comprehensive in presenting their institutions' programs to prospective students and to high school personnel (and in the case of senior institutions, to the personnel of two-year colleges). They shall:

a.  Present clear and accurate information about their institutions, their programs, and requirements.  This applies to academics, student life, admissions, and all other areas. b.  Make clear all dates concerning application notification, and candidates' reply requirements for both admissions and financial aid. c.  Furnish academic profile data descriptive of currently enrolled classes. d.  Avoid disparaging comparisons of secondary or post-secondary institutions.

7.  In representing their institutions at college and career programs, admissions officers should abide by the following principles:

a.  Representatives should at all times conduct themselves in a manner reflecting the dignity of their profession and of the institutions which they represent.  A professional demeanor should be maintained with both students and colleagues during a session.  At all times a college representative should treat interview forms and any personal data regarding students as confidential information. b.  The rules of conduct applying to faculty and students in the school visited should be respected by all representatives. c.  When possible, representatives should make suitable arrangements in advance for interviewing or gaining information about prospective students. When visiting a school on an occasion other than college or career day, the representative may talk with students only with the permission of a school official. d.  Each representative should be able to present clear and accurate information concerning his own sitution and should avoid ambiguous, questionable, or false information about his or other institutions. e.  Representatives should arrive promptly for the sessions and should remain until the end of the period specified, unless arrangements are made with the host school to be excused early. f.  If an institution receives an invitation to attend a college or career program and it cannot have a representative present, the admissions officer should so inform the host school. g.  Representatives should recognize that space limitations in the host schools may sometimes result in a less than ideal space assignment and they should never, without permission from the host school, change their location. h.  Representatives accepting invitations to give general talks designated to stimulate college attendance or to clarify problems of college selection should avoid reference to their own institutions except in answer to specific questions from the audience. i.  The use of spectacular exhibits (large pictorial displays, movies, projectors, especially those with sound tracks) or gifts as promotional devices should be avoided in situations where a number of institutions share common quarters for counseling purposes. j.  The distribution of promotional material where a number of institutions share a common area is limited to promotional literature, i.e. view books, applications, brochures, and catalogs. k.  A college has the right to use whatever promotional material it deems effective if it is the only institution visiting a school and if it meets the approval of the host school.  Such materials may not be objectionable at college and career programs if the institution has been provided a separate room, and if there is no attempt to divert students and parent from the objective of evaluating fairly the services of other participating institutions. l. The practice of sending students to assist the representative is looked upon with disfavor by many schools. One official representative is usually considered adequate.

B. Application Procedures.
In the processing of applications for admission, admissions officers should:

1. Accept full responsibility for admissions decisions and for proper notification of those decisions to applicants and, when feasible and within the confines of federal of state, law, to their secondary schools.

2. Receive information from applicants in confidence and respect completely, within the confines of federal or state law, the confidential nature of such data.

3. Not apply newly-revised secondary-school subject requirements to the disadvantage of an applicant whose course program has been established in accordance with earlier requirements.

4. Notify applicants as soon as possible if they are clearly inadmissible.

5. Not deny admission to an applicant on the grounds that the institution does not have assistance funds to meet the applicant's apparent financial need, except for foreign students.

6. Not require applicants or their schools to indicate the order of applicant's college or university preferences, except under first choice early decision plans.

7. Consider when setting dates for requiring non-refundable advance deposits from accepted applicants, that students should have the opportunity to hear from all colleges and universities in order to weigh the offers of admission in relation to their education goals.

8. Not maintain a waiting list of unreasonable length or for an unreasonable period of time.

9.  Provide separate statements of application procedures for transfer applicants to inform them of deadlines, documents required, courses accepted, and course equivalencies.

C. Financial Considerations
1. Institutions should strive, through their publications and communications, to provide schools, parents, and students with factual information about their scholarship and financial aid opportunities.

2. Admissions officers should clearly state to each prospective student the total yearly cost of attending the institution.

3. When talking with a student inquiring about financial assistance, admissions officers should give an accurate indication of the extent to which the institution would expect to be able to meet his need if he is accepted for admission and found eligible for financial aid.

4. A student's need for financial assistance should not be a criterion for admissions selection.

5.  Institutions shall not announce publicly the amount of need-based financial assistance awarded to an individual student.

D.  Advanced Placement and Credit and Advanced Standing
1.  Placement, credit, and exemption policies that are designed principally to recruit students are discouraged.

2.  Early admission and dual enrollment plans should be developed with the best interests of students in mind. The criteria for selecting applicants for early admission and dual enrollment should also recognize the best interests of students.  These plans of admission should not be used as recruitment tools.

3.  Student competency should be evaluated through use of validated methods and techniques.

4.  Policies and procedures for granting credit should be defined and published as part of an institution's pre-admission information.

5. The evaluation of previously earned credit should be done in a manner that ensures the integrity of academic standards published by the admitting college or university.

III. Monitoring Procedures
A.  The Concept of Self-Monitoring. 
Since the members of this organization are professional people in attitudes and behavior, the monitoring of infractions of the Principles of Good Practice depends largely on each individual's responsible adherence.  Violations of the Principles are mostly due to inexperience and lack of knowledge rather than to deliberate action.  It is the responsibility of each member to follow these Principles, and to remind others of them when inadvertent acts occur.  Of utmost importance is the recognition of this statement as a guide for professional behavior, and that self-monitoring is therefore implicit.

B. Monitoring Procedures
1.  When the concept of self-monitoring is disregarded by an individual, allegations of his or her infractions shall be reported in writing to the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee.  The Chairperson shall then write the accused person requesting an explanation of the allegations within a stated time.  If the Chairperson is satisfied that the issues are resolved by this written response, he or she will notify both the accused and the party responsible for the allegations that the matter is closed.  All correspondence should be sent by registered mail.

2.  When a person accused of an infraction fails to respond within the specified time, or if the response fails to satisfy the person, the Chairperson shall assemble the Ethics Committee to investigate the allegations and make written recommendations to the accused.  A reasonable timetable shall be suggested.

3.  When a person accused of an infraction fails to satisfy the Ethics Committee, the Chairperson shall appoint an Investigative Committee to review the response of the accused.

a.  The Investigative Committee shall be composed of three CACRAO members: one from the Ethics Committee, other than the Chairperson, one selected by the accused, and one from the general membership.  If the accused does not choose a representative, the Chairperson will do so.  The Investigative Committee shall report its findings to the Chairperson.  The Chairperson will report the findings to the Ethics Committee.

b.  If the Ethics Committee concludes that there was no violation of the Principles, the accused member and the party responsible for the allegations shall be notified accordingly.

c.  If the Ethics Committee concludes that an infraction has occurred, the President of CACRAO, on behalf of the Ethics Committee, shall write to the accused requesting that such practices be terminated.  A reasonable timetable shall be suggested.

4.  If a person found by the Ethics Committee to be in violation of the Principles continues such a practice, the Ethics Committee shall impose one of the following penalties: censure, suspension of voting privileges for a specified time, or termination of membership.  The accused will be notified of this action and will have ten days to submit a written appeal to the Executive Committee of CACRAO.

5.  When a written appeal is filed, the Executive Committee will then review the case and either uphold the ruling of the Ethics Committee, or withdraw the allegations.  If the ruling is upheld, all members of CACRAO will be notified of the practices in which the accused engaged in violation of the Principles.

The "AACRAO Code of Ethics," the Middle States ACRAO "Code of Ethics," and the CACRAO "Self-Audit Manual for Registrars" were helpful resources in the development of the section for registrars.  The "Statement of the Principles of Good Practice for Members of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors" was a basic resource for the sections on admissions and monitoring.