Academic Standards

Academic Standards

General Degree Requirements

To earn a bachelor’s degree, a student must complete a minimum of 124 semester hours with a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 on all hours undertaken at Berry College and on all hours in her or his major coursework at Berry. Some majors require a C or a C- in all courses in the major as noted in the requirements for each major. See the school’s description of majors  for details. When a course must be repeated at Berry, the Repeating Courses policy shall govern the calculation of the student grade-point average. A detailed description of all the degree requirements is listed at the beginning of the Academic Requirements Section.

Assessment Requirement

For purposes of determining the extent to which the college is reaching its goals, students are expected to participate in the assessment process required of institutions of higher education. Assessment activities may include, but not be restricted to, exit examinations in the area of one’s major (see requirement 16, under Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees ), opinion surveys, focus-group interviews and other forms of evaluation. The dean of academic services, in coordination with the deans of the schools, will notify students when these evaluations are to be completed.

Class Absences

Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Each student is responsible to the instructor in matters pertaining to class attendance. The student should explain the cause of each absence; if the absence is deemed justifiable, the instructor may grant the student an opportunity to make up the work. Because the college is concerned about the academic success of the student, instructors are encouraged to keep records of class attendance and to report those with attendance issues. Instructors should explain to each of their classes at the beginning of every semester what constitutes “excessive absences.” A student with excessive absences may be withdrawn from the class at the request of the professor, in accordance with the policies explained on the course syllabus. Students who fail to attend all courses regularly may be withdrawn from the college.

Eligibility for Honors

Eligibility for graduation with honors requires a combined grade-point average of 3.5 on all work undertaken, including both transfer and Berry credits (excluding credit by CLEP and similar examinations and credit graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory). Repeated courses are included. A student who transferred to Berry must also have a minimum 3.5 average on all work undertaken at Berry for such eligibility.

Students whose combined cumulative average is at least 3.5 but less than 3.7 will be graduated cum laude; 3.7 but less than 3.9, magna cum laude; and 3.9 and above, summa cum laude.

Students who achieve a grade-point average of at least 3.5 on a minimum of 12 graded semester hours are placed on the Dean’s List for that semester.  In determining a student’s eligibility for honors, the Registrar’s Office calculates all grede point averages to two decimal places.

Second Undergraduate Degree

Berry College may grant a second bachelor’s degree to an individual who holds a prior bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. A candidate for a second bachelor’s degree must complete a minimum of 62 semester hours in residence at Berry beyond those hours earned for a prior degree. Of these, at least 15 hours must be completed in the major courses numbered 300 or above. All major, general-education and specific degree requirements (e.g., foreign-language hours for the B.A.) must be fulfilled.

Academic Integrity, Violations and Appeals

The Berry College community affirms its support of academic integrity as reflecting founder Martha Berry’s commitment to educating the head, heart and hands, and as the foundation of college life and experience. We believe that mutual trust among Berry’s students, faculty and staff is essential to the operation of the college and that all members of the Berry College community are responsible for working together to establish and uphold an environment conducive to honorable academic endeavor.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following: cheating, unauthorized collaboration, plagiarism, fabrication, multiple submissions, and aiding and abetting;

• Cheating: using or providing unauthorized information or aids on any examination or other graded assignment; altering a graded work prior to its return to a faculty member; doing another’s work or allowing another person to do one’s work, and submitting it for grading;
• Unauthorized Collaboration: working with another person on a project, assignment, examination, test or quiz, unless collaborative work has been stipulated by the instructor; 
• Plagiarism: submitting material that in part or whole is not one’s own work without properly attributing the source(s) of its content;
• Fabrication: inventing or falsifying information, data or citations; altering or creating any document or record affecting the grade or academic standing of oneself or others; 
• Multiple Submissions: submitting identical or substantially similar papers or coursework for credit in more than one course without prior permission of the instructor(s); 
• Aiding and Abetting: providing material, information or other assistance which violates any of the above standards for academic integrity; providing false information in connection with any inquiry regarding “academic integrity.”

Where there is suspected violation of academic integrity policy, the concerned faculty member should:

1. discuss the suspected infraction directly with the student(s) involved. At the faculty member’s or the student’s discretion, the school dean, department chair or faculty colleague may be present during this discussion as a witness; 
2. make copies of relevant materials before returning them to the students(s) for any approved amendment or revision;
3. discuss the suspected infraction and the documented evidence with the department chair, dean or a colleague if collegial advice is desired. In all such cases, the privacy of the student(s) involved must be protected;
4. make a decision based on the evidence and determine appropriate sanctions; sanctions may include warning the student, or reducing the assignment, exam or course grade; if sanctions are imposed, discuss these and the appeals process with the student;
5. if a student is found to have violated academic integrity policy, notify the provost (or associate provost) in writing. This document should include information about the course, the faculty involved and the student(s) involved; the time and date of the incident, and a description of the incident and any evidence that indicates an infraction of academic integrity; any sanctions imposed by the faculty member in response to this incident; and
6. a confirmation that the faculty member has discussed with the student the incident, any sanctions imposed and the student’s right to appeal the faculty member’s decision.

Students seeking to appeal the sanction concerning academic integrity may appeal to a subcommittee consisting of equal numbers of faculty and students of Academic Council that will be convened by the provost or associate provost.

Students who are sanctioned for violating academic integrity policy forfeit the right to withdraw from the class with a W grade.

Good Academic Standing

A student is in good academic standing at Berry College if his or her Berry cumulative grade-point average is at or above 2.0.

Academic Probation

Academic probation results when a student’s record calls into question her or his long-range chances for academic success and eventual graduation. At the end of any semester in which her or his Berry cumulative grade-point average is below 2.0, a student is placed on academic probation for the succeeding semester. Students on academic probation must limit their enrollment to 16 hours. (see section on Classification, Grade Points and Semester Hours for additional information.) A student may be removed from probational status only by achieving a 2.0 Berry cumulative average.

Suspension

A student is subject to suspension from the college if he or she meets any of the three criteria listed below. Students will be notified of their suspension immediately after the end of the term and will be given the opportunity to appeal their suspension before the beginning of the next term.

1. Any student in his or her first semester at Berry who has attempted a minimum of 12 hours and earns less than a 1.0 grade-point average for the term may be suspended.
2. Any time a student who has attempted a minimum of 20 hours earns less than a 1.0 grade-point average for a term and his/her cumulative grade-point average on all hours undertaken at Berry College is less than the minimum cumulative average contained in the standards listed below, the student may be suspended
3. While on academic probation, a student is subject to suspension from the college if his or her cumulative average on all hours undertaken at Berry College is below that required for the designated number of total hours attempted. Students will not be subject to suspension for academic reasons if they meet the standards listed below after one semester on academic probation or if during each successive semester of probation they complete a minimum of 12 graded semester hours and earn a minimum semester average of 2.3.

“Total Hours Attempted” means the total of (a) credit hours of courses taken at Berry for which any grade other than I, W, or WS, has been recorded; (b) the number of hours accepted as transfer credit from another institution, if any; and (c) the number of hours of CLEP and/or CBE credit earned by the student, if any. A student will be considered enrolled for any semester in which he or she has received a grade or grades affecting the grade-point average. A student will not be subject to suspension for academic reasons if he or she meets the standards listed above at the end of two semesters of academic probation or if during the second semester, or successive semesters, of probation he or she completes a minimum load of 12 semester hours and earns a minimum semester average of 2.3.

Readmission

After the required period of absence from Berry, a student may request readmission through the admission’s office. Following an original suspension, a student may request readmission after a period of one semester; after a second suspension, the student is eligible to apply for readmission only after the lapse of one calendar year. In either case, readmission is based on the college’s judgment that such an action would be in the best academic and other interests of both the student and Berry College. Before applying for readmission, the student should be certain that the conditions that led to the original academic problems have been or can be corrected.

Dismissal

Dismissal for academic reasons represents a permanent separation from the institution and is a step of such seriousness that it is taken only after the most deliberate consultation. Dismissal may result when a readmitted student does not attain good academic standing for her or his classification after two semesters of re-enrollment following a second suspension.

Special Situations

The Office of the Provost reviews student academic progress at the end of each semester. Regardless of academic classification, a student may be subject to suspension or dismissal if the student’s only marginal academic progress makes her or his continuance at Berry unwise. The Dean’s Council will consider appeals of those who claim extenuating circumstances in relation to their academic situation.

Withdrawal

To withdraw, a student must obtain and complete withdrawal forms from the Office of the Associate Provost or the Dean of Students, obtain the signature of the advisor and participate in a brief exit interview. Completed forms should be taken to the Office of the Associate Provost. These forms must be completed in order for withdrawing students to leave the college with a clear record. Students initiating the withdrawal process after the final date of the official preregistration period for the subsequent semester will forfeit the enrollment deposit and the housing deposit. A student who has a Perkins Loan must complete an Exit Interview form in the business office. A student who has a Guaranteed Student Loan / Stafford Loan must complete an Exit Interview form in the financial aid office.

Students who will be absent from campus for at least one full semester but are not classified as full-time transient students or who have not been granted a leave of absence will be considered withdrawn and must complete the withdrawal form.

Involuntary Withdrawal from College

Berry College may require at any time the withdrawal of any student whose conduct or academic standing it regards as undesirable, either for the student’s sake or for the college’s.

If the undesirable conduct is unintentional but suggests that the student may be harmful to self or others or is incompatible with the good order and operation of the college, the matter will be referred to the dean of students. The dean of students will consult with health-care providers, professors, counselors and other individuals as appropriate. The dean of students may require interim, temporary or permanent withdrawal of the student.

If the undesirable conduct is deliberate, the student will be subject to the rules and procedures provided in the “Code of Student Conduct” and “Judicial Board of Student Conduct Bylaws” in the Viking Code.

Students who leave the campus under the above conditions, either voluntarily or involuntarily, may be readmitted to the college only after being cleared by the director of admissions with concurrence of the dean of students. Permission for readmission may take into account the student’s demonstrating a period of stable behavior outside the college and may require a statement from a physician, psychologist or other qualified professionals that the student is ready to return and cope successfully with college life. Follow-up services or special conditions may be required as part of the readmission decision.

Leave of Absence

There are situations such as medical or family emergencies when a student must withdraw from classes for a semester with every intention of returning the next semester. The student may, in these cases, request approval of a Leave of Absence that, if granted, would mean that he or she would not have to complete the withdrawal-from-the-institution process and then reapply for admission. In applying, the student will be asked to indicate the term of absence, the reason for the absence and to provide documentation of the reason stated so that the provost and/or associate provost may consider the request.

While students are encouraged to apply for the Leave of Absence prior to the beginning of a term or during the drop/add period, students must complete the Leave of Absence form and turn it in to the associate provost’s office no later than the end of the automatic W withdrawal period, typically the fifth week of the regular fall or spring terms, for approval to be considered for the current term. Students who have begun coursework during the term and who receive permission for the leave after the drop/add period would be granted a W for all courses for which they are registered; these hours would count, however, as hours attempted.

In cases where a student needs to withdraw temporarily for medical reasons but anticipates returning in the next semester, the student may be granted a Medical Leave of Absence. The leave must be requested no later than the last day of the semester to withdraw with a W or WF grade, typically the twelfth week of the regular fall or spring semester. Upon receipt of appropriate medical documentation, students will be granted a WS for all courses for which they are registered; these hours would count, however, as hours attempted. Students who withdraw for medical reasons will be asked to provide documentation from the appropriate medical professionals regarding the student’s readiness to return to a residential academic community.

A student approved for a Leave of Absence or Medical Leave of Absence will be eligible to preregister at the same time he or she would if enrolled at Berry and will, upon returning to the college, be coded as a current student. The student is responsible for meeting all fee deadlines, housing-application deadlines, etc., as is a student in residence.

A Leave of Absence will be granted for no more than one term in duration. If students must be gone from the institution longer than one term, they must formally withdraw and then reapply for admission.

Students should be advised that an approved Leave of Absence may affect the student’s eligibility for financial aid and grants; students seeking approval of a Leave should consult with financial aid.

Grading and Credit Hours

Grades and Examinations

At the end of each semester, examinations are administered according to a schedule posted on the Registrar’s page of VikingWeb. Semester grade reports are posted on VikingWeb at the end of each semester.

Grades are recorded on the permanent record as follows:

Official withdrawal from a course requires a student to meet with their academic advisor and submit the appropriate form to the Registrar’s office. If the withdrawal is made during the first five weeks of a semester, the student will receive a W on the course from which the withdrawal is made. After five weeks, the grade will be either W or WF, depending on whether the grade at the time of withdrawal is passing or failing. Only in unusual circumstances, however, will a student be permitted to withdraw from a course during the last three weeks of the semester, even if the grade in the course is passing. Failure to withdraw properly will result in the F grade.

Should a student officially withdraw or be suspended during the semester, the grade will be either W or WF, depending on whether the grade at the time of withdrawal is passing or failing. If the withdrawal is for medical reasons, as determined by the provost, the student will be assigned the WS grade. Grades recorded prior to the student’s withdrawal from school will remain on the record.

The date of dropping a class in no way implies a tuition refund. In cases affecting a student’s receipt of financial aid, federal and state regulations specify that the last date of class attendance be used as the date of withdrawal. See Refund of Charges .

Incomplete Grades

When a student has completed a substantial portion of the course requirements but is unable to complete the course, an Incomplete “I” grade may be assigned. The request should include a rationale for the request, a list of the work remaining to be completed, deadlines for completion of the work, and the grade the student should be assigned if the work is not completed. The instructor and the student must sign the Request for an Incomplete Grade form; in the event of an emergency or hospitalization where the student cannot personally request an Incomplete, the provost or associate provost may initiate the request on behalf of the student and forward the request to the instructor.

Completed requests for Incomplete Grades must be submitted to the Registrar’s office no later than the last day of the Final Exam period. Instructors must submit a Change of Grade form once the coursework is completed but no later than the end of the 12th week of the subsequent semester following submission of the “I” grade. Incompletes earned in the spring semester do not need to be completed in the summer unless required by the instructor. Failure to complete the necessary work by the deadline will result in the “I” grade being automatically changed to the grade listed on the Request for Incomplete Grade form. If no grade is listed on the form, an “F” grade will be assigned.

The Registrar will not accept incomplete grades that cannot be completed within the guidelines listed above.

Time Limit for Grade Changes

Non-incomplete grades may not be challenged or changed after the end of the next semester in which the grade in question was earned; grades of students who have graduated may not be changed after the end of the term in which the student graduated.

Academic Appeals Process

Undergraduate students who wish to appeal an academic-related decision should first consult with the professor of the course in which the issue has been raised. If the issue is not resolved at that consultation, the student may then appeal to the department chair and then, if the issue is not resolved, in writing to the dean of the appropriate school and then to the associate provost and/or provost. If the issue continues to be at question, the student may then appeal to a subcommittee consisting of equal numbers of faculty and students of Academic Council that will be convened by the provost or associate provost, and then to the president.

If the issue is program related, the student should consult first with the director of the department or office in which the issue has been raised. If the issue is not resolved at that consultation, the student may then appeal in writing to the appropriate school dean. If the issue is not resolved, then the student may appeal to the associate provost and/or provost. If the issue continues to be at question, the student may then appeal to a subcommittee consisting of equal numbers of faculty and students of Academic Council that will be convened by the provost or associate provost, and then to the president.

Classification, Grade Points and Semester Hours

Students are classified according to number of hours of credit earned. With fewer than 30 hours the student is classified as a freshman; with as many as 30 hours but fewer than 60, a sophomore; with as many as 60 hours but fewer than 90, a junior; and with 90 or more hours, a senior.

A student’s grade-point average is determined by dividing the number of grade points earned by the number of hours attempted, including any on which the student earned a grade of F or WF. Grade-point averages at Berry College will be rounded off to two decimal points for all reporting purposes, including transcripts, academic standards and graduation.  In all cases where a grade point average is used to make a detmination about a student, two decimal places are retained.

Berry College will use the following terminology for grade-point averages: Berry cumulative; transfer; and combined, which includes the Berry cumulative and the transfer cumulative.

A student normally will take 12 to 18 credit hours a semester. To register for more than 18 hours, a student must have an average of 3.0 (B) for the semester preceding that in which the overload is intended. In extreme cases, however, the provost may make exceptions. For consideration by the provost, requests must be filed on the forms available in that office. Students with a 3.0 semester average for the preceding semester need not file a request. No student on academic probation may take more than 16 credit hours, or 15 credit hours plus one hour of credit for a physical-education activity course. Regardless of the grade-point average earned for the preceding semester, a student will not be allowed to take more than 21 semester hours.

A student will not be permitted to earn credit for a basic course in any area in which acceptable college credit for a more advanced course has been earned or awarded.

Auditing Courses

A currently enrolled student who desires to enroll for a course without receiving academic credit may audit the course. The student must receive the approval of the instructor prior to registering.

Students will not be permitted to change to credit status after the add/drop period ends. Additionally, students may not change from credit status to audit status after the add/drop period ends.

Repeating Courses

Beginning with the 2013 Berry College Catalog, the policy on repeating courses was changed to allow students the opportunity to replace the earlier course grade with the grade from the second attempt as described below. This change in policy applies to all students who repeat courses after June 1, 2013.

Students may repeat courses if no credit is earned for the course or if the grade earned on the first attempt is lower than a C. In all cases where courses are repeated, the hours of credit will be counted only once toward the total credit hours required for graduation except where otherwise noted as repeatable in the course description.

A student may repeat a course only once. Only the most recent grade will count toward the Berry College grade-point average; no more than 15 credit hours of grades can be replaced in the Berry College grade-point average during a student’s baccalaureate career.

Grades and credits earned at other institutions are used in the calculation of the cumulative grade-point average but are not used in the calculation of the Berry College grade-point average required to remain in good academic standing and meet financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.

Therefore, work repeated at another institution cannot be used to improve the Berry College grade-point average.

Students should refer to the Financial Aid section of the college catalog for details regarding a student’s ability to use financial aid to pay for repeated coursework.

Credit for Prior Educational Experience

Students wishing to receive transfer credit for coursework taken at another accredited institution should consult the Transfer Credit Policies found in the Admissions section of this catalog. Berry College will not grant transfer credit for course work from non-accredited institutions or for prior experiential learning. Students who wish to demonstrate proficiency in areas covered by Berry courses may be allowed to earn credit for those courses through a variety of examinations.

Credit by Examination & Earning Credit at Another Institution

Advanced Placement Program

Berry College grants credit to a student who presents acceptable scores on one or more of the Advanced Placement Program examinations of the CEEB in the areas in which Berry has courses. On some examinations, students gain credit for a score of three or higher; for others, a score of four or higher is required. A list of advanced placement score equivalencies is located on the Registrar’s VikingWeb page.

Credit by Examination (course challenge)

With the approval of the instructor who will administer the exam, the chair of the department in which the course is offered and the dean of the school in which the department is housed, a student at Berry College may earn credit for a course by demonstrating mastery by examination. Students may not challenge an independent study, research course, a course in which participation or activity is essential to the objectives of the course or any Foreign Language course. Students are not allowed to challenge any course for which they previously enrolled either for credit or as an auditor without the approval of the provost.

Students should consult with the instructor to determine examination requirements and standards before registering for the course challenge. The student should expect no more assistance than being informed of the material to be covered on the exam. Under no circumstances will a student be permitted to attend class meetings of the course being challenged. Based upon the results of the examination, the grade earned will be reported as “Pass” (for grades of C- or better) or “Fail” (for grades below C-). Credit earned by course challenge will count as hours earned toward graduation, but will not count toward determining full-time status for the semester.

Course challenges should be registered through the Registrar’s office during the normal registration period for the term, no later than the end of the add/drop period. Prior to registering for the course challenge, students will be required to pay a $500 fee for each course challenged. The examination must be completed and grade assigned before the end of the 12th week of the term in which it is registered.

International Baccalaureate Programme (IB)

Berry College recognizes the IB programme and welcomes the submission of IB examination results. No credit will be awarded solely for earning a diploma, for the results of any subsidiary-level examinations, or for scores below 5 on any higher-level examination.

Berry College will award credit for scores of 5, 6, or 7 on the Higher-level examinations. Students are required to provide a certified copy of the IB examination results.

Credit from Service School Courses

Berry College generally follows the recommendations of the American Council on Education in the evaluation of educational experiences in the Armed Services. Veterans should contact the registrar about such evaluations and equivalent college credits.

Continuing Education Unit

Continuing Education Units (CEU) may be earned by participating in appropriately planned activities not otherwise offered for credit. One CEU is earned through 10 contact hours of participation in an organized continuing-education experience such as a symposium or conference sponsored or cosponsored by Berry College.

While these units do not accumulate toward a degree, they are recommended by the College Delegate Assembly of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a means of recognizing the individual’s participation in noncredit activities meeting the appropriate criteria. These criteria are established by the association and Berry; participants are made aware at the time of enrollment of the availability of and requirements for earning the CEU. A decision that the CEU will be awarded cannot be made after the program or activity has been offered. Certificates designating the CEU credit are awarded after successful completion of the program. The college makes announcements and fees of activities meeting the criteria.

Correspondence Work

Correspondence work from other accredited institutions to a maximum of nine semester hours may be allowed in satisfaction of degree requirements, subject to the approval of the registrar, provided no more than three hours of the correspondence work are taken after the student becomes a senior. Correspondence work cannot be used in lieu of an upper-level course required in the student’s major.

Study at Another Institution

Any student desiring to take coursework on a transient basis at another accredited institution must obtain prior written permission from the advisor, the appropriate department chair and dean, and the registrar at Berry. Failure to obtain this permission may result in the denial of credit. Forms for this purpose are on the registrar’s page of VikingWeb.

A department and/or school have discretion over which transient courses are accepted for credit toward a Berry degree. No credit shall be allowed for course work completed at a two-year institution after the Berry student has completed 62 total hours of college course work.

Students who apply through the registrar in advance for full-time transient status at another institution and who receive such approval for the subsequent semester do not withdraw from the college or reapply for admission for the following semester. They will keep their deposits on file at Berry and are still considered to be Berry students.

Students wishing to continue their study elsewhere for a second semester must seek and receive transient permission from the registrar in advance. This extension, if approved, is good for only one semester. If such students do not seek approval or cease to attend that institution, they would need to apply for readmission to Berry. A student who while on academic suspension from Berry studies at another institution must apply for readmission to Berry. See statements on readmission in the Admission & Financial Aid  and the Academic Community sections of the catalog.

Academic Transcripts

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, transcripts are issued only at the written request of the student. Telephone requests cannot be accepted. A minimum of 24 hours’ advance request time is required. Every attempt is made to honor requests within 48 hours. As this timing is not always possible, students should request transcripts well in advance of their need for them in order to allow time for mailed transcripts to reach their destination. Official transcripts bear the seal of the college. A $5 fee is charged for each official copy. Currently enrolled students may print unofficial copies for their own use from Viking Web. Transcripts will not be issued for those who are delinquent in their financial obligations to the college.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Access to Student Information

Under provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, students have the right of access to official records maintained on them by Berry College. A student may inspect and review her or his educational records by filing a written request with the registrar. Although access may be normally obtained without undue delay, officials are permitted a 45-day period within which to respond to any request. For further information, please refer to the student handbook, Viking Code.

Directory Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, also provides that the following categories of information may be released by the college as public unless the student chooses to have the information withheld. Such information may be released routinely to certain inquirers and the news media unless the student requests in writing the fall semester of each year that this list be withheld. Directory information includes name, address (including home, residence hall and room number, and local off-campus address), current telephone listing, place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height (if a member of an athletic team), dates of attendance (including current classification and year, matriculation and withdrawal dates), degrees, awards and honors received, including dates granted, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended, Berry e-mail address, status (full-time/part-time), and identification photograph.

Release of Information

Without the student’s written consent, Berry College does not release confidential information to anyone other than Berry College personnel requiring information for the proper performance of their duties; organizations conducting studies for educational and governmental agencies; accrediting agencies; appropriate persons in case of health or safety emergencies; agencies or offices in connection with the student’s application for or receipt of financial aid; governmental officials, as identified in Public Law 93-380; parents of dependent children, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1954; and an appropriate official in response to a court order. Students who wish to release to parents routine grade reports or other official correspondence must complete a signed authorization form with the Office of the Registrar.

Other College Privacy Policies

Library Privacy Policy

Librarians’ professional ethics require that personally identifiable information about library users be kept confidential. This confidentiality applies to information sought or received; materials consulted, borrowed or acquired; and borrower-registration information.

Confidential records shall not be made available to any agency of state, federal or local government or any other person unless a court order requiring disclosure has been entered by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Public Relations

Berry College students are frequently featured in news releases, photographs, audiotapes and videotapes that may be distributed to the media or used in Berry publications, including Web sites. Students may be photographed or videotaped on campus or at college-related functions. The college has exclusive rights to these photographs/videotapes and may use them to promote the institution. Accomplishments of students may also be used to promote Berry College.