California State University San Marcos Student Consumer Information

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Federal regulations require all campuses to provide specified information to prospective and current students, staff and the general public.  Listed below are those items that  must be available for review per federal regulation.  In addition, the University has listed other policies and procedures that are of importance to students. 

Students are expected to know and comply with all policies and regulations of this University.  Most general University policy is disclosed in the California State University San Marcos catalog.  Other policies are reported each term in the class schedule.  Both documents can be accessed via the web at http://www.csusm.edu/academics/catalog/index.html for the class catalog and http://www.csusm.edu/schedule/ for the most recent term course schedule.  Other policies can be found under the specific programs' websites and copies of all policies that affect students can be obtained in the Office of the Dean of Students located in Craven Hall, Room 3600.  

The federal Higher Education Act, the federal Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA), and regulatory guidance provided in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) require direct individual notices of prescribed information to certain target audiences including prospective students; currently enrolled students; current employees; parents, coaches and counselors of prospective student athletes; and the general public.  Disclosures are to include crime/security statistics, student completion/graduation/transfer rates, FERPA privacy/security rights, financial aid program information, and gender-specific information on athletic participation and financial support.

Additionally, the following policies and procedures are included for your information:  Policy on Academic Honesty; Policy on Alcohol Beverage Use on Campus; Executive Order 1043; Code of Student Conduct; Federal Drug Free Schools and Communities Act; Americans with Disabilities Act; Policy on Nondiscrimination; Sexual Harassment Policy; Student Grievance Policy, and the Withdrawal Policy.   

GENERAL INFORMATION

About California State University San Marcos 
     
Accreditation:  California State University San Marcos is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).  WASC is the official accrediting body for institutions of higher learning in the west.  Students wishing to receive a copy for review of California State University San Marcos' accreditation may do so by notifying the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students in Craven Hall, Room 3600.

Information about Degree Programs offered at CSUSM

Faculty & Staff Listings: Page 455, for listing of faculty and other instructional personnel.

STUDENT INFORMATION

Financial Information for Students

Cost of Attendance:  Included you will find the mandatory tuition fees and other anticipated expenses such as living costs and books.

On campus housing costs are listed under University Housing. 

Financial Aid:   For Financial Aid information, please contact the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office at (760) 750-4850,  Craven Hall Room 3700.  

Study Abroad:  For students interested in studying overseas, please contact our Global Education Office at (760) 750-4090. 

Financial aid for studying overseas: Cal State San Marcos has study abroad programs that allow our students to study at universities outside the United States and receive academic credit.  To be eligible for financial aid, the program must be through the CSU International Programs Office (CSUIP), or be a visiting student at another CSU program abroad.  Some programs may be recognized by the Cal State San Marcos Global Affairs Office and have appropriate consortium agreements on file.  Please contact the Cal State San Marcos Global Education Office for more information regarding study abroad opportunities.

Withdrawal and Return of Aid Policies

Refunds: A refund occurs when a student completely withdraws from Cal State San Marcos and Cal State San Marcos does not retain all tuition fees.  Cal State San Marcos refund requirements are published in the course schedule each semester. A student who withdraws prior to the start of classes is eligible for a full cancellation of tuition fees.  You are not eligible for any financial aid that may have been refunded, since you did not attend.  Any funds that you may have received must be repaid.  Students who withdraw any time up to the 60% point of the semester will be eligible for a prorated portion of the tuition fees paid.  However, if you receive title IV aid, including loans, a similarly prorated portion must be returned to those programs.  
 
Return of Title IV (Federal) Aid: If you withdraw completely from the University during the first 10 weeks of class, you will have to repay a portion of the financial aid you received. The calculations for determining how much aid must be returned is based on the date you begin the withdrawal process from Cal State San Marcos.  It is important, if you do need to leave school, to complete the official withdrawal process.  Information on withdrawing is available at the Office of the Registrar, located in Cougar Central.  A student who withdraws from school during the first 60% of the semester is notified by the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office if financial aid previously awarded is returned to the student aid programs and if any repayment of funds by the student is required.
 
To officially withdrawal you will need to: Fill out a Withdrawal Form. Withdrawal forms are available in Cougar Central through the Office of Registration and Records in Craven Hall 3700. Note: If you fail to officially withdraw, and are given U grades for the courses attempted, the University will have to use the last date of attendance noted by the professor and you will be responsible for repaying a portion of the financial aid you received. Please review the latest Revised Course Withdrawal Policy. In accordance of Executive Order 1037, the Course Withdrawal policy for California State University San Marcos has changed.  Beginning fall 2009, undergraduate students are limited to withdraw from a total of eighteen units over their entire undergraduate career.  Students are able to withdraw ("W" grade) from classes using MyCSUSM the day after the add/drop window ends through the 19th day of the term

Disabled Student Services: Students with documented disabilities who will require reasonable accommodations to take part in University sponsored programs and activities will need to contact Disabled Student Services at (760) 750-4905 or (760) 750-4909 (TTY)

Student Right-To-Know and Campus Security Act/Clery Disclosure Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act  Details campus crime statistics as mandated by federal regulation. 

Teacher Preparation Programs – Annual State and Institutional Report Card. The Higher Education Amendments of 1998 (P.L. 105-244) mandated in Title II that all states receiving funds under that chapter annually prepare and submit to the Secretary of Education a state report card on the quality of teacher preparation in the state.  This comprehensive report includes data on all teacher preparation programs in the state.  The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) compiles the report for California, and the annual reports, including program information by institution, are available at http://www.ctc.ca.gov/default.html.  Institutions must provide their annual reports to CCTC in April and the state must provide its annual report to the Secretary in October. The reports must contain information on the pass rate on teacher certification exams of  Students in each program and how that pass rate compares with the average pass rate for programs in the state; the number of students in the program, the average number of hours of supervised practice teaching, and the faculty-student ratio in supervised practice teaching; a statement of whether the program is approved by the state, if the state has such a program; and a statement of whether the program has been designated as low performing by the state.

Graduation/Completion/Transfer-Out Rates for all students and student-athletes: According to the CSU Chancellor's Office and California State University San Marcos Analytic Studies, graduation rates are calculated at six years from entry for the first time freshman and at three years from entry for the transfer students. 

Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act: The Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act requires co-educational institutions of postseason education that participate in a Title IV, federal student financial assistance program, and have an intercollegiate athletic program, to prepare an annual report to the Department of Education on athletic participation, staffing, and revenues and expenses, by men's and women's teams.  

Athletic Program Participation Rates and Financial Support Data

Drug Free Campus Policy and Procedure

Student Contact: For general student issues, please contact the Office of the Dean of Students at (760) 750-4935, Craven Hall Room 3600.  
 
Voter Registration: The Higher Education Amendments of 1998, P.L. 104-244, added a provision to the Higher Education Act (HEA) requiring that institutions of higher education participating in federal Title IV financial aid programs make a good faith effort to distribute mail voter registration forms to each student enrolled in a degree or certificate program and to make such forms widely available to students at the institution.  Reference to this provision was added to the Program Participation Agreement (PPA) that institutions execute with the Department of Education.  (Note:  The statute specifically prohibits any officer of the executive branch from instructing an institution in the manner in which this provision is carried out, therefore not regulations governing this provision have been issued.) The statute requires institutions to request mail voter registration forms from the state 120 days prior to the deadline for registering to vote within the state.  If the campus does not receive a sufficient quantity of forms from the state within 60 days  prior to the deadline for registering to vote, the campus will not be held liable for failing to meet the requirements during that election year. At CSUSM, the designated office for voter registration is the Associated Students Inc Office.

The Office of the Secretary of State makes voter registration forms available electronically and facilitates on-line registration.  The Federal Election Commission makes available a National Mail Voter Registration Form that can be used for many states.

STUDENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Privacy Rights of Students in Education Records (FERPA): For the complete national policy, please refer to http://www.ed.gov/ and for the University Policy please visit www.csusm.edu/ferpa

The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. 1232g) and regulations adopted thereunder (34 C.F.R. 99) and California Education Code Section 67100 et seq., set out requirements designed to protect the privacy of students concerning their records maintained by the campus. Specifically, the statute and regulations govern access to student records maintained by the campus and the release of such records. In brief, the law provides that the campus must provide students access to records directly related to the student and an opportunity for a hearing to challenge such records on the grounds that they are inaccurate, misleading or otherwise inappropriate. The right to a hearing under the law does not include any right to challenge the appropriateness of a grade as determined by the instructor. The law generally requires that written consent of the student be received before releasing personally identifiable data about the student from records to other than a specified list of exceptions. The institution has adopted a set of policies and procedures concerning implementation of the statutes and the regulations on the campus. Copies of these policies and procedures may be obtained at the Office of the Director of Enrollment Services. Among the types of information included in the campus statement of policies and procedures are: (1) the types of student records and the information contained therein; (2) the official responsible for the maintenance of each type of record; (3) the location of access lists which indicate persons requesting or receiving information from the record; (4) policies for reviewing and expunging records; (5) the access rights of students; (6) the procedures for challenging the content of student records; (7) the cost which will be charged for reproducing copies of records; and (8) the right of the student to file a compliant with the Department of Education. An office and review board have been established by the Department to investigate and adjudicate violations and complaints. The office designated for this purpose if: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office (FERPA), U.S. Department of Education, 330 "C" Street, Room 4511, Washington, D.C. 20202.

The campus is authorized under the Act to release "directory information" concerning students. "Directory information" includes the student’s name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student. The above designated information is subject to release by the campus at any time unless the campus has received prior written notice from the student specifying information which the student requests not to be released. Written objections should be sent to the Office of the Director of Enrollment Services, CSU San Marcos, San Marcos, CA 92096-0001.

The campus is authorized to provide access to student records to campus officials and employees who have legitimate educational interests in such access. These persons are those who have responsibilities in connection with the campus’ academic, administrative or service functions and who have reason for using student records connected with their campus or other related academic responsibilities. Disclosure may also be made to other persons or organizations under certain conditions (e.g., as part of accreditation or program evaluation; in response to a court order or subpoena; in connection with financial aid; to other institutions to which the student is transferring).

Privacy Rights of Students in Education Records (FERPA)  Policy and Procedure

Alcohol Beverage Use on Campus

Americans with Disabilities Act
     
Executive Order No. 1043 Student Conduct Procedures for the California State University.  
           
See page 479 of the University Catalog for information on Discrimination & Sexual Harassment, or the Nondiscrimination Policy.
     
Policy on Academic Honesty
 
Standards for Student Conduct
     
Student Grievance Policy

Student Grade Appeals Policy
 
Drug Free Campus Information and Distribution Policy
 
HIV/AIDS Policy and Guidelines
 
Use of Social Security Number: Section 7 of the federal Privacy Act of 1974 provides that social security numbers may not be required unless pursuant to a state of federal law existing prior to January 1, 1975.  The Act further provides that at the time a social security number is requested, the governmental agency must disclose to the applicant whether disclosure of the number is mandatory or voluntary, by what statutory or other authority the number is solicited, and what uses will be made of it.

Title 5, California Code of Regulations Section 41201 (effective January, 1971) authorized CSU campuses to require an applicant for admission to “furnish the campus with his or her social security number”.  The CSU discloses the use of the social security number with statements in Mandatory Catalog Copy and the Application for Admission, both paper and electronic versions.

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