Panel addresses students' rights

Students gathered yesterday in Sophia Gordon Hall for the Know Your Rights Forum. The event, which was sponsored by the Tufts American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Tufts Community Union Judiciary (TCUJ), featured a panel of staff and administrators who discussed confidentiality, overbearing parents and on-campus police actions. Approximately 40 students attended. The panel held representatives from the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD), the Office of Residential Life and Learning (ORLL), Health Services, Judicial Affairs, the TCUJ and its Judicial Advocates program, Tufts Online and the Massachusetts ACLU. Margaret Higham, the medical director of Tufts Health Services, addressed confidentiality concerns related to medical treatment at Tufts. She assured the audience that Tufts' policy prevents Health Services from disclosing health-related information to anyone outside of her office, unless the student is in serious danger. "Deans find out about some alcohol [incidents] through the police reports," she said. Yet, she emphasized that Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) reports are confidential information. Another confidentiality-related discussion focused on the rights of parents to see academic transcripts. Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman said that Tufts will not disclose grades to parents without permission from students. "That's a matter of privacy under FERPA [the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act]," he said. TUPD Captain Mark Keith was also present and explained the role of his department, noting that it is an accredited police force. Not all TUPD reports lead to arrests, he said, which is a benefit to having a university police force. "It's a good opportunity to keep people out of the judicial system, and it helps people in life," said Keith. The panel also discussed online rights. Members of Tufts Online warned about the dangers of illegal downloading, which can lead to students' Internet connections being shut down and eventually to academic probation, they said. Senior Dan Grant, president of the Tufts ACLU and one of the forum's primary organizers, said that he was happy with the event. "I think it was really good to see the interaction between the administrators and the departments on campus and the students, and to see the candid exchange that went on between them," he said. Grant said that he hopes that there will be more forums about rights in the future. "The goal is to make it an annual event," he said.