2012 - 2013

• 1. Overview
• 2. FAQ
• 3. TA offer process and criteria
• 4. Teaching Tips
• 5. Department Rules
  • 5.1. Availability
  • 5.2. Absences
  • 5.3. Academic Misconduct
  • 5.4. Assignments, Exams, and Grades
  • 5.5. Books
  • 5.6. Communication
  • 5.7. Confidential Student Information
  • 5.8. Duplicating
  • 5.9. Final Grading
  • 5.10. Office Hours
  • 5.11. Planning for Classes
  • 5.12. Questions
  • 5.13. Resignations
  • 5.14. Start of Classes
  • 5.15. Training
• 6. Department Contact Information
• 7. Ethical Issues for TAs
• 8. Department Policy on Cheating by TAs
• 9. Related links

5.7. Confidential Student Information

Student ID numbers, grades, etc. are confidential information. Disclosure of private information is an extremely serious matter so all TAs should be very careful that private information is not posted on web sites, left laying around where others can see it, etc. Here are some specific rules:

1. All TAs should know what information is public and what is private. See the FERPA page if you are unsure about this. Note that not only are items like grades, student ID numbers, etc. private, but so are items like class lists. If you have any questions about whether information is private or public, please ask Liz Freppert or Phil Barry before making it public.
2. The FERPA rules apply not only to people outside the University and department, but also inside. So, for example, not only is it a FERPA violation to make class grades publically readable, or send them to someone outside the University; but it is also a FERPA violation to let CS&E office staff, system staff, TAs working on other classes, faculty other than the one you are TAing for, etc. view confidential files for the class you are TAing. Once again, if you have any questions on this please ask Liz Freppert or Phil Barry. (Please note: Due to the insecurity of email, TAs should avoid using email to communicate FERPA protected information. For example, if different members of a course staff need to work with a grade file, they should set up the grade file in the grades directory mentioned below, and access it there directly rather than emailing the grade file to one another.)
3. As of Fall 2012, the GRIT grade software will no longer be accessible. Instead, classes should use the grade facility in the Moodle course management software.
4. The Computer Science Department system staff maintains special directories for grade files. It is very important that TAs and faculty use these files for grades and other confidential class information. The staff will send around further information on this soon after the start of classes. Please e-mail the operator if you do not receive this announcement or if you have questions. Note grade files and other similar files must *not* be stored on laptops, local machines, home computers, or in your home directory or /.www, /web, /project directories. Note this includes the class web directory (including having a .grades subdirectory in that directory).
5. Also be careful with any hardcopies of private information. Please store such copies in a secure location, and shred them when you are done with them. You can give old hardcopies of grade files, etc. to the receptionist in the CS main office to be shredded.
6. In general be very careful with confidential information, whether student information or course information, that is placed on a laptop or in the course web directory. This is not a spurious warning: the department has had more than one incident in the past where laptops have been stolen, or where information in a web directory was inadvertently made world-readable.