Mercer University

Federal Disclosure Requirements

Mercer University is required by federal law to provide information at various times of the year to the University community. Please review the following information, and use the links provided to obtain additional details.

 

Institutional Information

Accreditation

Mercer University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award bachelor's, master's, and doctor's degrees. Inquiries may be referred to Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097; telephone, (404) 679-4500; Fax, (404) 679-4558; Web site, http://www.sacscoc.org.

Many of Mercer's academic and co-curricular programs are accredited by professional agencies. For more information about Mercer's regional accreditation or programmatic accreditations, please refer to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness Accreditations Web site at http://www.mercer.edu/oie/accreditations.htm.

Characteristics of Students

The University provides information about the diversity of its student body, including percentages of students broken down by gender, race/ethnicity, age, place of residence, and religious affiliation. For more information, see the Office of Institutional Effectiveness's Enrollment Profile Web site at http://www.mercer.edu/pbir/PAGES/IR/profile/top.htm.

Degree Programs

Mercer is composed of 11 colleges and schools that support the following types of degrees:

Degree Program Improvement

Assessment

Assessment is an annual process in which faculty and staff have identified the most appropriate learning outcomes or service objectives for specific programs. The purpose of assessment is to provide information on the performance of curriculum, learning process, and/or services, thereby allowing each unit to improve programs. It is not an evaluation of individual students or of individual faculty or staff. All programs (instruction, research, service, and support) are subject to periodic review.

For more information about University Assessment, go the Office of Institutional Effectiveness's Assessment Web site at http://www.mercer.edu/oie/assessment/.

Program Review

Program review is among a number of interrelated processes in place at the University to ensure institutional effectiveness in accordance with Mercer's mission. The purpose of a program review is to provide a systematic means of assuring the continuous improvements of the University's programs. Program reviews serve to guide development of individual programs and to inform administrators making resource decisions.

All programs (instruction, research, service, and support) are subject to periodic review. Each program is required to engage in a careful self-review to identify opportunities for improvement that further Mercer’s mission and goals, the specific mission and goals of its unit, and the specific mission and goals of the program. The program review process will improve the quality of the review and increase the potential that the process will result in continuous improvement.

For more information about the review cycle or the forms needed, visit the Office of Institutional Effectiveness's Program Review Web site at http://www.mercer.edu/oie/programreview/forms.htm.

Facilities and Services for Disabled Students

Mercer University is committed to providing qualified students with disabilities an equal opportunity to access a Mercer education through the provision of reasonable and appropriate accommodations and support services. For more information about Disability Support Services, contact the individual offices for each campus:

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students at Mercer University certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

  1. The right to inspect and review a student's education records within 45 days of the day the Office of the Registrar receives a request for access.

    The student should submit to the Registrar a written request that identifies the record/s the student wishes to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the Registrar does not maintain the records, the student shall be advised of the correct official at the University to whom the request should be addressed.

  2. The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes are inaccurate.

    The student may ask the University to amend a record that he/she believes is inaccurate. The student should write the Registrar, clearly identify the part of the record he/she wants changed, and specify why it is inaccurate. If the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the Registrar, or other appropriate official if the record is maintained by another office, will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

  3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education record, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

    One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A "school official" is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as a attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

    A school official has a "legitimate educational interest" if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

    Another exception, which permits disclosure without student consent is disclosure to officials of another school, school system, or institution of post-secondary education where a student seeks or intends to enroll. Upon the request of an institution in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, the University will forward the student's education records to the requesting institution. Upon request, the student may obtain a copy of the record that was disclosed and have an opportunity for a hearing as provided above.

    Upon written request, the University will disclose to the alleged victim of a crime of violence or a nonforcible sex offense the final results of any institutional disciplinary proceeding dealing with that crime or offense.

  4. The right of a currently enrolled student to request that his/her "directory information" not be released by Mercer University.

    The University at its discretion and without the written consent of the student may release "directory information" which includes the following items: student name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, date and place of birth, academic program, dates of attendance, degrees and honors received, most recent previous institution attended, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and photographs or video images.

    A student request for non-disclosure of the above items must be filed with the Office of the Registrar.

  5. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Mercer University to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

The name and address of the office that administers FERPA are: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.

The FERPA statement is published on the Registrar's Web site at http://www2.mercer.edu/Registrar/Info/Macon/Education+Records.htm and is printed in every Mercer catalog.

Retention Rates

The University calculates what percentage of first-time, full-time, bachelor’s degree-seeking, freshmen return for the fall of their second year. The retention rates for the fall 2009 cohort of students are as follows:

  • Macon Campus Traditional Undergraduate Program:  81.5%
  • Adult Regional Academic Center Program:  81.3%
  • Overall:  81.4%

Graduation Rates

Mercer provides information on the graduation/completion rates of full-time, first-time, degree-seeking undergraduates, and student athletes receiving athletic financial aid. The graduation rate cohorts began their education six year prior to the most recently completed academic year. Please refer to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness's Web site at http://www.mercer.edu/pbir/PAGES/IR/temp/srtk_disclosure.htm for these rates and for more information.

Post-Graduate Employment Information

Undergraduate Students at the time of graduation
Students who graduated in spring 2010 were asked to complete a Career Services Survey during the Macon commencement ceremony. Not all graduates attended commencement, and not all graduates at commencement completed the survey.

The following lists the results of the survey that show what percentages of graduates who either were employed or had been accepted into graduate school at the time of graduation:

  Combined Total
Traditional Macon Campus 2010 graduates 58.3%
  Percent who were employed 43.4%  
  Percent who were accepted to graduate school 14.9%  

 

Undergraduate Students 6 months after graduation

Because many graduates have not had the opportunity to secure employment before they graduate, a 6-month follow-up is often more accurate. In November 2010, Mercer sent a follow-up survey to all of the graduates from the undergraduate programs. The results suggest that 90.2% of the respondents had secured employment or were enrolled in a graduate program by December 2010. Of the 42 who were not employed at the time of graduation in May 2010, 64.3% (27) of them found jobs within 6 months of graduation. However, it must be mentioned that the response rate was 27.4%, which may not be representative of the total population of graduates.

  Employment Rate as of November 2010
Traditional Macon Campus 2010 graduates 6 months after graduation 90.2%
  Percent who were employed 73.6%  
  Percent who were accepted to graduate school 26.4%  
  Percent of those who were unemployed at the time of graduation, but who secured employment within 6 months 64.3%


Graduate and Professional Students
The following is a list of percentages of graduates who were either employed or enrolled in a graduate program within one year after graduation:

  Combined Total
Law 2010 graduates 91.17%
Medicine 2010 graduates 100%
Master of Family Therapy 2010 graduates 100%
Master of Science in Anesthesiology 2010 graduates 100%
Pharmacy 2010 graduates 89.5%
Physician's Assistant 2010 graduates 100%
Nursing 2010 graduates 100%

Peer-to-Peer File Sharing

Introduction

The Mercer University Information Technology Access and Use Policy (the “Policy”) contains Mercer’s philosophy and requirements governing the use of its information technology resources by students, faculty, staff, and others who have been given authorization, either explicitly or implicitly, to access those resources.  Mercer University expects each member of the community to use Mercer’s information technology resources, including connections to resources external to Mercer that are made possible by Mercer University’s information technology resources, responsibly, ethically, and in compliance with the Policy, relevant laws, and contractual obligations to third parties.  The use of Mercer University’s information technology resources is a privilege.  If a member of the Mercer community fails to comply with this Policy or relevant laws and contractual obligations, that member’s privilege to access and use Mercer’s information technology resources may be revoked.  The use of Mercer University’s information technology resources to send communications to Mercer or non-Mercer persons or entities typically identifies the sender as belonging to the Mercer University community.  Each member of the community should, therefore, recognize that any such communication might reflect on how Mercer University is perceived by the Mercer community and the public at large.

The Policy includes information about freedom of expression and prohibited conduct, file-sharing, privacy, intellectual property, Internet access, email, wireless network access and usage, and security.  All members of the Mercer community – students, faculty, and staff -- are bound not only by the Policy, but also by local, state, and federal laws relating to electronic media, copyright, privacy, and security.

The complete Information Technology Access and Use Policy may be found at: http://it.mercer.edu/student/hardware_software/it_access_and_use_policy.htm.  Mercer University will provide a paper copy of the Policy upon request.

Prohibition against Unauthorized Distribution of Copyrighted Material

The Mercer University Information Technology Access and Use Policy strictly prohibits any form of copyright infringement, including the illegal uploading and downloading of copyrighted works through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing.  Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code).  These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work.  In the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement.

Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties.  In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed.  For “willful” infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed.  A court can, in its discretion, also asses costs and attorneys’ fees.  For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Section 504, 505.
Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense.
For more information, please see the Web site of the U. S. Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov, especially the FAQ’s at www.copyright.gov/help/faq.
In addition to the civil and criminal penalties outlined above, students who engage in illegal downloading or unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials using the University’s information technology system will also be referred to the Office of Judicial Education and be subject to disciplinary sanctions, up to and including suspension from the University, under the Student Code of Conduct.

Institutional Plans to Combat the Unauthorized Distribution of Copyrighted Material

The Mercer University Information Technology Access and Use Policy describes the measures that the University has developed and implemented to effectively combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material.  These measures include the following:

  • On an annual basis, enrolled students are notified by email of the institutional policies and sanctions related to the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material.  This notice includes the exact electronic address at which this information is posted, and a statement that the University will provide a paper copy of this information on request.
  • In order to use Mercer computing resources, all members of the University community endorse the Information Technology Access and Use Policy which includes a section on copyright compliance.  The Policy is included in numerous University publications, and links to the Policy are included in numerous departmental Web sites.
  • Posters are placed in student computer labs and elsewhere on campus to inform members of the University community about institutional policies prohibiting illegal file sharing.
  • The Department of Information Technology periodically briefs members of Student Government about copyright, illegal file sharing, and related issues.
  • Mercer University currently utilizes a Procera appliance to monitor and shape bandwidth usage by P2P and other applications.  The University also has the ability to limit the number of simultaneous traffic flows from its residence hall and wireless networks. When a system is detected using excessive bandwidth, the IT Department contacts the owner to ensure that the bandwidth consumption is for legal purposes and that the user is aware of Mercer policies concerning illegal file sharing.
  • Mercer provides a timely response to all notices of copyright infringement under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Alternatives to Illegal File Sharing

There are a number of organizations that provide links to Web sites offering legal alternatives for viewing music, movies, and other copyrighted materials online.  Some examples include:

Readmission of Veterans

Veterans who wish to enroll in the University after an absence of more than one semester must contact the Office of the Registrar. Contact information is available from the Registrar's Web site at http://www.mercer.edu/registrar.

Transfer of Credit

Transfer policies vary depending on degree programs. Refer to the catalog or documents of the desired program for specific details:

You may also contact the Registrar's Offices for transfer policy questions.

Articulation Agreements

The following is a list of institutions that have articulation agreements with the colleges and schools of Mercer University:

Tift College of Education & College of Continuing and Professional Studies
  • Technical College System of Georgia
College of Continuing and Professional Studies
  • Department of Technical and Adult Education
School of Engineering
  • Robins Air Force Base

International Contractual Agreements

Macon Undergraduate Programs
  • University of Aizu
  • Al Akhawayan University of Ifrane, Morocco
  • Africa Consultants International--Baobab Training and Resource Center, Dakar, Senegal
  • American Institute for Foreign Study, College Division, Stamford, Conn., U.S.A.
  • American InterContinental University, London, England
  • AustraLearn/GlobaLinks, Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific
  • University of Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany
  • Center for Cross-Cultural Study, Amherst, Mass., U.S.A.
  • Le Centre International D'Etudes Francaises, institut superieur de l'Universite Catholique de l'Ouest, Angers, France
  • Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
  • International Studies Abroad, Austin, Texas, U.S.A.
  • International Student Exchange Program, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
  • University of Kalmar, Baltic Business School, Sweden
  • The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, England
  • Lulea University, Lulea, Sweden
  • Oxford Overseas Study Course, Oxford, England
  • Seinan Gakuin University,
  • Seinan Jo Gakuin University, Kitakyushu, Japan
  • The Speak and Write Institute, Marburg, Germany
  • The Studies Abroad Program in Cortona, Italy, of The University of Georgia
  • The University of Reading
  • Study Abroad Swansea, The University of Swansea, Wales
  • University of the West of Scotland (formerly University of Paisley), Scotland, U.K.
  • Yonsei University,
  • Yonok Foundation, Lampang, Thailand
Walter F. George School of Law
  • Oklahoma City University, School of Law, Summer Abroad Programs
  • Stetson University, College of Law, Summer Abroad Programs
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
  • Hiroshima University, Japan
  • University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  • University Hospital Lewisham
  • University of Manchester, U.K.
  • The Wesley Pharmacy of Auchenflower QLD, Australia
School of Medicine
  • Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan
  • Kurobe City Hospital, Kurobe, Toyama, Japan
  • Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie-Ken, Japan
  • Wallace Memorial Baptist Hospital, Pusan, Korea

Withdrawal Procedures

All Academic Programs Except Medicine and Law

To FORMALLY RESIGN from any program except for Medicine or Law, a student must drop or withdraw from all courses for the term by (1.) personally completing and returning an official Term Withdrawal Form obtained from his/her school's Registrar's Office (2.) phoning his/her school's Registrar's Office and having an official Term Withdrawal Form completed for him/her. The completed form must be received in the Registrar's Office before the resignation process can be finalized.

Refund calculations will be based upon the date the Term Withdrawal Form is received in the Registrar's Office.

School of Medicine

All forms and contact information for the School of Medicine can be found on the Financial Aid Web site at http://medicine.mercer.edu/finaid_graduate.

School of Law

All forms and contact information for the School of Law are found on the Registrar's Web site at http://law.mercer.edu/academics/registrar.


The Academic Calendars for the University always provide the date for the last day for course withdrawal.

Satisfactory Progress Standards That Students Must Maintain

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Federal regulations and Mercer University policies require that financial aid recipients make satisfactory academic progress. This means that you must proceed toward successful and timely completion of your degree requirements. The programs affected by the satisfactory academic progress requirements include all Federal and State programs. If you receive funds from any of these programs, you must demonstrate and maintain satisfactory academic progress or you will face financial aid probation, denial of aid from these sources, or both. If you receive scholarships that are based on merit, you must also comply with any distinct academic requirements associated with the scholarship (s).

Satisfactory Progress Standards

All colleges/schools or specific degree programs have their own standards that students must maintain for satisfactory progress in their degrees. Refer to the catalog or documents of the desired program for specific details about degree requirements, minimum grade point averages, and minimum credit hours per semester:

Voter Information

Voter registration information is available in the following locations:

  • Macon Campus: Tarver Library, the Dean of Students' Office, and the Disability Support Services Office.
  • Atlanta Campus: Swilley Library
  • Regional Academic Centers: Program Coordinators' office

For further information on this amendment, contact Student Affairs at (478) 301-2685 (Macon campus), (678) 547-6821 (Atlanta campus), or (678) 547-6370 (Regional Academic Centers).  Students with disabilities may obtain information and assistance in filling out the cards from Disability Support Services at (478) 301-2778 (Macon campus) or (678) 547-6823 (Atlanta campus). You may also obtain voter registration applications online at http://www.statelocalgov.net/50states-secretary-state.cfm.