Principles of Good Practice |
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES OF GOOD PRACTICEAs Christians, we are called to serve Christ and His church. Christ’s example of servanthood establishes a model that we should seek to achieve as Christians and as members of NACCAP. Accordingly, all of our admissions activities should be characterized by integrity, honesty, and fairness as we deal with students, parents, and others. Our mission as an organization is to mobilize NACCAP members to promote enrollment at Christ-centered colleges and universities. • We seek to further the Kingdom of God in obedience to the Lordship of Christ. • We recognize that each school has individual and unique strengths and therefore, collectively, we serve the Body of Christ. • As servants, we must enable the student to discern accurately his or her educational needs. In promoting our institutions to prospective students, we must seek to uphold our common bond in Jesus Christ. NACCAP member institutions are dedicated to the promotion of the integration of faith and learning. We will cooperate in the development of programs and services in post-secondary counseling, admission, and financial aid to eliminate bias related to ethnicity, creed, gender, age, political affiliation, national origin and disabling conditions. We understand and value the importance of counseling and view it as a fundamental aspect of our jobs as educators. This statement has two sections. The first, Mandatory Practices, consists of principles that all member institutions are expected to follow to the extent that they are applicable to the specific institutional category. (For example, certain admission or financial aid policies may differ for undergraduate institutions as compared to seminaries. In rare situations where the standard modus operandi is different for a particular institutional category, these principles need to be tempered by common sense, discernment, and /concern for the membership as a whole.) Mandatory practices are prefaced by "Members agree that they will…” To provide clarity and examples, this section is followed by Interpretations of many of these practices. The second section, Best Practices, consists of principles that are not mandatory, and not subject to discipline of the organization. They are, however, principles toward which NACCAP members should aspire to the extent possible (given institutional financial constraints and administrative policy, mandates, or expectations). This is not license to disregard the principles of good practice. If anything, it is a call to a higher standard while recognizing the diversity of our membership and a rapidly changing admission landscape that raises new and complex ethical issues. We aspire to the best practices in our profession. Best practices are prefaced by "All members should…”
Member ConventionsAll members of NACCAP agree to abide by the following: Statement of Principles of Good Practice – Mandatory PracticesI. All Members—Mandatory Practices B. Admission, Financial Aid and Testing Policies and Procedures - Members agree that they will: 10. permit pending Early Action, Restrictive Early Action and Early Decision candidates to initiate any Regular
II. Post secondary Members—Mandatory Practices B. Admission, Financial Aid and Testing Policies and Procedures - Post-secondary members agree that they will: III. Counseling Members—Mandatory Practices B. Admission, Financial Aid and Testing Policies and Procedures - Counseling members agree that they will: Interpretations of Mandatory PracticesI. All Member – Interpretations 1. Accurately represent and promote their schools, institutions or services by: a. providing precise information about their academic majors and degree programs, including factual and accurate descriptions of majors, minors, concentrations and/or interdisciplinary offerings that apply toward the completion of the degree/program; b. describing in detail any special programs, including overseas study, credit by examination or advanced placement. 2. Not use disparaging comparisons of secondary or post secondary institutions: a. Members will refrain from publicly disseminating biased, unflattering, and/or potentially inaccurate information about secondary or post secondary institutions, their admission criteria, and/or their curricular offerings. 3. Not offer or accept any reward or remuneration from a college, university, agency, or organization for placement of recruitment of students. Members: a. will be compensated in the form of a fixed salary, rather than commissions or bonuses based on the number of students recruited b. will not contract with secondary school personnel for remunerations for referred students. 4. Be responsible for compliance with applicable laws and regulations with respect to the students’ rights to privacy by: a. establishing policies with respect to secondary school and college/university representatives for the release of students’ names. Any policy that authorizes the release of students’ names should indicate that the release be made only with the students’ permission and be consistent with applicable law and regulations; b. recognizing that permission may take the form of a general consent to release of the students’ names; c. abiding by regulations in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy ACT (FERPA), when applicable. B. Admission, Financial Aid and Testing Policies and Procedures a. Members must take great care in publishing or posting the scholarship amounts of individual students when doing so may inadvertently reveal information about need-based awards. 2. (No Interpretations) a. making disparaging remarks about the services of school-based counselors or independent counselors when responding to requests from parents or students; b. independent counselors contacting school officials directly, instead of working through their clients for academic or personal information; c. coercing or demeaning post secondary institutional representatives if such institutions are unable to participate or attend d. offering favors in return for counselors' listing of their best or strongest students for recruitment purposes e. creating an expectation of entitlement with regard to admission to specific institutions. 4. Send and receive information in confidence by honoring all applicable laws and regulations with respect to the confidential nature of such data. Members will honor applicable school policies, laws, and regulations including FERPA. Examples include: a. admission officers not revealing the admission or denial status of applicants when using Web site or group email announcements; b. secondary school personnel not posting lists of admitted students to specific colleges when doing so reveals applicants who were denied admission. 5. Consider transcripts official only when transmitted in a confidential manner, from the secondary or post secondary institution(s) attended by the applicant; a) The receiving institution will have full discretion in determining preferred and/or acceptable methods of transmission. 6. Not use minimum test scores as the sole criterion for admissions, advising or for the awarding of financial aid; a) Financial aid is defined as grants, loans, work-study and scholarships. This practice does not apply to scholarship and financial aid programs that fall under state mandates. 7. (No Interpretations) a. The use of multiple admission plans by colleges/universities often results in confusion among students, parents and counseling professionals. Institutions should clearly state policies, and counselors are advised to assist students with their understanding of the various admission decision options. NACCAP members should use the commonly understood definitions of these non-restrictive application plans: 10. permit pending Early Action, Restrictive Early Action and Early Decision candidates to initiate any Regular Early Decision (ED)-the application process in which students make a commitment to a first-choice institution where, if admitted, they definitely will enroll. While pursuing admission under an Early Decision plan, students may apply to other institutions, but may have only one Early Decision application pending at any time. Should a student who applies for financial aid not be offered an award that makes attendance possible, the student may decline the offer of admission and be released from the Early Decision commitment. The institution must notify the applicant of the decision within a reasonable and clearly stated period of time after the Early Decision deadline. Usually, a nonrefundable deposit must be made well in advance of May 1. The institution will respond to an application for financial aid at or near the time of an offer of admission. Institutions with Early Decision plans may restrict students from applying to other early plans. Institutions will clearly articulate their specific policies in their Early Decision agreements. Restrictive Early Actions- (REA)is the application process in which students make application to an institution of preference and receive a decision well in advance of the institution’s regular response date. Institutions with Restrictive Early Action plans place restrictions on student applications to other early plans. Institutions will clearly articulate these restrictions in their Early Action policies and agreements with students. Students admitted under Restrictive Early Action are not obligated to accept the institution’s offer of admission or to submit a deposit prior to May 1. Early Action- is the application process in which students apply to an institution of preference and receive a decision well in advance of the institution’s regular response date. Students admitted under Early Action are not obligated to accept the institution’s offer of admission or to submit a deposit prior to May 1. Under non-restrictive Early Action, a student may apply to other colleges.
Regular Decision- is the application process in which a student submits an application to an institution by a specified date and receives a decision within a reasonable and clearly stated period of time. A student may applyto other institutions without restriction.
Rolling Admission- is the application process in which an institution reviews applications as they are completed and renders admission decisions to students throughout the admission cycle. A student may apply to other institutions without restriction. II. Post-secondary Members – Interpretations a) being responsible for the accurate representation and promotion of their admission processes and calendar and other campus information b) being responsible for the development of publications, written and electronic communications, presentations for students, parents, and counseling personnel that provide accurate and comprehensive information. c) identifying the source and year of study when institutional publications and/or media communications cite published academic programs, academic rigor or reputations, or athletic rankings d) providing accurate and specific descriptions of any special programs or support services for students with handicapping, physical and/or learning disabilities and/or other special needs; e) clearly publicizing policies relating to placement. awarding of credit and other policies based on test results. 2. (No Interpretations) B. Admission, Financial Aid and Testing Policies and Procedures a) Post-secondary members can assess the students’ level of interest, but not through any type of rank order or question about first choice. 3. Permit first-year candidates for fall admission to choose among offers of admission, financial aid, and scholarships until May 1 (Candidates admitted under an Early Decision program are a recognized exception to this practice.) a. State this deadline explicitly in their offers of admission. b. It is understood that May 1 will be viewed as the postmark date (submission date for electronic submissions). When May 1 falls on a Sunday or holiday, May 2 becomes the recognized date. c. Offers of admission must clearly state whether deposits voluntarily submitted prior to May 1 are refundable or nonrefundable. d. Colleges will neither retract nor adversely alter their offers of admission and/or financial aid prior to May 1 for candidates who choose to not reply until that date; neither will they state or imply that candidates might incur a penalty by waiting until May 1 to submit an enrollment deposit. 4. Not offer exclusive incentives that provide opportunities for Early Decision applicants that are not available to students admitted under other admission options. a. Examples of exclusive incentives include special housing for ED admits; honors programs only for ED admits; full, needs-based financial aid packages for ED admits only; special scholarships for ED admits only; or any promise of an advantage in the admission process if a student converts from Regular Admission to ED 5. (No Interpretation) a) Wait list is an admission decision option utilized by institution to protect against shortfalls in enrollment, in light of fluctuations in yields. By placing a student on the wait list, an institution does not initially offer or deny admission, but extends to the candidate the possibility of admission not later than August 1 7. State the specific relationship among admission and financial aid practices and policies a. Colleges/universities may apply enrollment strategies to decisions to admit, wait list or deny students on the basis of stated or unstated financial need. Examples include: • colleges that might prioritize wait lists by students’ level of financial need 8. (No Interpretation) a. Athletic governing bodies have established bylaws operational manuals and legislative directives guiding II and sports for men and women. Each governing body has its own set of rules and bylaws, and rules committees set rules for specific sports, with calendars regulating quiet periods, dead periods, evaluation periods, contact periods, and eventually, National Letter of Intent signing dates. b. 11. Initially report on all first-year admitted or enrolled students, including special subgroups in the reporting of test scores. If date on subgroup populations are also provided, clear explanations of who is included in the subgroup population will be made. a. Post-secondary members will furnish data describing the currently enrolled freshman class and will describe in published profiles all members of the enrolling freshman class; b. Subgroups within the profile may be presented separately because of their unique character or special circumstances. 12. Not establish any application deadlines for first year candidates for fall admission prior to October 15 and will give equal consideration to all applications received by that date: a. Colleges and universities may welcome the initiation of applications from first-year students prior to the notification date and earliest application deadlines. The Earliest Application Deadline does not apply to juniors who have completed their requirements for high school graduation and are seeking early admission or joint opportunities to attend high school and community or post-secondary institutions. Admission officers should advise secondary school counselors of their policies to ensure compliance. 13. (No Interpretation) III. Counseling Members – Interpretations a. Permission may be a general consent to any release of students’ names; b. Secondary school members should be sensitive to the students’ academic, athletic or other abilities when releasing students’ names. B. Admission, Financial Aid and Testing Policies and Procedures 1. Provide colleges/universities with a description of the school’s marking system that, if available, will provide some indication of grade distribution that may include the rank in class and/or grade point average a. Members will disclose and clearly explain any type of weighting system that is used in determining class rank, grade point average, and/or individual grades. 2. Provide, as permissible by law, accurate descriptions of the candidates’ personal qualities that are relevant to the admission process. a. The phrase "permissible by law” includes school policies as well as state/provincial or local regulations governing the release of student information. b. Counselors or school personnel will provide as much information as permitted by FERPA and/or applicable school, local or state/provincial policies with the understanding that permissions may take the form of a general consent to any release of student information. 3. (No Interpretation) a. School personnel should recognize that individual test scores are the property of the student and should not be revealed for any purpose without prior permission. b. If individual test score information is requested or required by a post-secondary institution or third party, counselors and school personnel will honor the FERPA and/or applicable school, local or state policies and regulations. Permission may take the form of a general consent to any release of student information. 7. (No interpretation)
Statement of Good Practice – Best PracticesI. All Members—Best Practices - All members should:
II. Post-secondary Members—Best Practices A. Promotion and Recruitment - All post-secondary members should:
B. Admission, Financial Aid and Testing Policies and Procedures - All post-secondary members should:
III. Counseling Members—Best Practices A. Admission, Financial Aid and Testing Policies and Procedures - Counseling members should:
Grievance Procedure • The schools involved should contact one another to verify the facts of the incident or problem. II. Disciplinary Actions: · A letter will be sent from the Governance Committee to the president and chief enrollment officer of the school(s) in violation. The purpose is to request adherence to the Statement of Principles of Good Practice, outline possible sanctions, provide statement of censure, or other appropriate course of action. · Depending on the violation and the college response, other action may follow. Final recourse could be a vote of the Board for expulsion from NACCAP. This vote would require a two-thirds majority of the Board. The majority of the content of this document has been adapted (by permission) from the Statement of Principles of Good Practice of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Revised 05-31-17 |
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