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CGIS Advising Philosophy

At CGIS we make every effort to foster independence in our students and encourage them to take responsibility for their global education experience. To this end we expect our students to be their own agents and advocates when it comes to preparing to study abroad and to work with us directly to solve any problems that might arise. This is an important step in developing the critically engaged global citizens we want our students to become.

Parents and families are of course a valuable resource, and we encourage students to communicate openly with their families about their experiences. In the end, however, we ask that parents do not make decisions or attempt to fix problems for students. We ask you to help them think through issues and arrive at solutions on their own.

Privacy of Educational Records

The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student records. According to the University of Michigan’s Office of the Registrar, “once a student reaches the age of 18 or attends an institution of postsecondary education, the parents have no rights under FERPA. Only the student can give permission for the parents to have access to their records.”

CGIS will disclose protected information without the student’s express written permission only in the event of an emergency, such as when the student is hospitalized or poses a threat to themselves or others. This pertains to all information in the student’s file, whether academic, medical, or personal in nature.

The only information CGIS may disclose without permission is “directory information,” defined as “name, permanent and local address and telephone number, school or college, class level, major field, dates of attendance, degree received and date awarded, honors and awards received, participation in recognized activities, previous schools attended, and height and weight of members of intercollegiate athletic teams.” Source: Registrar's Office, University of Michigan