Communication
USC is committed to creating a Trojan culture of ethical decision making, respect, honesty, and responsibility, and fostering and
supporting these behaviors in our students and those in our community. We expect the use of appropriate language, tone and style when communicating, in order to facilitate an effective and supportive process.
OSAS operates with a student-centered approach to communication. We strive to actively listen and communicate in a clear, honest, timely and accessible manner and provide opportunities for safe, respectful dialogue and interaction. We look to our students to be the primary point of contact on their own behalf, and certainly expect that the student is directly involved in, preferably leading, any conversation about themselves. With the student’s agreement, we are happy to work with the student to coordinate a group discussion involving parents/guardians, or other appropriate representatives.
We strongly encourage students and their families/guardians to agree upon a communication plan for what, when, and how information will be shared among family members. OSAS team members cannot operate as surrogate information resources, but will be glad to try to help direct questions and requests back to the family to discuss.
We encourage all students to review the Student Roles & Responsibilities section on this OSAS webpage for additional information about communication practices.
Privacy
The privacy of student records with OSAS is guided by FERPA. We encourage students and their families to review the University’s FERPA policies. While families may have agreed together and signed a FERPA release to share educational information, OSAS looks for students to grant our office specific permission to share information about their disability records or their involvement with our office, including with families/guardians.
Registration with OSAS is not reflected on the student’s transcript. It is the student’s right and responsibility to disclose registration with OSAS and approved accommodations, via Accommodation Letters, directly to their faculty each semester. OSAS does not disclose this information on the student’s behalf.
In the event of a wellness or safety concern, OSAS will communicate with appropriate campus partners to help coordinate support options for the student. In these cases, information is shared on a limited, and “need to know” basis, determined by what is relevant to the circumstances.