Course Description
Higher education faculty, student affairs professionals, and student leaders play a vital role in supporting the learning and wellbeing of the student body. This course will better prepare you for this responsibility. Higher education leaders are accountable for understanding students’ constitutional rights and the many acts that offer both broad and specific protections. Through taking this course, you’ll become a more effective leader as you learn the complex history and context of human rights and violations in education. You’ll understand the need for students’ rights legislation and institutional accountability, while recognizing that there’s always room to grow these protections.
In this Students’ Rights in Higher Education course, you’ll study court cases regarding students’ rights, and the legal precedents their rulings established. We’ll consider the challenges faced by different types of marginalized groups, such as LGBTQ+ students, racially minoritized students, and students who are immigrants. You’ll examine the laws created to protect these students, along with others, and understand how reauthorizations adapted laws to changing student needs.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize the history of student discrimination
- Understand FERPA and the first and fourth amendments
- Analyze Title IX, the Clery Act, and VAWA
- Discover protections for LGBTQ+ students
- Explore legislation protecting immigrant students
Skills You Will Learn
- Family Educational Rights And Privacy Act
- Higher Education
- Higher Education Law
- Human Rights Laws
- Special Education Law
What You'll Learn
- Recognize the history of student discrimination in higher education
- Understand FERPA and the First and Fourth Amendment rights of students
- Analyze Title IX, the Clery Act, and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA)
- Discover legal protections for LGBTQ+ students
- Explore legislation protecting immigrant students
- Examine students' constitutional rights and the acts that offer broad and specific protections
Key Takeaways
- Higher education leaders are accountable for understanding students' constitutional rights and the many acts that offer broad and specific protections.
- Court cases regarding students' rights have established legal precedents through their rulings.
- Different marginalized groups, such as LGBTQ+ students, racially minoritized students, and students who are immigrants, face distinct challenges that legislation addresses.
- Reauthorizations have adapted laws to changing student needs over time.
- Understanding the history and context of human rights and violations in education supports more effective leadership and institutional accountability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this course for?
It is designed for higher education faculty, student affairs professionals, and student leaders who support the learning and wellbeing of the student body.
What topics does this course cover?
It covers the history of student discrimination, FERPA, the First and Fourth Amendments, Title IX, the Clery Act, VAWA, and protections for immigrant students, students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students, pregnant students, racial minorities, and religious students.
What skills will I gain from this course?
You will build knowledge in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, higher education, higher education law, human rights laws, and special education law.
Does the course examine real legal cases?
Yes. You will study court cases regarding students' rights and the legal precedents their rulings established.
How does the course address marginalized student groups?
It considers the challenges faced by marginalized groups such as LGBTQ+ students, racially minoritized students, and immigrant students, and examines the laws created to protect them and how reauthorizations adapted those laws to changing needs.
