Whose education is it anyway?
Several updates before I begin the main thread of today's post.
First: Today I created two mailing lists. The first is moneyman (or moneyman(at)mit(dot)edu) and the second is barkowitz (or barkowitz(at)mit(dot)edu). Don't know why it took me so long to realize that I could create a mailing list with one member and by default it would serve as an alias for me with email (must be my extremely slow-headedness this time of year), but this serves several awesome purposes. It allows me to have a way for people to respond to me from the blog (use moneyman if you want to) and allows me a way to deal with those people who like to refer to me as Mr. Barkowit (leaving off the “z”) since my email address at MIT only has eight letters. So, anyway, next time you need to reach me try one of these out.
Second. Ben told me today that I broke his RSS portal. I guess my creative use of images in my page header is wreaking havoc with his new portlet. So, in the interest of being a global citizen, I am moving the Money @ MIT image off the header of the page. (Oh goodie, even more stuff to clutter the side of my page.) So, Ben, this jpg's for you!
And now on to the point of the post!
I know many of you have asked me to talk about the online billing process we use here at MIT (a process also known by its name, MITPAY). But before I can do that, we need to speak for a moment about the topic of “whose education is it anyway?”
Much of what we do at MIT operates under the principle of student privacy and student responsibility. The MIT education is the student's education, and so are all of the associated responsibilities and priveledges. This is not to say that parents, spouses, family, friends, are not important partners in securing an MIT education, but the education is not theirs.
By that same token, the records that pertain to that education belong to no one else but the student (and, of course, MIT). So grades, course notifications, financial aid statements, medical information, and bills are all sent to the student. Correspondence about the student's education is addressed to the student (even information about the financial aid award), since this is in keeping with this policy.
Now, before those of you reading this who are parents begin to think you aren't important, let me assure you -- you are! But MIT's privacy policy clearly states that the records pertaining to your son or daughter's education belong to them; not to you, to them (see here for the MIT policy as written).
While our policy is explicit, it is actually in keeping with the Federal policy on privacy as well, the so called “FERPA” Law (Federal Educational Right to Privacy Act). FERPA provides for the same level of privacy as pertains to student records, going so far as to require student release before any information can be shared about a student. FERPA is the same law that allows parents whose children are in high school or elementary school access to these educational records, but recognizes that when a child reaches eighteen or begins to attend college that parental rights to the information cease.
So what does this mean to you and the bill? Well, if you haven't gotten here (logically) already, you won't be surprised to find out that the bill is the student's bill, not a parent bill. Therefore, students receive bills from us. Parents, who -- let's be serious -- we all know pay the bill, can get access to the bill, but only if their students authorize it. The particulars of why and how I will save for my next post.
Of course, I also need to say that just because you have a right to privacy, this doesn't mean you give up the need and/or right to ask for help when you need it. MIT has many support offices and procedures to make sure that students get the guidance and help they need when (and if) they fall into any difficulties.
For the moment, though, I am curious to see your feedback on the privacy policy. What do you think about it? Does it err too much on the side of protecting a student's privacy? Is this a difficult transition for you parents reading this to make? For you students, do you think this is too much control over your own fate?