Statement of Mission
Ferrum College is a liberal arts institution founded on Christian principles and related to The United Methodist Church. It is our mission to educate students in the disciplines of higher learning and to help them be thoughtful and perceptive, to be articulate and professionally capable, and to be caring and concerned citizens of their community, nation, and world. We therefore commit ourselves to developing the whole student, both in openness to a wide range of intellectual discovery, and in the physical, spiritual, and social aspects of life.
Our campus environment supports service to others and the development of a personal code of values. Toward these ends, we expect all members of the campus community to treat each other with compassion, to respect each other’s diverse qualities and backgrounds, and to support each other in the common pursuit of insight and discovery. In all these endeavors, we encourage students, faculty, and staff to appreciate excellence and to dedicate themselves to achieving it.
Vision Statement
Ferrum College’s unparalleled setting in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains forms an inspiring backdrop for a unique and multifaceted educational experience that will focus on leading edge learning opportunities, diverse outdoor, cultural, and service activities, and spiritual enrichment.
About Ferrum College
Founded in 1913, Ferrum College provides lifelong learning and outstanding career and graduate school preparation in a setting of rich natural beauty. A four-year, private, co-educational, liberal arts college related to the United Methodist Church, the College offers nationally recognized bachelor’s degree programs ranging from business and environmental science to teacher education and criminal justice, campus-wide wireless Internet, small classes and a dedicated faculty. Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, numerous lakes, rivers state parks, and small towns brimming with regional heritage, Ferrum College is located in southwest Virginia, approximately 35 miles south of Roanoke, VA and 75 miles north of Greensboro, NC. The area boasts a wide variety of venues for outdoor recreation and cultural enrichment.
Ferrum College Student Learning Outcomes
The Ferrum College graduate develops integrated knowledge in the liberal arts and depth of knowledge in a chosen program of study. Learning experiences span across the five broad domains enumerated below.
- Liberal Arts
- Critical Thinking
- Communication Skills
- Competence in Academic Discipline
- Citizenship
History of the College
Ferrum College was founded in 1913 as a training school for students in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Public education in the area was just beginning and Ferrum played an important role. To meet the changing needs of students and to respond to changes in higher education, Ferrum became a junior college in 1926 and, in 1974, began offering bachelor degrees.
Today, Ferrum is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and serves students of all faiths from across the region, the United States, and many countries. The College is regionally accredited by SACSCOC and offers over thirty programs in the liberal arts and the professions that lead to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Social Work degrees.
Non Discrimination Statement
Ferrum College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator. In accordance with all federal, state, and local laws, it is the policy of the College not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, or any other aspect of employment.
Disclaimer
The contents of this catalog represent the most current information available at the time of publication. During the period of time covered by this Catalog, it is reasonable to expect changes to be made without prior notice. As a multi-purpose document, the content of this Catalog and the referenced policies or procedures do not create and do not constitute a contract of any kind. The Catalog describes the courses of study, explains certain rules and regulations, states the cost of attendance, contains lists of the administration and faculty and describes other aspects of campus life in effect at the time of publication. The College reserves the right to vary from them and to modify any of them at any time without prior consent or notice even during the academic year or period. Not all College policies and procedures affecting students are described in the College Catalog but are outlined and described in the Student Handbook.
General Information
Accreditation
Ferrum College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at:
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097
or call (404) 679-4500, for questions about the accreditation of Ferrum College.
Ferrum College is accredited by the University Senate of The United Methodist Church and is a member of the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church.
The social work program receives accreditation visits from its national professional organization, and the teacher education program is regularly evaluated and approved by the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Notification of Rights Under FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:
- The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day a Ferrum College official receives a request for access. Students should submit to the registrar, dean, program coordinator, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Ferrum College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the College official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate. Students may request an amendment to a record that they believe is inaccurate. They should write the appropriate College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the student will be notified of the decision and his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
- The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the College may disclose education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605
Notice Regarding Directory Information
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that the College, with certain exceptions, obtain student’s written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from student education records. However, the College may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless the student has advised the College to the contrary in accordance with College procedures. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the College to include this type of information from student education records in certain College publications. Examples include:
- College Directory
- Honor roll or other recognition lists
- Graduation programs
- Sports activity sheets
- News/publicity releases
Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without the student’s prior written consent.
If a student does not want Ferrum College to disclose directory information from their education records without prior written consent, he or she must submit written notification, by September 15th for the Fall semester or by January 31st for the Spring semester, to the:
Office of the Registrar
Ferrum College
P.O. Box 1000
Ferrum, VA 24088
The College has designated the following information as directory information:
- Name
- Legal home permanent address
- Hometown
- High school attended
- Previous or future institutions of study
- Parents’/Guardians’ names and hometowns
- Campus email address
- Photograph or video clip
- Dates of attendance
- Class year
- Program of study (major and/or minor)
- Degrees, honors, and awards received
- Grade point average, in recognition of academic achievement
- Research or special curricular projects
- Athletic information (as provided on athletic bio form)
- Participation in officially recognized activities
No other information will be made available unless the student gives Ferrum College written permission to release information to specific individuals regarding academic progress, student conduct, and financial services. Students wishing to waive their right under FERPA can complete an Education Record Release Form. Forms are available online and in the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of the Registrar.
Student Conduct Records
The Office of Student Life has the responsibility of maintaining judicial records of all documented violations of Community Standards. These records are maintained for a period of three years from the time a student graduates or leaves Ferrum College. Records of a disciplinary suspension or failure to complete sanctions will be kept for a period of ten years. If a student is judicially expelled from Ferrum College the records are kept indefinitely. The Office of Student Life will not release any information concerning a student’s disciplinary record to any individual or agency outside the College without the prior written consent from the student unless the records are subpoenaed or unless the release is otherwise required or allowed by law.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Under Virginia state law, a Respondent suspended for, expelled for, or withdrawing from the College while under investigation for a violation involving Sexual Violence, suspension, expulsion, or withdrawal will be prominently noted on the Respondent’s academic transcript. The notation shall be removed from the Respondent’s academic transcript if he or she 1) completes the term of the suspension and all accompanying sanctions and 2) has been determined to be in Good Standing.
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