Student Resources

General Student Resources

Student Success Office

The Student Success Office (SSO) advises students in their class selections, schedules, and degree plans. The SSO also assists students with various issues that may arise during the year. This office works to connect the students to University services such as Career Services, Counseling, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, academic departments and other student service areas. The SSO’s main focus is helping students transition to college and successfully obtain a degree. Students may contact the Student Success Office with any needs, concerns, or questions by emailing StudentSuccess@faulkner.edu or visiting room 130 in the Rotunda.

Student Activities

Faulkner University offers a wide range of extracurricular programs and activities for students. These activities include devotionals, intramural sports, Jamboree, Homecoming, (in)Formal, social events, concerts, and special events. The student activities are open to all currently enrolled Faulkner students, and the majority of events occur on the Montgomery campus.

Residence Life Staff

Faulkner University provides traditional residence hall and apartment living on the Montgomery campus. All undergraduate students under the age of 21 and enrolled full-time at the Montgomery campus are required to live in University housing. The exceptions to this rule are married students, a student living with their parents or guardians, or students with enough academic credits to be classified as a senior. Any other exceptions must be approved by the Dean of Students. Any student living off campus must provide a local address to the Office of Student Life. Faulkner University residences are patrolled by University Police. Each residence hall is staffed by a full time Resident Director and several part time Resident Assistants. All hall residents must purchase meal plans. On-campus living arrangements must be made each semester and generally cannot be changed during the term. Faulkner University is currently unable to provide on-campus housing for part-time students, students over the age of 25, married students, students with families, students enrolled in an Adult program, or students enrolled in graduate programs.

Career Services Center

The Career Services Center provides programs, services, and activities to support the career, professional, and employment goals of students. The Career Services Center provides career fairs, workshops, employer contacts, and job search tools to support the career success of students.

University Mail & Copy Center

Faulkner University Mail & Copy Center provides basic postal services to on-campus residents. The University Mailroom & Copy Center is adjacent to the John & Patricia Hill Dining facility and provides additional fee-based postal services, such as USPS stamps, special delivery options, UPS services, and FedEx services. This center also provides document copy and enhancement services.

University Health Center

The University Health Center provides a part-time Registered Nurse (RN) to assist students with basic health care needs. The University Health Center provides the following services:

• Nursing care and patient counseling.
• Health promotion and well-being services such as blood pressure checks and temperature checks.
• Basic treatment of minor cuts, minor sprains, flu, cold, and other minor illnesses.
• Assistance with Timely Care, our 24/7 medical telecare. The nurse and Timely Care share information and this allows the University Nurse to be on a call with a student if needed.
• Referrals and assistance in making appointments with a physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant or other healthcare provider for other treatments and care. Note: All fees associated with these providers or services are the sole responsibility of the student.
• Referrals and assistance in making appointments with a health care center, facility, or hospital for other treatments and care. Note: All fees associated with these providers or services are the sole responsibility of the student.

In addition to the Health Center, Faulkner University students have access to medical and mental telehealth visits through Timely Care. Timely Care, provides 24/7 medical and mental telehealth care. To get registered, visit timelycare.com. Timely Care is included in student fees and allows any current student (who has the service included in their fee structure) to be able to talk to a licensed provider from your smartphone or any web-enabled device. The medical providers can diagnose common conditions (cold, flu, sinus infection), call in prescriptions and our TalkNow service provides a safe space to talk about anything at any time. The University Nurse has access to all information in order to liaison with Timely Care as needed. Note: All fees associated with prescriptions are the sole responsibility of the student.

University Counseling Center

The University Counseling Center provides confidential counseling services for personal, emotional, social, and mental health concerns that students may experience while attending Faulkner. The University Counseling Center services are available by appointment for all Faulkner students. The University Counseling Center will make referrals to community mental health providers when the needs of the student cannot be met by the University Counseling Center.

In addition to the University Counseling Center, Faulkner University students have mental telehealth visits through TimelyCare. TimelyCare, provides 24/7 mental telehealth care. To get registered, visit timelycare.com. TimelyCare is included in student fees and allows any current student (who has the service included in their fee structure) to be able to talk to a licensed provider from your smartphone or any web-enabled device. Our TalkNow service provides a safe space to talk about anything at any time and the Director of the Counseling Center has access to client information in order to liaison with Timely Care as needed.

Faulkner Police & Campus Safety

The Faulkner Police & Campus Safety division oversees the safety and security of Faulkner University and premises. Faulkner University provides security services to all Faulkner campuses. The Campus Police and Security Officers patrol the campuses to protect the campus community and to ensure that any and all criminal violations and breaches are duly noted and appropriate action is taken. Campus Police and Security Officers are responsible for locking and unlocking campus facilities as requested by authorized personnel. The Campus Police and Security Officers will also provide an escort to students, faculty or staff when available. Please consult the University website and Student Handbook for more details.

Veterans Support

Veterans’ information, including assistance in securing Veterans Administration Educational Benefits for military service veterans and dependents, is available. The University V.A. representative is responsible for enrollment certification of veterans and dependents, for reports to the Veterans Administration Regional Office and for liaison between the Veterans Administration Regional Office and the University.

Compliant Policy for Students receiving VA Educational Benefits: Any complaint against the school should be routed through the VA GI Bill® Feedback System by going to the following link: http://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/Feedback.asp. The VA will then follow up through the appropriate channels to investigate the complaint and resolve it satisfactorily.

Academic Records

Postsecondary Student Rights under Family Education Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Partis a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all educational institutions that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access. A student should submit to the registrar, Dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The University 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 University official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. A student who wishes to ask the University to amend a record must complete the Educational Record Amendment and Appeal Form (ERAAF) (https://www.faulkner.edu/wp-content/uploads/Educational_Record_Amendment_and_Appeal_Form.pdf) and submit the form to the University Custodian of Educational Records - the University Registrar - to initiate a review of the record. The ERAAF requires the student to clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, specify why it should be changed, and provide all requested documentation for the change.
3. If the University decides not to amend the record as requested, the University will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s 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.
4. The right to provide written consent before the University discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. The University discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the University 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 University has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using University employees or officials (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.
5. 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 responsibilities for the University.
6. In addition, the University reserves the right to release and publish directory information without consent, such as a student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance, as required by § 99.37 of the regulations. Student has the right to restrict disclosure/ release of directory information to third-parties by completing the Request to Restrict Directory Information form available from the Registrar or the University’s website (https://www.faulkner.edu/undergrad/student-life/living-on-campus/student-services/registrar/).
7. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University 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 20202-5901

8. The right to obtain a copy of Faulkner University’s student records policy. This policy is available in the Office of the Registrar. In accordance with relevant federal and state laws and guidelines Faulkner University has established clear policies for the handling of all student related records. Students enrolled at Faulkner will have an educational record created that constitutes their academic record or transcript. The academic record is subject to the aforementioned FERPA policies. Students may also have non-academic records maintained by the University. The access to these records may be subject to federal and state laws other than FERPA. The identified custodians for these records should be contacted for questions about access to these records. Academic records containing admissions and matriculation information, transcripts, and other essential data are maintained by the Registrar. The student has the right to request a copy of any materials contained in the record. A duplicating fee will be assessed.

Policy of Educational Record

The University’s educational record policy is in compliance with the Postsecondary Student Rights under FERPA previously detailed. In addition, the following policies and procedures apply to a student’s educational record.

Policy for Copies of Educational Record

A student may request either an official or unofficial copy of their educational record (transcript) by going to getmytranscript.org, and following the prompts.

Procedure to Inspect Student Records

A student may inspect and review their student records upon request to the appropriate record custodian. A student must complete the Student Record Inspection Request Form and submit the signed form with any required payment by mail, fax, email, or hand-delivery to the relevant record custodian on any Faulkner campus.

1. Submit to the record custodian, or appropriate University staff personnel, a written request which identifies as precisely as possible the record(s) the student wishes to inspect.
2. The record custodian or an appropriate University staff person will make the needed arrangements for access as promptly as possible. The student will be notified of the time and place where the records may be inspected. Access must be given in 45 days or less from the receipt of the request.
3. When a record contains information about more than one student, the student may inspect and review only the documents which relate to his or her record.

Right of the University to Refuse Access

Faulkner University reserves the right to refuse permission for a student to inspect the following records:

1. The financial statement of the student’s parents.
2. Letters and statements of recommendation for which the student waived his or her right of access, or which were placed in file before January 1, 1975.
3. Records connected with an application to attend Faulkner University if the application was denied.
4. Those records which are excluded from the Family Education Rights and Privacy Acts (FERPA) definition of education records.

Refusal to Provide Copies

Faulkner University reserves the right to deny transcripts or copies of records not required to be made available by FERPA if the student has an unpaid financial obligation to the University or there is an unresolved disciplinary action against the student.

Grades, reports of excessive absences from class, and other information relating to the current status of a student may only be released to a parent or guardian if the student is a dependent as defined and claimed on a Federal income tax return or if the student submits a signed release form granting permission to release information. This procedure may be followed until such time as the Registrar is informed, in writing, that the student is no longer a dependent. Grade reports and transcripts will not be released for any student until all financial obligations have been satisfied.

Academic Resources

Faulkner University provides several services to support student learning and success. These services are designed to provide students access to information resources, skills training, and learning tools in a variety of formats. Learning support services are provided through the computer resources and laboratories, the University Library System, Instructional Support Services, and Center for Special Services. Students in some degree programs also have access to several discipline specific Academic Resource Rooms. The Student Success Office is also available to help students find the academic resources they need.

Technology Services

Faulkner provides students access to the most up-to-date technology including computing facilities, educational tools, and support services for the purpose of enhancing student life, learning, and work place preparation.

The many components of Faulkner’s technology services allow for a “study anywhere” approach for flexible, self-paced, and mobile learning within a 21st century educational environment. This enhancement provides students with greater collaboration opportunities with professors and peers, along with internet, computer, and electronic communication skills essential for success throughout their lives and professional careers.

Additionally, the University implemented full lecture capture technology-using Echo360 software with accompanying audio and video equipment-for all classroom instruction at all its campuses at the start of its fall 2020 semester. All classroom lectures are automatically scheduled and stored in the University’s LMS for faculty and student access at any time.

Computer Resources and Laboratories

Faulkner provides a variety of computer resources to promote the academic success and to enhance the campus life of students. Students have a variety of means and opportunities to access computer resources and laboratories including the internet, on-campus Wi-Fi, libraries, and learning resource centers. The computers in laboratories, libraries, and learning resource centers are for instructional and general student use. These computers provide access to academic and course related software and resources as well as non-academic or personal resources. These computers are available during the operating hours of each facility.

University Library System

Gus Nichols Library System (GNLS) is the major academic resource for Faulkner University with extensive collections of academic books and journals, special collections, and links to networked information resources in various electronic formats. The GNLS consists of the following: the Gus Nichols Library, the Education Curriculum Resource Room and Laboratory, the F. Furman Kearley Library Collection, the George H. Jones Law Library, and three Technology and Learning Resource Rooms. The GNLS provides students with an integrated catalog and access to the resources of each library or collection (https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?custid=faulku&groupid=main&profid=eds&authtype=ip,guest). The GNLS features special collections in education, law, ministry and theology. For more information or to access the resources of the GNLS, visit the Faulkner website at http://www.faulkner.edu.

The GNLS’s online catalog (https://faulkner.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default) provides information about the collection, including: availability of books and other items for check out; DVD’s, and other audiovisual materials; journal holdings and electronic books. The GNLS provides access to resources, databases, electronic journals and electronic books through subscription services and consortia agreements.

The GNLS consortia agreements provide access to the resources of Alabama Virtual Library (AVL), Christian College Librarians (CCL), Montgomery Higher Education Consortium (MHEC), Network of Alabama Academic Libraries (NAAL), and Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). The GNLS also has reciprocal agreements with libraries throughout the state, including Alabama A&M University (Huntsville), Alabama State University (Montgomery), Amridge University (Montgomery), Athens State University (Athens), Auburn University at Montgomery (Montgomery), Birmingham Public Library (Research level library, Birmingham), Huntingdon College (Montgomery), Mobile Public Library (Research level library, Mobile), Samford University (Birmingham), Troy University (Montgomery) and the University of Mobile (Mobile).

Instructional Support Services

Faulkner’s Instructional Support Services provide students with academic assistance, information, and support in most areas of academic study. Included in the Instructional Support Services are the ACE (Academic Center for Excellence) and TutorMe (online tutoring).

Academic Center for Excellence

The Academic Center for Excellence, located in Brooks Hall, is open for use by any Faulkner student. The Academic Center for Excellence offers academic support to all Faulkner University students.

The center provides peer tutoring, peer editing for papers, supplemental resources, independent study space, computer/printer usage, and online support through TutorMe (24/7 online academic support). Classroom visits, focused workshops, and special events are also offered throughout the school year. All services offered are designed to help students become independent and successful learners.

The tutors in the lab are trained and certified through the National Tutoring Association.

The ACE Lab is equipped with Faulkner-networked computers featuring Microsoft Office and is open for study by individuals or groups. Instructors may reserve the lab for class time. Faulkner students are encouraged to become acquainted with the lab early in the semester to make maximum use of the services available. All services are free of charge.

Students may visit the ACE at any time during regular center hours. The use of computers, printers, and other academic resources do not require students to sign up in advance. Walk-ins are also welcome for peer tutoring, but dependent on tutor availability. ACE recommends signing up in advance for peer tutoring. To sign up for an appointment for peer tutoring, students should visit https://web.penjiapp.com or download the Penji App from your App store. For information on ACE Lab services, visit the Academic Center For Excellence’s website (https://www.faulkner.edu/academic-resources/academic-center-for-excellence/.

Student Support Service (TutorMe 24/7 online tutoring)

TutorMe is a revolutionary online education platform that provides on-demand tutoring and online courses. Its platform enables thousands of tutors to share their knowledge with students around the globe. Whether you need help with Calculus or need someone to proofread your paper, TutorMe has a perfect tutor for you. Any Faulkner student can utilize TutorMe and can access it through Blackboard. Students connect with a tutor in less than 30 seconds, 24/7. Tutors are highly qualified from the best universities across the globe. The lesson space features a virtual whiteboard, text editor, audio/video chat, screen sharing and so much more. All lessons are archived for the student’s convenience. TutorMe covers over 300 subjects. TutorMe also has a writing center. The writing lab is supported by its network of over 10,000 trained and highly qualified tutors. This new feature gives students another opportunity to have their papers peer-reviewed by qualified tutors. They submit their papers and receive them back with comments in less than 12 hours.

The Center for Accessibility

In conjunction with Faulkner’s community principles and overall mission, the Center for Accessibility acknowledges disability as an integral part of the campus experience. We are committed to providing equal access and opportunity to all campus programs and services for individuals with disabilities. In order to establish equal access, documentation of disability by qualified professionals is necessary. Accommodations must be reviewed each semester and are not retroactive. If you are interested in obtaining accommodations, please contact the Director of the Center for Accessibility (334-386-7185) at your earliest convenience or visit the Center for Accessibility page on Faulkner’s website for additional information.