iStudy Policies

Honesty and fairness are essential elements of the academic environment of The University of Mississippi. Every member of the University community is charged with upholding high standards of honesty and fairness in all academic matters. Any action, which is contrary to these standards, is subject to academic discipline. 

The iStudy Department follows the “Student Academic Conduct and Discipline” as outlined in the University of Mississippi’s Policy Directory. See ACA.AR.600.001 for the most current official policy detail.

Requests for exceptions to the policies are stated on this website must be made in writing to the Director of iStudy as outlined below. The student is responsible for being familiar with and complying with the information provided by iStudy. Any exception to policy must be provided on the basis of student appeal. Appeals are reviewed on the basis of justifiable and documented circumstances. iStudy does not adjudicate grade appeals. 

Requests for exceptions to iStudy policies must be made in writing to:

the Director of iStudy
Outreach and Continuing Education
iStudy
P.O. Box 1848
University, MS 38677-0729

The student’s written appeal must include the following:

• the student's current mailing address 
• the student's email address 
• the student's daytime telephone number 
• the course(s) to which the appeal pertains 
• the exception or waiver of policy requested 
• a description of the circumstances upon which the appeal is based (attach any supporting documentation)

Final Grade Appeals

The iStudy Department follows the “Academic Grade Appeal Procedure” as outlined in the University of Mississippi’s Policy Directory. See ACA.AR.600.002 for the most current official policy detail.

The student is responsible for keeping their name, address, or email address updated in their myOleMiss account.

The iStudy Department follows The University of Mississippi's policy in abiding by the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This policy restricts the release of education records of students. To insure compliance with this policy, this department will not give out any information about grades over the telephone. 

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment) is a federal law that governs access to the students' education records. This law grants students guaranteed access to their educational records; such access includes the right to inspect and review educational records, the right to obtain copies of the records (a copying fee may be charged), and the right to challenge or supplement information on file in order to prevent flawed interpretation. Certain records (i.e., medical records) are not deemed to be educational records and are therefore not accessible to students. Additionally, the Buckley Amendment prohibits the disclosure of "personally identifiable information" to third parties without the prior written consent of the student. Exceptions may be made only for University officials and others with legitimate educational interests. The University may disclose "directory information" unless the student notifies the University to the contrary. Directory information is defined as a student's name, address, telephone number, email address, date and place of birth, major field of study, student activities, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most previous educational agency or institution attended by the student.

If you have questions about the law or want more information, please contact the Office of the Registrar, 662-915-7792 or the iStudy Office.

The iStudy Department follows the “Access to Student Records” as outlined in the University of Mississippi’s Policy Directory. See ACA.AR.700.001 for the most current official policy detail.

The official UM policies that pertain to Independent Study are listed below. Click on the policy code to link the webpage. 

Policy Name: Independent Study and Online Courses: General
Policy Number: 10000273 
Policy Code: ACA.AR.300.003

Policy Name: Independent Study Courses: Specific 
Policy Number: 10000274 
Policy Code: ACA.AR.300.004

Policy Name: Independent Study Testing Policy
Policy Number: 10000740
Policy Code: ACA.AR.300.010