Oakton Community College students are successful. According to data recently compiled by the Illinois Community College Board, approximately two-thirds of full-time students who first entered the college in fall 1999 graduated, transferred within three years to Illinois public universities, or continue to be enrolled at the College. Specifically, 62.4 percent of Oakton students achieved success according to these measures. Statewide, 61.89 percent of full-time community college students achieved success. Of the remaining third of full-time Oakton students, many transferred to independent or out-of-state colleges and universities. The large number of colleges and universities within the Chicago area allows many students to transfer before earning an Oakton degree. Note that many students who begin their enrollment at Oakton as full-time students continue on a part-time or intermittent basis.

Graduation Rate
A graduation rate is the percentage of students in a given entering cohort (group) who graduated within a specified period of time. The number of students in the entering cohort is the denominator of the rate; the number of students graduating is the numerator of the rate. The entering cohort of an institution includes all full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduate students who began in the stated cohort year. The time period is 150 percent of normal time to program completion (for example, for a four-year program, the graduation rate would include students who had graduated within six years of beginning the program).

Oakton Community College, in compliance with U.S. Department of Education reporting mandates, calculates the graduation rate of first-time, full-time degree- or certificate-seeking students who enter the College in the fall term. "Graduation" is defined as the completion of a degree or certificate within 150 percent of the normal time to completion; for example, for a two-year program, the graduation rate would include students who graduated within three years of beginning the program.

Oakton's graduation rate for the 2002 fall entering cohort was nine percent; the rate for the 2003 fall entering cohort was 11 percent.

Many Oakton students have transferred to another college before completing their Oakton degree or certificate, or are still enrolled at Oakton, at 150 percent of the program completion time. The percent of full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking students who graduated, transferred to another college, or were still enrolled at Oakton at 150 percent of program time for the 2002 fall entering cohort was 75 percent; the rate for the 2003 fall entering cohort was 74 percent.

Notice To All Current and Former Students
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
Annual notice to students
The following notice and information is given by Oakton Community College, District Number 535 to advise its students of their rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“The Act”).

The Act established the right of students to inspect and review their education records; provides that personally identifiable information will not, with certain exception, be disclosed without the student’s written permission; provides for guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal or formal hearings; grants students the right to file complaints with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office (FERPA) concerning alleged failures of the College to comply with The Act; and makes provisions for notice to the students concerning their rights.

Oakton Community College has adopted policies and procedures implementing The Act, which are contained in the Oakton Community College Student Handbook. Copies of which are available in the Office of Student Activities.

A student who wishes to review his or her education records must complete the appropriate form and submit it to the Director of Registration and Records. The student will be notified in writing of a date and time he or she may come to review the records.

The following student data is hereby designed as “Directory Information” and as such may be disclosed or released by the College of any purpose and at its discretion:

• Student Name
• Home Address
• Home Telephone
• E-mail address
• Height/weight (for athletic team members)
• Dates of Attendance
• Participation in officially recognized activities/sports
• Degrees/Awards Received
• Most recent educational institution attended
• Course of Study
• Photographs

To have all of the “Directory Information” withheld, the student must give written notice, in person, or if by mail, by certified mail return receipt requested and addressed to the Director of Registration and Records.

Initial notice or changes may be made at anytime; however, notification must be done in writing and to the Director of Registration and Records following the directions above.

This notice will be published annually at a Board of Trustees meeting, in the College newspaper and posted on the official bulletin board of the College.

Copies of The Act, the HEW regulations, Oakton Community College policies and procedures, the Oakton Community College Student Handbook; and forms for use in implementing The Act are available upon request in the Office of Registration and Records at the Des Plaines and The Ray Hartstein Campuses.

Campus Security
In accordance with the Campus Security Act, as amended, Oakton Community College has adopted policies to address issues of safety on campus, and has compiled statistics of on-campus crimes. This information is published in a pamphlet entitled: Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act Report. The pamphlets are available on information racks located throughout both campuses, or may be obtained from the Public Safety or College Advancement departments. In addition, crime statistics and safety tips may be found on Oakton’s Web site at www.oakton.edu/resource/campserv/ps/

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Copyright © 2004-07 Oakton Community College. Last update 6/25/2007.