Policy on Collection of Student Current Address Information

As ordered by the District of Columbia Board of Zoning Adjustment, the University hereby adopts the following policies for the purpose of collecting more accurate information on the current addresses of GW students.

1. Current Address Information Each full-time, undergraduate student at the University is required to report and update as necessary his or her “current address.” For purposes of this policy, “current address” will mean the address at which the student, including students who commute, resides during the week while attending classes at the University.

2. Failure to Report Failure to report a current address accurately to GW or failure to advise GW promptly of a change in current address will constitute a violation of this Policy and may result in the encumbrance of further registration.

3. Implementation In order to implement the collection of current address information, the following procedures are hereby adopted:

(a) Solicitation of Address Information: At the beginning of the Fall semester, full-time undergraduates who are not living in University residence halls and not studying abroad will be required to provide a current address. A pop-up screen soliciting address information will block student access to GWeb until data is entered in the current address field. Students will be advised that the information will be audited and that if it is determined that a student has entered an address beyond the D.C. Metropolitan Area, an encumbrance may be placed on further registration. If it is determined that a student has intentionally entered an inaccurate address, disciplinary action may be initiated.

Each Fall, as part of on-line registration for the Spring semester, full-time undergraduate students who are not living in University residence halls and not studying abroad will be required to provide a current address. Students will be allowed to proceed with registration after they have provided a current address. Again students will be reminded of the penalty for failure to provide current and accurate information.

(b) “D.C. Metropolitan Area Zip Codes”: Only those zip codes within the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (approximately 75 miles from the Foggy Bottom Campus) will be accepted as current address zip codes.

(c) Audit of Addresses: The University will compare the current address zip codes of all full-time undergraduate students not residing in University residence halls and not living abroad against the D.C. Metro Area Zip Codes to determine whether an address is outside the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area.

Any student who provides an address outside the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area will be notified by the Campus Plan Implementation Office (701 Rice Hall) to provide a current and accurate address. Any student who fails to comply with or respond to the request for a current and accurate address may have an encumbrance placed on his or her record, blocking further registration until such time as he or she provides correct information. Any student who intentionally provides a false current address will be referred to Student Judicial Services.

(d) Students in Residence Halls: Note that no request for current address or audit will be made for students who live in University residence halls. Where a student reports a residence hall address and the University has no record that the student is currently in its residence hall system, the procedures set forth in part (c) will be utilized.

4. Reporting of Addresses to the District and Others In light of legal constraints and privacy concerns, specific student addresses will not be made available by the University to government or other non-University entities or individuals. Rather, to the extent permitted by law, the aggregate number of students living in each zip code in the Foggy Bottom/West End Area will be provided as required by BZA Order dated March 29, 2001.

5. Notification of Policy/Other Efforts The University will take reasonable steps to make students aware of this new policy. Such efforts may include notification on the GW Portal, informational e-mail messages, and inclusion in the Student Planner, Schedule of Classes, and other publications. The University may also elect to use other mechanisms to collect and/or verify addresses from time to time. This may include soliciting addresses in invoices sent to “home addresses“ and other efforts.