Student bill of rights

A student bill of rights is a document that outlines beliefs or regulations regarding student rights, typically adopted by a student group, school, or government. These documents can be policies, laws, or statements of belief.

When put forth by a student organization or third party organization, groups that usually do not have the power of enforcement, student bills of rights are usually statements of belief. Even though they are not legally binding, these student bills of rights can act as foundations for future agreements or legislative efforts, helping others understand what students believe to be ethical treatment. The European Students' Union, for example, uses their Student Rights Charter when lobbying for student rights in the European Union Higher Education Area as a document representing the student will.^[1] The historic National Student Association in the United States used their Student Bill of Rights to help create a dialogue with the American Association of University Professors, which initiated the creation of a joint statement on student rights.^[2]

At the institutional level, student bills of rights tend to be policy statements. On rare occasions, they can also be legally binding, as promises from the school or university to the students who abide by the educational contract.^[3] At any level, student bills of rights can provide students with an understanding of their legal rights: rights pertinent to all citizens and rights specifically pertinent to students in the educational setting. When used as a statement of belief, however, a student bill of rights often includes the natural rights that an organization feels students have, as well as the procedural rights institutions must follow to ensure these rights are fulfilled.

While there have been some attempts to create student rights bills in the United States, these have not been successful. Some other countries, like Romania, have more robust systems to protect student rights, which can include student bills of rights.