INSTITUTIONAL POLICY UNDER
THE FAMILY
EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS
AND PRIVACY ACT OF 1974
The Family Educational Rights
and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain
rights with respect to their education records. They are:
(1) The right to inspect and review the student’s education
records within 45 days of the day the college receives a request for access.
Students should submit to the Registrar written requests that identify the
record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar official will make arrangements
for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may
be inspected.
(2) The right to request the amendment of the student’s education
records that the student believes are inaccurate or
misleading. Students may ask the college to amend a record that they believe is
inaccurate or misleading. They should write the college official responsible
for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and
specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the college decides not to amend
the record as requested by the student, the college will notify the student of
the decision and advise the student of his or her 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.
(3) The right to consent to disclosures of personally
identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except
to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception
which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with
legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the
college 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 college has contracted (such as an attorney,
auditor, or collection agent); 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. 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 responsibility.
(4) The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of
Education concerning alleged failures by the college to comply with the
requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers
FERPA are:
Family Policy Compliance Office
With limited exceptions, including “directory
information,” no personally identifiable information from the education records
of a student will be disclosed to any third party by any official or employee
of the college without written consent of the student. “Directory Information”
includes the student’s name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth,
major field of study, full-time or part-time status, participation in
officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of
athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received and the most
recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student. A
student has the right to prohibit the release of “directory information”
pertaining to himself or herself by completing a form
in the Registrar’s Office.