The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. (An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution.) These rights include:
- The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the College receives a request for access. A student should submit to the Registrar, Dean of Academic Affairs, or other appropriate official, a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The College Official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the College Official to whom the request was submitted, that Official shall advise the student of the correct Official to whom the request should be addressed.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records which the student believes to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
A student who wishes to ask the College to amend a record should write to the College Official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants to have changed, and specify why it should be changed.
If the College decides not to amend the record as requested, the College will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s 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.
-
The right to provide written consent before the College discloses personally identifiable information from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. FERPA Consent forms can be found at the Student Services and should be submitted at the start of each semester to the Dean of Students.
The College discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to College officials with legitimate educational interests. For these purposes, a “College official” is any person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position, a person appointed to the Board of Trustees, a student serving on an official College committee, or a person employed by or under contract to the College to perform specific services. A College official has a “legitimate educational interest” if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the College.
Upon request, the College also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
The College also discloses “directory information” in a student’s education records without a student’s prior written consent. The following information is designated as directory information by the College:- Name
- Address (local/permanent)
- Electronic mail address
- Telephone numbers
- Student photos
- Names and dates of previous high schools and colleges attended
- Enrollment status
- Major field of study
- Dates of attendance and anticipated date of graduation
- Participation of officially recognized activities
- Degrees, honors, and awards received
Students may request that the College not disclose directory information about them by submitting an “Opt Out” form to the Registrar’s Office. Students who do so should be aware that their names will not appear in any graduation announcements or any other College publications.
-
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 is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202
FERPA permits the disclosure of personally identifiable information from students’ education records, without consent of the student, if the disclosure meets certain conditions found in §99.31 of the FERPA regulations. Except for disclosures to College officials, disclosures related to some judicial orders or lawfully issued subpoenas, disclosures of directory information, and disclosures to the student, §99.32 of FERPA regulations requires the institution to record the disclosure. Eligible students have a right to inspect and review the record of disclosures. A postsecondary institution may disclose personally identifiable information from the education records without obtaining prior written consent of the student:- To other College officials, including teachers, within the College whom the College has determined to have legitimate educational interests. This includes contractors, consultants, volunteers, or other parties to whom the College has outsourced institutional services or functions, provided that the conditions listed in §99.31(a)(1)(i)(B)(1) - (a)(1)(i)(B)(2) are met. (§99.31(a)(1)).
- To officials of another school where the student seeks or intends to enroll, or where the student is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer, subject to the requirements of §99.34. (§99.31(a)(2)).
- To authorized representatives of the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or State and local educational authorities, such as a State postsecondary authority that is responsible for supervising the university’s State-supported education programs. Disclosures under this provision may be made, subject to the requirements of §99.35, in connection with an audit or evaluation of Federal- or State-supported education programs, or for the enforcement of or compliance with Federal legal requirements that relate to those programs. These entities may make further disclosures of personally identifiable information to outside entities that are designated by them as their authorized representatives to conduct any audit, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity on their behalf. (§§99.31(a)(3) and 99.35).
- In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received, if the information is necessary to determine eligibility for the aid, determine the amount of the aid, determine the conditions of the aid, or enforce the terms and conditions of the aid. (§99.31(a)(4)).
- To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the College, in order to: (a) develop, validate, or administer predictive tests; (b) administer student aid programs; or (c) improve instruction. (§99.31(a)(6)).
- To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions. ((§99.31(a)(7)).
- To parents of an eligible student if the student is a dependent for IRS tax purposes. (§99.31(a)(8)).
- To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. (§99.31(a)(9)).
- To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency, subject to §99.36. (§99.31(a)(10)).
- Information the College has designated as “directory information” under §99.37. (§99.31(a)(11)).
- To a victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense, subject to the requirements of §99.39. The disclosure may only include the final results of the disciplinary proceeding with respect to that alleged crime or offense, regardless of the finding. (§99.31(a)(13)).
- To the general public, the final results of a disciplinary proceeding, subject to the requirements of §99.39, if the College determines the student is an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or non-forcible sex offense and the student has committed a violation of the College’s rules or policies with respect to the allegation made against him or her. §99.31(a)(14)). (Applicable to results after 1998 only).
- To parents of a student regarding the student’s violation of any Federal, State, or local law, or of any rule or policy of the College, governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance if the College determines the student committed a disciplinary violation with respect to that use of possession and the student is under the age of 21 at the time of disclosure. (§99.31(a)(15)).