Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 protects the privacy of education records, establishes the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and provides guidelines for the contesting of inaccurate or misleading data.
Students have the right to inspect and review all education records maintained by the College. The College is not required to provide copies unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for students to inspect the records.
Students have the right to request that the College correct records believed to be inaccurate or misleading. If the College decides not to amend the record, the student has a right to a formal hearing with the Vice President of Student and Enrollment Services. After the hearing, if the College still decides not to amend the record, the student has the right to place a statement with the record commenting on the contested information in the record.
The College will not release any confidential information from a student’s record without the written consent of the student, with the exception of the following: to College officials, including contractors and volunteers performing institutional functions, with a legitimate educational interest, to other Institutions at which a student seeks or intends to enroll, to certain government officials in order to carry out lawful functions, to appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student, to organizations conducting certain studies for the College, to accrediting organizations, to individuals who have obtained court orders or subpoenas, and to persons who need to know in cases of health and safety emergencies.
The College may disclose directory information without the written consent of the student. Directory information includes the following: name, address, telephone number, email address, dates of attendance, anticipated graduation date, enrollment status, class, previous institutions attended, major field of study, awards, honors (including Dean’s list), degrees/certificates conferred including date, past and present participation in officially recognized activities, student’s photograph and photographic images, height and weight (for athletes only), and date and place of birth.
Students may request the withholding of disclosure of directory information. To ensure that a request is properly processed, it must be submitted on the official “Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information” Form, which is available in the Office of the Registrar. In order to prevent all disclosures of directory information, the official request must be filed prior to the first day of the semester. However, the College will accept requests at any point during the semester. The request will remain in effect until the student submits signed authorization to allow disclosure of directory information. The College assumes that failure on the part of any student to specifically request on the official form the withholding of release of directory information indicates individual approval of disclosure.
Students have 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. Contact the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202.