Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Annual Notice

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, dean of students, academic department head or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish 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.
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.
   1. 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 throughout 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); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; 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. Upon request, the College discloses education records without consent to officials of another school, upon request, in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
   2. Another exception that permits disclosure without consent is the disclosure of directory information, which the law and the College define to include the following: a student’s name, home and campus addresses, email address, telephone listing, parents’ name and address(es), date and place of birth, major or minor field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, photograph and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended. This information is generally disclosed only for College purposes, such as news releases and athletic programs, and not to outside vendors. This exception is subject to the right of the student to object to the designation of any or all of the types of information listed above as directory information in his or her case, by giving notice to the dean of students on or before September 15 of any year. If such an objection is not received, the College will release directory information when appropriate.
   3. 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, S.W.

      Washington, DC 20202-4605

   4. Questions regarding FERPA and the procedures followed by the College to comply with the act may be referred to the dean of students or the registrar.