Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives students certain rights with respect to their education records. Students have the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days (about 1 and a half months) of the day the College receives a request for access.
Students should submit written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect to the Registrar, or other appropriate official. The College official will arrange 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. Students are provided the opportunity to challenge the content of their educational records through a hearing if they believe the records contain information that is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the right of privacy. (Grades are not subject to challenge.)
Limited disclosure of information from a student's record shall be conducted through the Office of the Registrar to those who have written consent or to officials specifically permitted within the law, such as college officials and – under certain conditions – local, state, and federal officials. One exception permitting 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); a person serving on the Board of Trustees 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 to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
Parents may have access to the educational record of dependent students under 18 years of age. The College will assume the student is dependent if the parents provide a written statement that lists the student as dependent on their federal income tax forms.