Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Student Notification of Rights Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records, which include the following:
- Students have the right to inspect and review their educational records within forty-five (45) days of the day the College receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Associate Dean of Students a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Associate Dean of Students 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 Associate Dean of Students, he or she shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
- Students have the right to request amendments of their educational records that they believe are inaccurate or misleading. A student should write to the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record he or she wants changed, and specify why the record is inaccurate or misleading. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the College will notify him or her 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.
- Students have the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in their educational 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, 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 a review of an education record fulfills his or her professional responsibility.
- 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.
Access to Student Records
Under the provisions of FERPA, all students and former students have the right to inspect their educational records in the Office of the Associate Dean of Students for Enrollment Management. This right of inspection does not apply to any information submitted to this office as confidential prior to January 1, 1975, nor to access by students to financial records of parents. Parents or guardians of a dependent student eighteen (18) years of age or older may gain access to a student record under certain provisions as specified by law; otherwise, parents or guardians of a dependent student eighteen (18) years of age or older may not see records or receive any grades unless the student specifically designates that his/her records and/or grades be made available to the parents or guardians.
Directory Information
Under the Federal Family Educational and Privacy Rights Act, 10 U.S.C. 1232g, Enterprise State Community College may disclose certain information as directory information. Directory information includes:
- name,
- address,
- telephone number,
- dates of attendance,
- major fields of study,
- degrees and awards earned,
- participation in officially recognized activities and sports,
- weight and height of members of the athletic teams,
- most recent educational institution attended,
- photographs,
- enrollment status, and
- email addresses.
If any student has an objection to any of the aforementioned information being released about himself/herself during any given semester or academic year, the student should provide written notification to the Dean of Students or the Associate Dean of Students during the first three weeks of the respective semester or academic year.