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The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the
privacy of student educational records. As described in the law, "Education records" are
"those records, files documents, and other materials which
1) contain information directly
related to a student; and 2) are maintained by an educational institution." FERPA applies
to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of
Education. FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to educational records.
They include:
- Access to Education Records: Students have the right to inspect and review their
education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a written request to
access anytime after matriculation. To gain access to education records, the student
must submit in writing to the Office of the Registrar 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.
- Request for Amendment of Education Records: Students have the right to request the
amendment of their education records if they believe the records are inaccurate, misleading
or in violation of their privacy rights under FERPA. (This process cannot be employed to
challenge a grade.) A student who wishes to amend a record 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. 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.
- Disclosure of Education Records: Students have the right to consent to disclosure
of personally identifiable information in education records, except to the extent that FERPA
or any other superseding law authorizes disclosure without student consent. The College
discloses education records without student′s prior written consent under the FERPA exception
for disclosure to school officials. 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 as its agent to provide a service instead of using College employees or
officials (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.
- 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 are:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5920
NOTIFICATION REGARDING THE DISCLOSURE OF DIRECTORY INFORMATION
Under FERPA the College can disclose directory information if the student has not placed a
hold on release of directory information. For Dowling College, directory information is
defined as:
- Student's name
- Addresses: permanent, campus, local off campus, email and campus IP address
- Associated telephone numbers
- Dates of attendance
- Class
- Major and minor field(s) of study
- Degrees and awards received
- Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
- Previous institutions attended
- Weight and height if the student is a member of an intercollegiate athletics team
"NO" to the Release of Directory Information: If a student does not wish to authorize
the release of directory information, the student must inform the Office of the Registrar
in writing. Requests for non-disclosure by the student are in effect from the date
received in writing from the student until rescinded in writing by the student. |
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