The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:
1. Right to Inspect and Review Education Records - Students have the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of submitting a written request to the institution registrar. The institution will arrange access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
2. Right to Request Amendment of Records -If a student believes their education records contain inaccurate or misleading information, they have the right to request an amendment. The request must be submitted in writing, clearly identifying the part of the record to be amended and explaining why it is inaccurate or misleading.
3. Right to Provide Written Consent Before Disclosure -Students have the right to provide written consent before the institution discloses any personally identifiable information from their education records, except as authorized under FERPA. Directory Information, as defined below, may be disclosed without prior consent unless the student has opted out.Under FERPA, “Directory Information” refers to student information that is not generally considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. USG has designated the following categories of information as Directory Information:
- Student’s name
- Hometown
- Institution-assigned email address. Under this category, an institution-assigned email address may be disclosed without consent only to other, current students. In addition, students may not request email listings of the entire student body or segments thereof, except for academic purposes.
- Major field of study
- Enrollment status (e.g., full-time, part-time)
- Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
- Dates of attendance
- Degrees, honors, and awards received
- Thesis/Dissertation title
- The most recent educational institution attended
- Height and weight of athletes
- Class level
4. Right to Opt-Out of Directory Information Disclosure -Students may choose to opt out of the disclosure of Directory Information by submitting a written request to the Office of the Registrar. Once the request is submitted, the institution will withhold Directory Information from public disclosure. Important: Opting out does not prevent the institution from disclosing Directory Information to school officials with legitimate educational interests, including certain institution administrators, faculty, and contracted service providers.
5. Right to File a Complaint with the U.S. Department of Education - Students who believe the institution has failed to comply with FERPA may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education at the following address:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-8520
Disclosure Without Consent
Gordon State College may disclose education records without a student’s prior written consent to certain parties under certain conditions, as allowed by FERPA, including:
- School officials with legitimate educational interests.
- Other schools to which a student is transferring.
- Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes.
- Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid.
- Organizations conducting certain types of studies for or on behalf of the school.
- Accrediting organizations.
- Compliance with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena.
- Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies.