Revisions approved by the Board July 27, 2000, effective July 28, 2000. Excerpted from the Family Rights and Privacy Act.
Confidentiality of Student Records
The Family Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:
- 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 written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar or designee 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 Registrar, the Registrar shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate.
Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. 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. 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.
- The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education record, 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); 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 may disclose education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
The College may disclose directory information at the discretion of the Registrar or designated official without the student’s consent. Directory information at Rockland Community College includes: name, address, telephone listing, E-mail address, date of attendance, field of study, degrees awarded and dates of degrees, honors and awards, likeness, full or part-time status, sports participation, including height, weight, age, and previous schools attended.
Students who do not wish to have directory information released must notify the Record Office by filing a Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information form within 14 days of the start of the semester. These forms are available in the Records Office. Students should consider very carefully the consequences of any decision to withhold directory information. Once applied for, the Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information remains in effect until revoked in writing by the student. Additional details about this process are listed on the form.
- The right to file a complaint with the United States Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Rockland Community College to comply with 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, D.C. 20202-4605.