FERPA

Your Right to Know

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Notification of Rights Under FERPA 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records.

They are:

  1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day Southwest Virginia Community College receives a request for access.

    Students should submit to the registrar, dean, chair of the division, or other appropriate official written requests that identify 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.
     
  2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading.

    Students may ask the college to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. 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 or misleading.

    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.
     

  3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education 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 Southwest Virginia Community College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position; a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Southwest Virginia Community College Board; 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 discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
     

  4. The right to withhold the disclosure of any and all categories of “directory information.” Southwest Virginia Community College defines directory information to include: name, address, telephone listing; date and place of birth; major field(s) of study; degrees, awards and honors; date(s) of attendance; the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by student. Students who wish to prevent disclosure of directory information to persons outside the College may do so by providing a written statement to the Admissions & Records office within the first three weeks of each semester.
     
  5. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Southwest Virginia Community College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605