The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:
- 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 or academic dean written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The registrar or academic dean 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 or academic dean, that official 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 are inaccurate or misleading.
Students may ask Holy Apostles College and Seminary to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write to the registrar, academic dean or other official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
If Holy Apostles College and Seminary decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, Holy Apostles 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 disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the students’ 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 Holy Apostles College and Seminary in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position; a person or company with whom Holy Apostles College and Seminary 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, Holy Apostles College and Seminary discloses education records without consent to officials of another school, upon request, in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
Another exception that permits disclosure without consent is the disclosure of directory information, which the law and Holy Apostles College and Seminary define to include the following: a student’s name, home and campus address, email address, telephone listing, parents’ name and address(es), date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, photograph and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended. This information is generally disclosed only for school purposes, such as news releases, and not to outside vendors.
This exception is subject to the right of the student to object to the designation of any or all of the types of information listed above as directory information in his or her case, by giving notice to the dean of students on or before September 15 of any year. If such an objection is not received, Holy Apostles will release directory information when appropriate.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Holy Apostles College and Seminary 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, S. W.
Washington, DC 20202-4605
Questions regarding FERPA and the procedures followed by the College to comply with the act may be referred to the office of the academic dean or of the registrar. For more information, see also http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/brochures/parents.html