Rosedale Bible College : Dean of Students : Resident Policies 8

Chapter 8: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Rosedale Bible College is required by the U.S. Department of Education to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, amended in 1998. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s educational records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. As an institution of higher education, Rosedale Bible College must afford all the rights required by FERPA to our students. In order for the college to release educational records to parents, the student will need to sign a waiver permitting the college to release that information. Rosedale Bible College complies with FERPA and sets forth the following rights of students and their parents.

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

a. Students should submit to the Academic Office written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Academic Office will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

b. If the records in question are not maintained by the Academic Office, the Academic Office 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.

a. Students may ask the College to amend a record they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write a letter to the College official responsible for the record, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed, and specifying why it is inaccurate or misleading.

b. FERPA was not intended to provide a process to be used to question substantive judgments that are correctly recorded. The rights of challenge are not intended to allow students to contest, for example, a grade in a course because they felt a higher grade should have been assigned.

c. 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/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.

a. One exception that 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 or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, collection agent, and so forth); 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/her tasks.

b. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his/her professional responsibility.

c. The College may disclose education records in certain other circumstances:

To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena;
To appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency;
To officials of another school, upon request, in which a student seeks or intends to enroll (If the College takes disciplinary action against a student for conduct that posed a significant risk to the safety and well-being of that student, other students, or other members of the College community, it may disclose information about that disciplinary action to teachers and school officials in other schools who have legitimate educational interests in the student’s behavior.);
In connection with a student’s request for or receipt of financial aid, as necessary to determine the eligibility, amount, or conditions of the financial aid, or to enforce the terms and conditions of the aid;
To certain officials of the U. S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Comptroller General, to state and local educational authorities, in connection with certain state or federally supported education programs;
To accrediting organizations to carry out their functions;
To organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the College;
The results of an institutional disciplinary proceeding against the allegation of a crime of violence may be released to the alleged victim of that crime with respect to that crime.

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

5. The College may disclose “Directory Information” without a student’s prior written consent. The College designates the following as Directory Information: name, address, phone number, date and place of birth, degree program, enrollment status, dates of attendance, classification by year, degrees and awards earned, previous high school or colleges attended, photograph in news or promotional materials, email address, marital status, home church, and church affiliation.

6. Students may restrict the release of Directory Information, except to school officials with legitimate educational interests and to others as indicated in #3 above. To do so, a student must make the request in writing to the Academic Office within 10 business days from the first day of classes for each term. Once filed, this request becomes a permanent part of the student’s record until the student instructs the College, in writing, to have the request removed, or until the student dies. The College operates on an “all or nothing” basis, that is, all of the Directory Information is available, or none of it is. The student can be assured that the College does not indiscriminately provide this information to others.

7. Students have the right to waive access to records. A student may sign a waiver of right-of-access to confidential recommendations concerning admission, application for employment, references, and/or application for an honor or honorary recognition. In the event a student chooses not to sign a waiver of access, such an act may not be considered as a condition for admission, receipt of financial aid, or any other service or benefit from the College.

8. Students have the right to have records released to a third party. The student may give a College official permission to release, verbally or in writing, educational records to a third party. To do so the student must present a written request to the Academic Office requesting the release of certain parts, or all of, their educational record. The request must contain to whom and what information is to be released from their educational record. Such requests must be signed and dated by the student.





	S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K Chapter 8: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Rosedale Bible College is required by the U.S. Department of Education to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, amended in 1998. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s educational records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. As an institution of higher education, Rosedale Bible College must afford all the rights required by FERPA to our students. In order for the college to release educational records to parents, the student will need to sign a waiver permitting the college to release that information. Rosedale Bible College complies with FERPA and sets forth the following rights of students and their parents. 1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education record within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access. a. Students should submit to the Academic Office written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Academic Office will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. b. If the records in question are not maintained by the Academic Office, the Academic Office 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. a. Students may ask the College to amend a record they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write a letter to the College official responsible for the record, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed, and specifying why it is inaccurate or misleading. b. FERPA was not intended to provide a process to be used to question substantive judgments that are correctly recorded. The rights of challenge are not intended to allow students to contest, for example, a grade in a course because they felt a higher grade should have been assigned. c. 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/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. a. One exception that 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 or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, collection agent, and so forth); 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/her tasks. b. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his/her professional responsibility. c. The College may disclose education records in certain other circumstances: To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena; To appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency; To officials of another school, upon request, in which a student seeks or intends to enroll (If the College takes disciplinary action against a student for conduct that posed a significant risk to the safety and well-being of that student, other students, or other members of the College community, it may disclose information about that disciplinary action to teachers and school officials in other schools who have legitimate educational interests in the student’s behavior.); In connection with a student’s request for or receipt of financial aid, as necessary to determine the eligibility, amount, or conditions of the financial aid, or to enforce the terms and conditions of the aid; To certain officials of the U. S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Comptroller General, to state and local educational authorities, in connection with certain state or federally supported education programs; To accrediting organizations to carry out their functions; To organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the College; The results of an institutional disciplinary proceeding against the allegation of a crime of violence may be released to the alleged victim of that crime with respect to that crime. 4. 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 is: Family Compliance Office, U. S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605. 5. The College may disclose “Directory Information” without a student’s prior written consent. The College designates the following as Directory Information: name, address, phone number, date and place of birth, degree program, enrollment status, dates of attendance, classification by year, degrees and awards earned, previous high school or colleges attended, photograph in news or promotional materials, email address, marital status, home church, and church affiliation. 6. Students may restrict the release of Directory Information, except to school officials with legitimate educational interests and to others as indicated in #3 above. To do so, a student must make the request in writing to the Academic Office within 10 business days from the first day of classes for each term. Once filed, this request becomes a permanent part of the student’s record until the student instructs the College, in writing, to have the request removed, or until the student dies. The College operates on an “all or nothing” basis, that is, all of the Directory Information is available, or none of it is. The student can be assured that the College does not indiscriminately provide this information to others. 7. Students have the right to waive access to records. A student may sign a waiver of right-of-access to confidential recommendations concerning admission, application for employment, references, and/or application for an honor or honorary recognition. In the event a student chooses not to sign a waiver of access, such an act may not be considered as a condition for admission, receipt of financial aid, or any other service or benefit from the College. 8. Students have the right to have records released to a third party. The student may give a College official permission to release, verbally or in writing, educational records to a third party. To do so the student must present a written request to the Academic Office requesting the release of certain parts, or all of, their educational record. The request must contain to whom and what information is to be released from their educational record. Such requests must be signed and dated by the student.