The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. (An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution.) Students who have questions or concerns about FERPA should contact the Office of the Registrar. FERPA rights include:
- The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day Rhodes College (“School”) receives a request for access.
- A student should submit to the registrar a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA
- A student who wishes to ask the school to amend a record should write the school official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed.
- If the school decides not to amend the record as requested, the school will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s 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 provide written consent before the university discloses personally identifiable information (“PII”) from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
Circumstances in which the College may disclose education records without a student’s prior written consent include:
- To Rhodes College officials, including teachers and persons in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff positions (including Campus Safety and the Counseling Center), whom the College has determined to have legitimate educational interests. This includes contractors, consultants, volunteers, students, attorneys, auditors, collection agents, or other parties to whom the school has outsourced institutional services or functions and who work under the control of the College with regard to personally identifiable information from education records protected by FERPA. A College official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for Rhodes College.
- To officials of another school where the student seeks or intends to enroll, or where the student is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer.
- To authorized representatives of the U. S. Comptroller General, the U. S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or State and local educational authorities, such as a State postsecondary authority that is responsible for supervising the university’s State-supported education programs. Disclosures under this provision may be made in connection with an audit or evaluation of Federal- or State-supported education programs, or for the enforcement of or compliance with Federal legal requirements that relate to those programs. These entities may make further disclosures of PII to outside entities that are designated by them as their authorized representatives to conduct any audit, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity on their behalf.
- In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received, if the information is necessary to determine eligibility for the aid, determine the amount of the aid, determine the conditions of the aid, or enforce the terms and conditions of the aid. To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the school, in order to: (a) develop, validate, or administer predictive tests; (b) administer student aid programs; or (c) improve instruction.
- To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions.
- To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena.
- To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency.
- Information the school has designated as “directory information.” Rhodes College has designated the following items to be directory information: student’s name, parents’ names, campus and home addresses and telephone numbers, cellular phone numbers, dates of attendance, photograph, year of graduation, degrees and honors awarded or expected, academic major, email address, and faculty advisor.
- To a victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or a nonforcible sex offense., The disclosure may only include the final results of the disciplinary proceeding with respect to that alleged crime or offense, regardless of the finding.
- To the general public, the final results of a disciplinary proceeding, if the school determines the student is an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or nonforcible sex offense and the student has committed a violation of the school’s rules or policies with respect to the allegation made against him or her.
- To parents of a student regarding the student’s violation of any Federal, State, or local law, or of any rule or policy of the school, governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance if the school determines the student committed a disciplinary violation and the student is under the age of 21.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Rhodes College to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
If a student wishes to file a complaint alleging a violation of FERPA by Rhodes College, he or she should contact the following agency:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202
www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/index.html
1-800-USA-LEARN
For further information concerning a student’s federal privacy rights, the federal regulations implementing FERPA can be found at 34 CFR Part 99.