Family Education Rights and Privacy Act

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 the College receives a request for access. Students should submit to the registrar, dean, or head of the academic department, 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 of misleading.

Students may ask the College to amend what 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 of 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 interest. A school official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or 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 discloses education records without consent to officials of another school, in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

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 administer FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave., SW.
Washington, DC 20202-4605

Directory Information

A. The following types of information may be released to those requesting it unless the student specifically requests otherwise on the form provided or by submitting written notification to the Office or the Registrar.

Student's Name
Local Address/Campus Residence/Telephone Numbers
Permanent Address/Telephone Number
E-mail Address
Date and Place of Birth
Hometown
Degrees and Awards Received and Dates
Dates of Attendance (Current and Past)
Full or Part-time Enrollment Status
Participation in Officially Recognized Activities
Participation in Officially Recognized Sports
Weight/Height of Members of Athletic Teams
Most Recently Attended Educational Institution
Major Field of Study
Academic Levels
Residency Status
Photographs

B. "Directory Information" may be made available through the following media:

1. the College's annual printed telephone directory

2. electronic and internet directories

3. telephone or written responses to requests from third parties

4. the annual Commencement Program

5. announcements of academic achievements released by the Office of Marketing and Communication

6. the Department of Athletics

C. To prevent disclosure through the media represented in items 1-4, students must file a Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information form with the Office of the Registrar, 121 White Hall. Such requests may be filed at any time and will remain in effect permanently (including after departure from the College) or until changed by students.

In order to prevent items from appearing in the College's annual printed telephone directory, students must file the Request form within the first two weeks of classes in the Fall semester. Requests filed after this deadline in the Fall semester will prevent designated Directory Information from appearing in subsequent telephone directories.

Students who want to prevent hometown news releases (item 5) must submit a separate written request for preventing hometown news releases to the Office of Marketing and Communications. Student athletes who wish to prevent disclosure of information related to athletic participation should contact the Department of Athletics.

Utica College assumes that a student's failure to specifically request blocking access to any element of "Directory Information" constitutes approval for disclosure.

Questions about FERPA, students' privacy rights, and Utica College's compliance procedures may be directed to the Office of the Registrar, 121A White Hall, Utica College, Utica, NY 13502-4892.