What is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides students certain rights
with respect to their education records. These rights include:
- The right to inspect and review the student's
education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a
request
for access. Students should submit to the
registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate
official,
written requests that identify the record(s) they
wish to inspect. The University 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
University official to whom the request was
submitted, 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 is inaccurate or
misleading
or otherwise in violation of the student's privacy
rights under FERPA. Students may ask the University to amend a record
that
they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They
should write the University 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 University decides
not to
amend the record as requested by the student the
University will notify the student in writing 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 provide written consent before the
University disclosures of personally identifiable information from the
student's
education records, except to the extent that FERPA
authorizes disclosure without consent. The University discloses
education
records without a student's prior written consent
under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with
legitimate
educational interests. A school official is a
person employed by the University 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 University has contracted as its agent to
provide a service instead of using University employees or officials
(such
as an attorney, auditor, collection agent, contract
employee, or a clinical/internship facility); 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
University
discloses education records without consent to
officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to
enroll.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged
failures by Ferris State University 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 20202-5901