Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Notification of Rights under FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords current and former students (referred to collectively as “students” below) certain rights with respect to their education records. Education Records are defined as those records directly related to a student and maintained by the institution or by a party acting for the institution. The act does exclude certain records and a listing of those exclusions may be obtained by contacting the Office of the Registrar.

A. Rights afforded by FERPA:

1. Right to Inspect and Review. The right to inspect and review the student’s Education Records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access. A student should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, a written request that identifies the Education Record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the Education Records may be inspected. If the Education 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. Right to Amend. The right to request the amendment of the student’s Education Records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. A student who wishes to ask the College to amend a record should write the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the Education Record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the College decides not to amend the Education Record as requested, the College 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.
3. Right to Consent to Disclosure. The right to provide written consent before the College discloses personally identifiable information (excluding directory information, see below) from the student’s Education Records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
4. Right to File a Complaint. 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 Policy Compliance Office
          U.S. Department of Education
          400 Maryland Avenu, SW
          Washington, DC 20202-5901

B. Directory information

1. Disclosure of Directory Information. At its discretion the College may provide directory information without the written consent of the student in accordance with the provisions of FERPA. Directory information is defined as that information which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Designated directory information at Vassar College includes the following: student name, student ID number, address, telephone listing, electronic mail address, photograph, date and place of birth, major field of student including correlate sequence, dates of attendance, class level, enrollment status, participation in officially recognized activities or sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, degree received and honors awarded, and the most recent educational institution attended.
2. Opting Out. Students may block the public disclosure of directory information by notifying the Office of the Registrar in writing that they desire to opt out. Requests for non-disclosure will be honored by the College until removed in writing by the student. Students are cautioned that the decision to block the public disclosure of directory information may result in the student not receiving information about outside programs and opportunities and third parties may have more difficulty in contacting with the student about future career or educational opportunities. Students may also control the types of directory information displayed in the online Student Directory by going to the Student Directory page of the Vassar website and logging into “set student display preferences.”

C. Exceptions to Non-Disclosure

1. Disclosures to School Officials.  The College may disclose 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 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 as its agent to provide a service instead of using College employees or officials (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 her or his tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill their professional responsibilities for the College.
2. Health and Safety Emergencies. The College may disclose Education Records to appropriate parties (including the student’s parents or guardians) in an emergency if the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or others.
3. Notification to Government & Accrediting Authorities. The College may disclose Education Records in connection with: (a) an audit or evaluation of compliance with state or federal programs; (b) to carry out accrediting or survey functions; (c) for financial aid purposes; (d) in the course of litigation or pursuant to judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena (with notice when possible); (e) mandated disclosures to the Department of Homeland Security for students on F or J visas; and (f) any other disclosures permitted or mandated by law.
4. Military Recruiting. The Solomon Amendment is a federal law (10 U.S.C. §983) mandating that educational institutions that receive federal funding (research grants, financial aid, etc.) must fulfill military recruitment requests for access to campus and for lists containing student recruiting information. This law allows the following information to be released to recruiters: name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, level of education, academic major, and degree received. The only way for students to opt out of military recruitment requests is for students to block the disclosure of their directory information to all persons under Section B (2) above.  Students are not permitted to only opt of military recruitment requests.