Family Education Right and Privacy Act

FERPA

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) students have certain rights concerning their education records, including the right to inspect and review their educational records, the right to request amendment of education records they believe to be inaccurate or misleading, the right to have some control over the disclosure of information derived from their education records, and the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.

澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 is committed to protecting the rights of students, informing the Thomas More community about FERPA, and ensuring that the University handles educational records and directory information in a secure manner consistent with Federal regulations. 澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 has adopted a policy statement to maintain compliance with the FERPA, to ensure the rights of students are protected, and to give guidance to faculty and staff as to the appropriate procedure when handling student records. These guidelines are available in the Registrar鈥檚 Office.


Eligible students who believe that 澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 is not complying with the requirements of the FERPA may file complaints in writing with:

Family Policy and Regulations Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington D.C. 20202-4605

Definitions

For the purposes of this policy, 澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 (鈥渢he University鈥) has used the following definitions of terms:

Any person who attends or has attended 澳门六合彩开奖记录资料, Villa Madonna College, or the Seminary of St. Pius X.

Any record (in handwriting, print, tapes, diskette, film, or another medium) maintained by 澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 or an agent of the University which is directly related to a student, except:

  • A personal record kept by a staff member if it is kept in the sole possession of the maker of the record and is not accessible or revealed to any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the record.
  • An employment record of an individual whose employment is not contingent on the fact that he or she is a student provided the record is used only in relation to the individual鈥檚 employment.
  • Records maintained by an office in the University听if the records are maintained solely for law enforcement purposes are revealed only to law enforcement agencies of the same jurisdiction, and this University听office does not have access to education records maintained by the University.
  • Records maintained by the Health Clinic if the records are used only for treatment of a student and made available only to those persons providing the treatment.
  • Alumni records which contain information about a student after he or she is no longer in attendance at the University听and which do not relate to the person as a student.
  • The financial statements of the student鈥檚 parents/guardians.
  • Letters and statements of recommendation for which the student has waived his or her right of access, or which were placed in file before January 1, 1975.
  • Records connected with an application to attend 澳门六合彩开奖记录资料, Villa Madonna College, or the Seminary of St. Pius X if that application was denied.
  • Those records which are excluded from the FERPA definition of education records.

Note:听听Education records held by 澳门六合彩开奖记录资料听are considered the property of the University听to which students have rights of access.

Administrative office with official responsibility for the maintenance of student academic records.听 The only office authorized to release official and unofficial transcripts and verifications.

鈥淒irectory Information鈥 may be released for any purpose at the discretion of the University听when it is believed to be in the best interest of the student.听 Under the provisions of FERPA students have the听right towithhold the disclosure of all 鈥淒irectory Information鈥 as follows: student name, address, email address, telephone number, major field of study, dates of attendance, enrollment status, degrees, academic honors, and awards received, club and athletic participation records, and photographic, videotaped, and electronic images.听 The University听will disclose any of these items without prior written consent from the student unless notified in writing by the student to the contrary.听 The University听will disclose only dates of attendance, enrollment status, major field of study and degrees received via telephone.听 Other 鈥淒irectory Information鈥 will be disclosed by written response.听 If the student does not wish to have this information released for any purpose, including the student directory,听press releases, etc., the student must inform the University听in writing by the end of the second week of classes in any semester.听 Notification forms are available in the Office of the Registrar.听 If the student鈥檚 correspondence is not received in the appropriate office, the University听will disclose the above information until the next notification.听 Please consider very carefully the consequences of any decision to withhold 鈥淒irectory Information.鈥澨 Should a student decide to inform the University听not听to release 鈥淒irectory Information,鈥 requests for听ALL听鈥淒irectory Information鈥 from any third party will be refused.

Once enrolled, students have the right to review their educational records except those excluded by law within 45 days of the day the University听receives a request for access. Students should submit written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect.听 The University听will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

Students have the right to ask the University听to have records corrected that they believe are inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of their privacy rights. Following are the procedures for the correction of records:

  • A student must request, in writing, to the University听official responsible for the record, to amend a record.听 In so doing, the student shall identify the part of the record he/she wants to be changed and specify why he/she believes it is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of his/her privacy or other rights.
  • The University听may comply with the request or it may decide not to comply.听 If it decides not to comply, the University听will notify the student of the decision and advise him/her of his/her right to a hearing to challenge the information believed to be inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student鈥檚 rights.
  • Upon request, the University听will arrange for a hearing, and notify the student of the date, place and time of the hearing.
  • The hearing will be conducted by a hearing officer who is a disinterested party; however, the hearing officer may be an official of the institution.听 The student shall be afforded a full and fair opportunity to present evidence relevant to the issues raised in the original request to amend the student鈥檚 education records.
  • The University听will prepare a written decision based solely on the evidence presented at the hearing. The decision will include a summary of the evidence presented and the reasons for the decision.
  • If the University听decides that the challenged information is not inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student鈥檚 right of privacy, it will notify the student that he/she has a right to place in the record a statement commenting on the challenged information.
  • The statement will be maintained as part of the student鈥檚 education records as long as the contested portion is maintained.听 If the University听discloses the contested portion of the record, it will also disclose the statement.
  • If the University听decides that the information is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student鈥檚 right of privacy, it will amend the record and notify the student, in writing, that the record has been amended.

With an understanding that it cannot deny students access to their educational records, the following describes the circumstances in which the University听may deny students a copy of their education records if the student has an unpaid financial obligation to the University听or if there is an unresolved disciplinary action against the student.

All student records will be treated with confidentiality. 听University faculty and staff will have access to student records on a 鈥渘eed-to-know鈥 basis.听 The office responsible for any particular education record or office requesting information for a legitimate educational interest will be responsible for ensuring that such confidentiality is maintained.

Disclosure of any information other than Directory Information requires a signed release, with original signature, from the student.听 This may include, but is not limited to, the release of grade point averages, grades, test scores, etc.听 Such information will not be accepted or released via any electronic or faxed method.

Deceased Students:听 The University听will not permit the release of educational records of deceased students unless authorized in writing by the executor/executrix of the deceased student鈥檚 estate.

The University听will disclose information from a student鈥檚 education records only with the written consent of the student,听except:

  • To school officials who have a legitimate educational interest in the records. A school official is a person employed by the University听in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University听has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent); a person serving on the Boards 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 is performing a task that is specified in his or her position description or by a contract agreement, performing a task related to a student鈥檚 education, or performing a task related to the discipline of a student.
  • To certain officials of the U.S. Department of Education, The Comptroller General, and state and local educational authorities, in connection with certain state or federally supported education programs.
  • In connection with a student鈥檚 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.
  • If required by a state law requiring disclosure that was adopted before November 19, 1974.
  • To organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the University.
  • To accrediting organizations to carry out their functions.
  • To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena after a reasonable attempt is made to notify the student.听 The University听is not required to give prior notice when responding to a Federal grand jury subpoena or other law enforcement subpoena that states the student not be informed; and that the contents of or existence of the subpoena not be disclosed.
  • To comply with State statutes in connection with a juvenile justice system.
  • To a court when the University听initiates legal action against a student and gives the student prior notice of the intended disclosure.
  • To appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency.

Note:听听The University will be prohibited from permitting specific third party access to personally identifiable student information for a period of five years if that third party rediscloses personally identifiable student information in violation of FERPA.

The Solomon Amendment mandates that institutions must fulfill military requests for student recruiting information.听 Federal law defines student recruiting information as name, address, telephone number, age or date of birth, class level, academic major, place of birth, degrees received, and most recent educational institution attended.听 Requests can also include additional directory information as defined by the institution, such as email address.听 Students who have elected to withhold directory information will not have their information released under the Solomon Amendment.

The University听may, at its discretion, release student educational records only under the following circumstances:

  1. through the written consent of the student,听i.e. academic records;
  2. in compliance with a subpoena; or
  3. by submission of evidence that the parents or guardians declare the student as a dependent on their most recent Federal Income Tax form (Internal Revenue Code of 1954, Section 152),听i.e., student financial account records or notarized statement of intent to claim the student as a dependent.

The University听will maintain a record of all legitimate written disclosures of a student鈥檚 educational record released without student鈥檚 signature as set forth in the exceptions noted above.

  • Students will be notified of their FERPA rights annually by publication in all student handbooks published by Student Development/Dean of Students and the Accelerated Programs/Center for Adult and Professional Education.
  • Other notification may be made available through publication in the University听Catalogue and the Faculty Policy Manual.听 Also, handouts will be made available at all times in the Office of the Registrar.

The following is a list of the types of education records that 澳门六合彩开奖记录资料听maintains, their locations, and their custodians.

TypesLocationsCustodians
Admission RecordsOffice of AdmissionsDirector of Admissions
Office of Accelerated
Programs
Director of Lifelong
Learning
Cumulative Academic RecordsOffice of the RegistrarRegistrar
Financial Aid RecordsFinancial Aid OfficeDirector of Financial Aid
Office of Accelerated
Programs
Assistant Director of Financial Aid-TAP
Student Account RecordsBursar’s OfficeBursar
Office of Accelerated ProgramsStudent Accounts-TAP
Health RecordsCampus Health CenterNurse Coordinator
Disciplinary and Student Housing RecordsStudent Life OfficeDirector of Student Life
Career Planning and Co-Op RecordsOffice of Career Planning and Cooperative EducationDirector of Cooperative Education
Athletic RecordsAthletic DepartmentAthletic Director
Immigration and Naturalization RecordsInternational Student ServicesDirector of International Student Services