Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
as Amended
Under the Federal Education and Privacy Rights Act of 1974 as Amended (FERPA), Gadsden State Community College may disclose certain student information as "directory information." Directory information includes students' name, address, telephone number, date of birth, academic honors and major fields of study, as well as information about students' participation in officially recognized activities and sports, the weight and height of members of athletic teams, the date of attendance by students, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by a student. If any student does not want directory information to be released, he/she must notify the Registrar, in writing, whose office is in the One Stop Center on the East Broad Campus.
Notification of Student Rights under FERPA – FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights are:
- The right to inspect and to review the student's education records.
- The right to request the amendment of the student's education records to ensure that they are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student's privacy or other rights.
- The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
- The right to file with the U.S. Department of Education a complaint concerning alleged failures by Gadsden State Community College to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
- The right to obtain a copy of Gadsden State Community College's student records policy, which is available at the Registrar's Office.
School Officials and Legitimate Educational Interest
A school official is defined as a college employee, person or a student assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.
A school official with a legitimate educational interest may be granted access to confidential student information if the official needs the information to fulfill his/her professional responsibility.
This includes:
- Performing appropriate tasks that are specified in his/her position description or by a contract agreement
- Performing a task related to a student’s education
- Performing a task related to the discipline of a student
- Providing services for the student, such as counseling, job placement or financial aid
Legitimate educational interest does not convey inherent rights to any and all student information.