The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Confidentiality of Student Records
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords you certain rights with respect to your records. They are:
- The right to inspect and review your education records within 45 days of the day Centralia College receives a request for access. You should submit to the registrar written requests that identify the record(s) you wish to inspect. The registrar will arrange for access and notify you of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
- The right to request the amendment of your education records that you believe inaccurate or misleading. You may ask Centralia College to amend a record that you believe is inaccurate or misleading. You should write the registrar, clearly identify the part of the record you want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. Note: if you wish to request a change of grade that has been recorded correctly on your records, you must follow a separate complaint procedure. Information about the process to challenge a correctly recorded grade is available from instructors, advisors, counselors, and
deans. If Centralia College decides to not amend the record as
requested, you will be notified and advised of your right to
a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information
regarding the hearing procedures will be provided when you are
notified of the right to a hearing.
- The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable
information contained in your 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 interests.
A school official is a person employed by Centralia College in
an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support
staff position (including security, alumni office, and development
office personnel); a person or company with whom Centralia College
has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agency);
a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving
on an official committee, such as a disciplinary committee, or
assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.
Volunteers and interns serving in any of these capacities are
also considered school officials. A school official has a legitimate
educational interest if the official needs to review an education
record to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon
request, Centralia College may disclose education records without
consent to officials of another school in which you are currently
enrolled, receive services, or seek or intend to enroll.
- The right to prevent disclosure of directory information. Centralia College routinely publishes and discloses directory
information about students to various requestors. Directory information
consists of name, address, telephone listing, field of study,
weight and height of athletes, most recent previous school attended,
photographs, date and place of birth, participation in officially
recognized activities and sports, dates of attendance, honor
roll, degrees and awards (including names of scholarships), e-mail
address, and full- or part-time status. In addition, level of
education and prior military experience may also be provided
to representatives of the department of defense for recruiting
purposes. If you choose to have Centralia College not release your directory information, notify the registrar in writing by using
the form available in the Office of Admissions and Records. You
should be aware that asking Centralia College to withhold directory
information may prevent other colleges and employers from receiving
information that might be to your advantage.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department
of Education concerning alleged failures by Centralia 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
600 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605
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