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FAMILY EDUCATION RIGHTS & PRIVACY ACT OF 1974
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students
certain rights with respect to their education records. (An “eligible student” under
FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary
institution at any age.) These rights include:
1.
The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days
after the day the Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC) receives a request
for access. A student should submit to the registrar or other administrative
personnel a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to
inspect. The TVCC 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 TVCC 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.
The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the
student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the
student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
A student who wishes to ask TVCC to amend a record should write the TVCC
official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the
student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed.
If TVCC decides not to amend the record as requested, TVCC 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.
The right to provide written consent before TVCC discloses personally
identifiable information (PII) from the student's education records, except to
the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
TVCC 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 typically includes a person employed by
TVCC in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff
position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person
serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee,
such as a disciplinary or grievance committee. A school official also may
include a volunteer or contractor outside of TVCC who performs an
institutional service of function for which TVCC would otherwise use its own
employees and who is under the direct control of TVCC with respect to the use
and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor,
or collection agent or a student volunteering to assist another school official in
performing his or her tasks. A school official typically has a legitimate
educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order
to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for TVCC.
Upon request, TVCC also discloses education records without consent to
officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
