Release of Educational Records, FERPA

Procedure to Inspect Educational Records

Students may inspect and review their educational records upon request to the appropriate record custodian.

Students should submit to the record custodian or appropriate college staff person a written request which identifies as precisely as possible the record or records he or she wishes to inspect.

The record custodian or an appropriate college staff person will make the needed arrangements for access as promptly as possible and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. Access must be given within 45 days or less from the date of receipt of the request.

When a record contains information about more than one student, the student may inspect and review only the records that relate to him or her.

Limitation on Right of Access

Northland Pioneer College reserves the right to refuse to permit a student to inspect the following records:

1. The financial statement of the student’s parents.
2. Letters and statements of recommendation for which the student has waived his or her right of access, or which were maintained before Jan. 1, 1975.
3. Records connected with an application to attend Northland Pioneer College or a component unit of Northland Pioneer College if that application was denied.
4. Those records which are excluded from the FERPA definition of educational records.

Annual Notification of FERPA Rights

Students will be notified of their FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) rights by publication in the college Catalog and on the NPC website, www.npc.edu/FERPA-rights.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records.

These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the college receives a request for access.
2. Students should submit to the college registrar a written request that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
3. Students may ask the college to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. The student should write the college official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record requested to be changed and specify why it is inaccurate.
4. If the college decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the college will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her 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.
5. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
6. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is 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; a person or company with whom the college has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent); a person serving on the Navajo County Community College District Governing Board; 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.
7. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
8. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Northland Pioneer 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 Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605

Notice of Release of Educational Records to Other Institutions

In accordance with FERPA regulation §99.34, Northland Pioneer College may release education records to other agencies or institutions that have requested the records and in which the student seeks or intends to enroll or is already enrolled so long as the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer. The college may disclose these records without prior consent, unless a student notifies NPC’s Records and Registration Office in writing to the contrary by the end of the second week of classes of the fall semester, or the second week of spring or summer semester if student was not enrolled fall semester.

Notice of Directory Information

Northland Pioneer College has designated the following items as directory information: student name, address, telephone number, email address, date of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletics teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, photographs, audio or video recordings and the most recent previous school attended. The college may disclose any of these items without prior consent, unless a student notifies NPC’s Records and Registration Office in writing to the contrary by the end of the second week of classes of the fall semester, or the second week of spring or summer semester if student was not enrolled fall semester.

Students (as well as former students and alumni) must notify the NPC Records and Registration Office EVERY YEAR if they do not want their directory information disclosed.

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