Kirtland Community College

10775 N. St. Helen Road, Roscommon, MI  48653

POL 6.090 STUDENT RECORDS - RIGHTS AND PRIVACY

Kirtland Community College recognizes the importance of maintaining records for all students in attendance. While a student's educational interests require the collection, retention, and use of information about the student, the student's right to privacy requires careful custodianship and limitations on access to education records. The maintenance and disclosure of student records by this institution are governed by state and federal law, particularly the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA"), 20 USC 1232g, and its implementing regulations, 34 CFR 99.1 et seq. It is the purpose of this policy to protect the educational and privacy rights of students and to establish procedures for the disclosure of student records in compliance with the law.

The President of Kirtland Community College is responsible for implementing this policy. The President's duties include, but are not limited to: informing students of their rights under this policy, utilizing administrative resources to implement and enforce this policy, developing procedural guidelines for the proper collection, storage and disclosure of student records and informing employees of this policy and the procedures relative to student records.

DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this policy, Kirtland Community College employs the following definitions:

Education Records:

Any record (whether in print, handwriting, tape, film, computer, electronic, or other medium) maintained by the college, a college employee or agent, or a party acting on the college's behalf, which is directly related to a student. The term does not include the following:

  1. Records (including notes and observations) kept by a staff member that are in his/her possession and are not available to another person, except a substitute.
  2. Records created and maintained by Kirtland Community College law enforcement and security personnel for law enforcement purposes only.
  3. Employment records which are made and used only in relation to a student's employment at Kirtland Community College.
  4. Records made and maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or paraprofessional acting in his/her professional capacity, which are made, maintained, or used in connection with treatment of the student (which does not include remedial education) and are disclosed only to individuals providing treatment.
  5. Records that only contain information about a student after he/she is no longer in attendance.

Student

Any person who attends or has attended a program of instruction sponsored by Kirtland Community College.

STUDENT RIGHTS

FERPA affords students enrolled in postsecondary institutions certain rights with respect to education records. Those rights include the following:

  1. Right to Inspect: A student has the right to inspect and review his/her education records maintained by Kirtland Community College within 45 days of the school's receipt of a written request for access.
  2. Right to Request Amendment: A student has the right to request the amendment of his/her education record(s) that are believed to be inaccurate or misleading. This right includes the right to a hearing to present evidence that the record should be revised. If a requested amendment is denied after a hearing, a student also has the right to place a statement in his/her educational record commenting on the challenged information.
  3. Right to Consent to Disclosure: A student has the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in his/her education record, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
  4. Right to Complain: A student has the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Kirtland Community College to comply with FERPA requirements.
  5. Right to Obtain Copies of this Policy: A student has the right to obtain copies of this policy upon request.

DISCLOSURE

Kirtland Community College will disclose information from a student's education record only with the written consent of the student, except that disclosures without consent may be made:

  1. To school officials who have legitimate educational interest in the records. A school official is a person employed by Kirtland Community College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position, including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff; a person or company with whom Kirtland Community College has contracted, such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent; a person serving on the board of trustees, who is empowered by the board; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his/her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if he/she needs to review an education record to fulfill his/her professional responsibilities.
  2. To officials of other schools where a student seeks or intends to enroll. (A student may obtain copies of records transferred).
  3. To federal and state officials in connection with their duties to audit or enforce legal conditions relative to federal or state supported programs.
  4. In connection with a student's request for or receipt of financial aid, as necessary to determine the eligibility for aid, the amount or conditions of the aid, or to enforce the terms and conditions of aid.
  5. To state juvenile justice system officials as permitted by state law.
  6. To organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the college for the purposes of predictive testing, student aid, and instructional improvements.
  7. To accrediting organizations to carry out their function.
  8. To parents who claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
  9. To comply with a court order or lawfully-issued subpoena. The college shall make reasonable attempts to notify the student of such disclosure prior to disclosure.
  10. To appropriate parties in connection with a health or safety emergency that threatens the health or safety of the student or other individuals. Additionally, Kirtland Community College has the right to include information concerning disciplinary action taken against a student for conduct that poses a significant risk to the safety or well-being of the student, other students, or school community members in the student's education record. Kirtland Community College may also disclose such information to school officials at the college and at other schools who have legitimate educational interests in the behavior of the student.
  11. For designated directory information.
  12. To the student.
  13. To the alleged victim of a crime of violence (as defined by federal law), records of school disciplinary proceedings may be disclosed regarding the particular crime perpetrated against the victim.

SOLOMON AMENDMENT

In addition to FERPA, the Solomon Amendment requires that schools, upon request, provide the military with information on currently enrolled students for military recruiting purposes. For such requests, the following information can be released on students 17 years of age or older: name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, level of education, academic program, degrees received and the educational institution in which the student was most recently enrolled. Any future changes to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 or the Solomon Amendment will be complied with by Kirtland Community College.

Adopted August 11, 1983

Revised February 12, 1998

PRO 6.090 STUDENT RECORDS - RIGHTS AND PRIVACY

STUDENT NOTIFICATION In order to comply with FERPA, Kirtland Community College shall publish a notice to students explaining their rights under FERPA and designating directory information which may be disclosed without consent. A statement regarding this notice will be published in the schedule and in the college catalog. If a student has a primary language other than English, Kirtland Community College shall endeavor to notify the student of his/her rights in the student's native language.

INSPECTION OF STUDENT RECORDS A student may inspect and review his/her own education records upon written request submitted to the director of student services. This request should precisely as possible identify the education record(s) the student wishes to inspect. If the records are not maintained by the director of student services, the director shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed. The director of student services or other school official will make 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 from receipt of the request by the appropriate school official.

When a record contains information about students other than the requesting student, the student may not inspect the portion of the record that pertains to other students. In addition, a student does not have the right to inspect or review the following education records: financial records, including any information those records contain of his/her parents, and confidential letters/statements of recommendation as long as the statements are only used for their intended purposes, the student has waived his/her right to review those materials, and the materials relate to the student's admission to an educational institution, application for employment, or receipt of an honor or honorary recognition.

AMENDMENT OF STUDENT RECORDS If a student, upon review of his/her record, would like to request or amend a record believed to be inaccurate or misleading, a written request should be submitted to the school official responsible for the record. This request should clearly identify the part of the record that the student wants changed and specify why it is inaccurate, misleading or in violation of the student's privacy rights. The school official may or may not comply with the request. If the record is not amended as requested by the student, Kirtland Community College shall arrange a hearing and shall provide the student with reasonable notice of the date, time and place of the hearing. The hearing will be conducted by a disinterested hearing officer; however, the hearing officer may be a school official. The student shall have the opportunity to offer evidence in support of his/her request for amendment. The student also has the right to be represented at the hearing. The hearing officer will prepare a written decision based solely upon the evidence presented at the hearing, which shall be distributed to the parties. The decision will include a summary of the evidence and a reason for the decision. If Kirtland Community College determines that the student's education record should not be amended, the student must be notified that he/she has the right to place a written statement in his/her education record setting forth objections to the challenged information and/or disagreements with the decision not to amend this record. This statement shall be maintained with the challenged portion of the student's education record and be disclosed with that record. If Kirtland Community College determines that the student's education record must be amended, it shall amend the record and notify the student that the record has been amended.

RELEASE OF INFORMATION Kirtland Community College may release information from a student's education record to a third party if the student gives prior written consent for the disclosure. All requests for release of such information shall be made in writing. The written consent must include the following information: a specification of the record(s) to be released, the reason for disclosure, the person(s) or organization(s) to whom the disclosure will be made, the student's signature and the date of consent and, if appropriate, the date upon which consent terminates. Kirtland Community College will not disclose personally identifiable information in a student's education record to a third party unless that party agrees to redisclose the information only with the student's prior written consent.

RECORD OF DISCLOSURE Kirtland Community College shall maintain an accurate record of all requests for access to, and disclosures of, a student's education record and a record of any access or disclosure permitted. The following procedures shall apply: this record will be kept with, but will not be part of, each student's educational record. This record will only be available to the student, college officials, and federal, state or local officials. This record will include the name of the requesting party, additional parties to whom the information may be disclosed, the party's interest in the information, the date of the request, whether the request was granted or denied, and the date of any access or disclosure permitted. This record will be maintained as long as Kirtland Community College maintains the student's education record. This record keeping requirement does not apply to requests by or disclosure to the student, school officials, a party with written consent from the student, a party seeking directory information, or a party seeking information pursuant to a confidential court order or lawfully-issued subpoena.

DIRECTORY INFORMATION Under FERPA, Kirtland Community College is authorized to designate certain personally identifiable information contained in education records as "directory" information and to disclose such information without prior written consent unless a student objects to such disclosure.

Kirtland Community College designates the following personally identifiable information contained in a student's education record as directory information: student name, whether the student is or has been registered and degrees and awards received.

The following procedures apply to the notification and designation of directory information:

Kirtland Community College will publish in the schedule and college catalog the list of items of personally identifiable information that it designates as directory information.

A student shall have one week for the first day of the semester to indicate in writing that he/she does not want this designated directory information released. Written objections to the release of directory information should be submitted to the student service's office.

At the conclusion of the applicable period, or within a reasonable time thereafter, school officials shall mark the student's education record indicating that directory information may not be disclosed pursuant to the student's objection.

Absent written objection by a student, Kirtland Community College may release designated directory information without prior written consent.

The designation of directory information remains in effect only for the current semester and also applies to requests for information as defined under the Solomon Amendment.

In order to comply with the Solomon Amendment, Kirtland Community College will provide the available directory information of currently enrolled students to the military, for which a request should be submitted to the student services office at least two weeks prior to the end of the requested semester. A fee will be charged for this list and this fee will need to be collected prior to any information being disclosed.