Mount Ida College

FERPA

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Annually Mount Ida College notifies students of their rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. This notification appears below, and on page 27 of the 2007-08 College Catalog(link requires Adobe Acrobat). For further information, please read the U.S Department of Education's FERPA Policy.

Students' rights include the right to restrict the release of Directory Information and the right to allow their parents/guardians to discuss their educational records with Mount Ida College faculty and staff members. The appropriate forms must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar:

Request to Restrict Directory Information
Permission for Parents/Guardians to View Educational Records

Mount Ida College's FERPA Policy:

Rights with Respect to Education Records under Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Annually Mount Ida College notifies students of their rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). 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. Students who wish to review their education records must submit a written request to the Office of the Registrar identifying the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar or his/her designee will make arrangements for access within fourteen (14) business days of the Office’s receipt of the request and notify the student of the time and place where the record(s) may be inspected. If the requested records are not maintained by the Office of the Registrar, the student will be notified of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

2)The right to request the amendment of the student’s education record(s) that the student believes is/are inaccurate. Students should notify the College official responsible for the record in writing, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed and specify why it is inaccurate. Once the request for amendment has been received, the appropriate College official will notify the student within forty-five (45) business days whether the record will be changed as requested or whether the request for amendment has been denied. If the request has been denied, the College will 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 the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3)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. FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions:

• 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 (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing her or his tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
• Appropriate parties in connection to financial aid to a student
• Other institutions in which a student seeks to enroll
• Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school
• Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes
• Accrediting agencies
• Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies
• Appropriate parties to comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena

Personally identifiable information, with the exception of information the College has defined as Directory Information, will not be released to parties other than those listed above without the student’s written consent.

The following information has been designated by Mount Ida College as Directory Information and can be released without the student’s written consent:

• Name
• Home and local addresses and telephone numbers
• Dates of attendance
• Program of study
• Degree(s) awarded
• Semester and graduation honors

Students may prohibit release of Directory Information by submitting a written request to the Office of the Registrar. If a student has prohibited release of Directory Information, the College will not release it to anyone, including potential employers, relatives, etc. without the student’s written consent. Currently enrolled students may have disclosure of Directory Information withheld by submitting written notification to the Office of the Registrar prior to the end of the Add/Drop period. Students entering the College for the first time in the spring semester may have disclosure of Directory Information withheld by submitting written notification to the Office of the Registrar prior to the end of the Add/Drop period.

4) The right to file a complaint with the United States Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Mount Ida 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, DC 20202-4605.

Procedures for Release of Student’s Educational Records to Parent/Guardian

A parent or guardian may be given the opportunity to review a student’s educational record if a Permission to Review Educational Records (PVER), which must be signed by both the student and parent/guardian, has been submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Parental permission to view a student’s educational record will continue until the student formally withdraws it. The PVER Form is available from the Office of the Registrar, Holbrook Hall, Mount Ida College, 777 Dedham Street, Newton, MA, 02459 and on its website at www.mountida.edu/registrar.