Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) - [] |
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (P.L.93-380, S513) signed by the President of the United States became law as of November 9, 1974. Included in this law are requirements related to the privacy of student files and records.
The law specifically states that no institution of higher education shall prevent its students from inspecting and reviewing "all official records, files, and data including all material that is incorporated into each student’s cumulative folder."
Although that act specifically refers to the access rights of parents, it provides that "whenever a student has attained 18 years of age or is attending an institution of post-secondary education, the permission or consent required of and the rights accorded to the parents of the students shall thereafter only be required of and accorded to the student."
The only individuals or agencies authorized to see a student’s record, other than the student, without the student’s written consent, are school officials with "legitimate" educational interests, officials of other schools in which the student "intends to enroll," and certain government representatives. Students interested in reviewing their files must see the Registrar or Information Processing Specialist.
The College may disclose, without consent, "directory" information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, if a student does not wish for the College to disclose directory information about himself/herself, the student should notify the Registrar in writing at the start of any semester while enrolled at the college.
An amendment to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act (P.L. 106-386) requires all institutions of higher education to advise their campus community of where information concerning registered sex offenders in North Carolina can be obtained. In accordance with this amendment, the following Web address contains registered sex offender’s information for NC:
A copy of the release form can be found by clicking here.
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