Annual Notification Student's Right to Privacy
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:
- The right to inspect and review their education record within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access.
Students should submit to the Registrar or Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The student will be notified of a time and place where the records may be inspected.
- The right to request the amendment of that part of a student's education record that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading.
The student should write to the Registrar clearly identify the part of the record he/she wants changed and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If Columbia College decides not to amend the record as requested, 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.
- 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.
One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is defined as a person employed by the college in an administrative, supervisory, academic or support staff position (including law enforcement unit 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 a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her 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. Upon request, the college discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the college to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:
Family Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605
Release of Directory Information
Under the provisions of the Act, Columbia College is allowed to disclose "directory information" without consent. "Directory information" is described as name, address, telephone number, email address, dates of attendance, enrollment status, class, previous institutions attended, major field of study, awards, honors (including dean's list), degree(s) conferred (including dates), past and present participation in officially recognized sports and activities, physical factors (height and weight of athletes), picture, and date and place of birth. "Directory Information" is released at the discretion of the institution.
However, students who do not wish directory information to be released may prevent such release by completing
and signing a Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information
form. If at any time you would like to remove this restriction, you may complete the
Remove Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information form.
You may also complete and return the Third Party Release Form
or the
Parental Release Form granting access of non-directory information (such as student's account or grades) to parents or
other individuals.
To submit one of these forms, sign the completed form and send to:
Student Records
Columbia College
1001 Rogers Street
Columbia, MO 65216
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