Privacy Records (FERPA)

Post

​This page provides brief summary of student rights under The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the federal law that governs release of and access to student education records.  

Student rights include:​

  • The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day Central Ohio Technical (COTC) College receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Gateway Manager – Student Records, Dean, Director, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the College official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
     
  • The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights. Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. 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.
     
  • 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 College officials with legitimate educational interests. A College official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted as its agent to perform a service on behalf of the College (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 College official in performing his or her tasks. Central Ohio Technical College has designated the National Student Clearinghouse as a College official. A College official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

  • The right of nondisclosure of designated directory/public information. Central Ohio Technical College generally does not release student record information without the student’s expressed, written consent. There are, however, some exceptions. For example, Central Ohio Technical College has designated the following items as directory/public information that may be released to the public without the student’s consent:
    1. Student’s name
    2. Student’s major
    3. Student’s dates of enrollment
    4. Degrees and awards received by the student (including honors listings)
    5. Hometown (if different from current residence)
    6. Student’s veteran or military status

      Students who do not want their directory/public information disclosed have a right to withhold the release of this information. To withhold the release of “directory information” students must complete a “personal data change form”, which is available from The Gateway Office. Please note that COTC receives many inquiries for “directory information” from a variety of sources outside COTC including prospective employers.  This also applies to graduation information. Having a “no release” on your record will preclude release of such information, even to those people, without your completion of a release of information form.
  • The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Central Ohio Technical College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-4605.

College Policy: 5.1.20 Privacy and Release of Student Education Records