FERPA

Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the federal law that governs release of and access to student education records.

Summary of Rights

Your rights under FERPA include:

  • The right to inspect and review your education record within a reasonable time after the college receives a request for access. If you want to review your record, contact the Registrar’s Office to make appropriate arrangements.
  • The right to request an amendment of your education record if you believe it is inaccurate or misleading. If you feel there is an error in your record, you should submit a statement to the college Registrar, clearly identifying the part of the record you want changed and why you believe it is inaccurate or misleading. The Registrar’s Office will notify you of their decision and advise you regarding appropriate steps if you do not agree with the decision.
  • The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in your 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 has a legitimate educational interest if the official has a “need to know” information from your education record in order to fulfill his or her official responsibilities. Examples of people who may have access, depending on their official duties, and only within the context of those duties, include: college faculty and staff, agents of the institution, students employed by the institution or who serve on official institutional committees, and representatives of agencies under contract with the College.
  • The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

Exceptions to Information Release Policy

Release of student educational record information is generally not done at Johnson State College without the expressed, written consent of the student. There are, however, some exceptions.

The VSC may disclose directory information without prior written consent of the student. The VSC has defined directory information as the following: name, home and college address, telephone listing, e-mail address, date of birth, major, enrollment status (full-time or part-time), enrollment level (undergraduate or graduate), dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, weight and height of athletic team members, photographs, most recent and previous educational institution attended, and participation in officially recognized activities and sports.

Withholding Directory Information

Please note that you have the right to withhold the release of directory information. To do so, you must complete a “Request to Withhold Directory Information” form, which is available from either the Registrar, or the Dean of Students. Please note two important details regarding placing a “No Release” on your record:

     

The college receives many inquiries for directory information from a variety of sources outside the institution, including friends, parents, relatives, prospective employers, lending agencies, the news media and honor societies. Having a “No Release” on your record will preclude release of such information, even to those people.

Having a “No Release” on your record will also preclude release of information in college publications such as athletic rosters,  departmental brochures, dean’s and president’s lists, etc.

A complete listing of the circumstances under which the school may release information from a student’s education record  may be found in the VSC FERPA Policy.

Download the Complete Policy

A complete copy of the college policy may be obtained by downloading a pdf version of the Vermont State College's Policy 312, FERPA, document, or by contacting the Registrar's Office.

 

Questions or Comments?

Questions concerning FERPA should be referred to the Registrar’s Office (802-635-1229) or the Dean of Student’s Office (802-635-1200).