Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The College policy on student records complies with the "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act." This act was designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the rights of students and parents of an eligible student to inspect and review their educational records, the right to seek to amend those records, and the right to limit disclosure of information from those records.

No one outside of the College shall have access to nor will the College disclose any information about student educational records without the written consent of the student. Written consent forms can be obtained at the Student Services Center. Exceptions are:

• School officials demonstrating a legitimate educational interest
• Schools in which a student seeks or intends to enroll
• Federal, State, and local authorities involved in auditing or evaluating compliance with education programs in connection with financial aid
• Organizations conducting studies for or on behalf of educational institutions
• Accrediting organizations
• Parent/Legal Guardian of an eligible student
• Compliance with a judicial order or subpoena (the College must make a reasonable effort to notify the student in advance of compliance)
• Health or safety emergencies
• Results of a disciplinary hearing to an alleged victim of a crime of violence
• Certain agencies such as the U.S. Attorney General's Office, Secretary of Education, and state education agencies
• Mandated reporting in accordance with the Clery Act

Information for filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA can be found at:

• https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/file-a-complaint
• https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html (general)

The following information is designated by the college as public or "Directory Information" and may be released for any purpose at the discretion of the College in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

• Name
• Address
• Telephone number
• Full-time/Part-time status
• Major field of study
• Dates of enrollment
• Degrees and awards received
• Photographs
• Most recent educational institution attended
• Participation in recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams

Currently enrolled students may request to withhold Directory Information by submitting to the Office of Admissions and Records a "Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information" form. For more information, contact the Director of Enrollment/Registrar (Student Service Center) at 815.835.6378 or visit svcc.edu/admissions-ferpa.

The college FERPA policy is available in the SVCC catalog under Student Services, then Records. Contact the Director of Enrollment Services/Registrar for more information.