Access to Student Records – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) sets out certain requirements of educational institutions that are designed to protect the privacy of students and their records. Specifically, the act governs access to educational records and the release of personally identifiable information contained in these records.

• Right to Inspect and Review. The right to inspect and review your education records (with certain limited exceptions) within 45 days of the day Brevard College receives your request for access. You should submit any such request to the Registrar's Office in writing, identifying the records you wish to inspect. The Registrar's Office will make arrangements for access and notify you of the time and place where the records may be inspected. Records that are customarily open for student inspection will be accessible without written request.
• Right to Request Amendment. The right to request the amendment of your education records if you believe them to be inaccurate. You should submit any such request to the Registrar's Office in writing, clearly identifying the records that you want to have amended and specifying the reasons you believe them to be inaccurate. The Registrar's Office will notify you of its decision. (Grade appeals are handled differently. Please see the College Catalog for more information or contact the Registrar's Office.)
• Right to Consent to Disclosure. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in your education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. For example, FERPA permits disclosure without consent (1) to school officials with legitimate educational interests, and (2) of directory information. See the section below on FERPA Exceptions for further detail.
• Right to File Complaint. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Brevard College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C., 20202-4605.

• To School Officials with Legitimate Educational Interests. FERPA permits disclosure without consent to "school officials" with "legitimate educational interests." A "school official" is any person employed by Brevard College in any administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including security and student health services staff); any person or company with whom Brevard College has contracted to provide a service to or on behalf of Brevard College (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); any person serving on Brevard College’s Board of Trustees; or any 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 the official's professional responsibility.
• Of Directory Information. FERPA permits Brevard College to disclose your "directory information” to anyone within the Brevard College community and to the general public.
  • What Constitutes “Directory Information”? “Directory Information” includes such information as a student’s
    (1) name, (2) address, (3) telephone number, (4) e-mail address, (5) photograph, (6) date of birth, (7) place of birth, (8) major field of study, (9) participation in sports and activities, (10) weight and height (for members of athletic teams), (11) dates of attendance, (12) enrollment status, (13) degrees, (14) honors and awards, and
    (15) most recent educational agency or institution attended.
  • Request to Withhold Directory Information. Students may request to have their directory information withheld. The request must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office in writing. Request forms are available on the Registrar’s website. Currently enrolled students who do not wish to have their information published, such as in a student directory, must provide written notice to the Registrar's Office annually on or before the last day to add a class of the semester of first time enrollment for an academic year. Brevard College assumes that any student’s failure to specifically request the withholding of “Directory Information” for the academic year in which he or she is enrolled indicates individual approval for disclosure.
• To Officials of Another School. Upon request, Brevard College also makes disclosures without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll or where the student is already enrolled so long as the disclosure is for purposes related to the student's enrollment or transfer.
• Of Alcohol or Controlled Substance Violations Committed Under 21. Brevard College is permitted to disclose to parents of a student information about the student’s violation of any Federal, State, or local law, or of any rule or policy of the school, governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance if the school determines the student committed a disciplinary violation and the student is under the age of 21. 
• Other Permitted Disclosures. FERPA permits disclosure without consent in several other cases if the disclosure meets conditions described in the FERPA regulations. For more information on other permitted disclosures or FERPA, generally, please visit:
  • Brevard College Registrar’s page: my.brevard.edu/ICS/Offices/Registrar
  • US Department of Education's page: www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

• The right to file a complaint with the US 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 Policy Compliance Office
US Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5901