Student Rights and Data/Notification of Rights
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 the student’s education records within 45 days of the date the college receives a request for access.
Students must submit a written request to the Registrar that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records will be.
The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes to be inaccurate or misleading.
Students may ask the college to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They must write to the Registrar, clearly 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 in writing 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 that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interest. A school official is a person employed by the college in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel); a person or company with whom the college has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent); a person serving on the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee (such as the Normandale Community College Student Rights and Responsibilities Board) or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Normandale Community College forwards educational records without the student’s consent to other agencies or institutions in which the student seeks or intends to enroll or is already enrolled, so long as the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer.
The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Normandale Community College to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
Students may contact:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605
Phone: 202-260-3887
Fax: 202-260-9001
Family Policy Compliance Office Website
Email: fpco@ed.gov