Policy
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records:
- The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day CPTC received the request for access.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes to be inaccurate or misleading.
- 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 school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by CPTC in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); the Federal Department of Defense; the Federal Department of Veteran's Affairs; a person or company with whom CPTC has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); clinical sites; nursing consortiums; 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 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 his or her professional responsibility. - The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by CPTC to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA are:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
600 Independence Avenue SW Washington, DC 20202-4605
Directory Information
CPTC designates the following information as Directory Information:
- • Student Name
- • Major field of study
- • Enrollment Status (full/part-time)
- • Dates of attendance (quarter start/end dates only)
- • Participation in recognized sports
- • Degree or certificate earned
- • Term degree or certificate awarded
- • Honors
Directory Information may be released by CPTC without student consent unless the student specifically requests that such information, or portions thereof, not be released. CPTC will not release Directory Information for commercial purposes or other purposes not related to the school program or the conduct of official government business. Students currently attending CPTC should complete a “Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information” form in the Enrollment Services Office if they do not wish Directory Information released.
Social Security Numbers
Your social security number is confidential and under a federal law called the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act, the college will protect it from unauthorized use and/or disclosure. In compliance with state/federal requirements, disclosure may be authorized for the purposes of state and federal financial aid, Hope/Lifetime Learning tax credits, academic transcripts, assessment or accountability research. Posting of grades by social security numbers is in violation of this policy and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended.
Signed Policy
Procedure
The procedures for students to inspect, review or amend their record are outlined below:
- Students should submit to the registrar a written request 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 may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the registrar, the student will be advised of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
- Students may ask CPTC to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write to the CPTC official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If CPTC decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, CPTC 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.
CPTC faculty and staff will comply with FERPA when disclosing student information and limit it to the directory information only. Faculty and staff will contact the Enrollment Services Office to learn if a release of information is on file prior to releasing any information regarding a student that is other than directory information.
Information other than directory information may be released with the written permission from the student. The release of information form must be completed by the student and submitted in person to the Enrollment Services office. The staff in the ES office will update the student record to show a release of information is on the record.
Students may choose to decline the release of directory information. To do so, the student must visit the Enrollment Services office and request a block of directory information. The student record will be updated accordingly. This also means the student name will not appear in the annual Commencement Program booklet.
