Massasoit - Policies & Statements

Confidentiality of Student Records Policy

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:

  1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access

Students should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may by inspected. If the records are not maintained by the College official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

  2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading

Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the College official responsible for the record, 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 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.

  3. The right to consent to disclosure 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 the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); 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 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.

Further, upon request, the College discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

  4. The right to file a complaint with the U. S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by an institution of higher education to comply with the requirements of FERPA

Such complaints may be filed with the Family Policy Compliance Office at the U. S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.

   5. The College identifies the following student information as directory information: student names, addresses, telephone numbers, ages, levels of education and majors. Directory information may be released by the College to a third-party requesting such student information without first obtaining the parent’s or eligible student’s consent. A parent or eligible student has the right to refuse to permit the College from identifying some or all of those types of information about the student as directory information. A parent or eligible student must notify the College’s Registrar within two weeks of the beginning of each academic semester if the parent or eligible student does not want any or all of those types of information about a student designated as directory information.

Notwithstanding the College’s definition of directory information, the Department of Defense, pursuant to the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 (Solomon Amendment), identifies the following information as student recruiting information: student names, addresses, and telephone listings; and if known, students’ ages, levels of education, majors. If a parent or eligible student chooses not to exercise his/her aforementioned right to refuse to permit the College to designate some or all to the student’s record information as directory information, the College will release to the Department of Defense, or an agency thereof, that student information which the Department of Defense has designated as student recruiting information. This may result in the nonconsensual disclosure of personally identifiable information. When student information is released pursuant to a Department of Defense request, notice of the request, and the release of student information in accordance therewith, will be posted in a conspicuous location in the College’s Registrar’s Office for the period of one academic year.

The Registrar is the person responsible for the maintenance of records. Inquiries regarding such records should be directed to the Registrar or his/her designee. Students wishing to examine their records may be required by the institution to give written notice of such intent. Such requests must be honored by the institution within a period not to exceed forty-five days from the date of the notice of intent. When personally identifiable information is released to third parties under the provisions of this act, it is done on the condition that such party will not permit any other party to have access to such information without written consent of the student.

See Disclosure of Student Disciplinary Records for further information.

Last Update: July 25, 2008

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