FERPA

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act & Disclosure of Education Records

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. Under FERPA, 学院一般不会将学生的教育记录中的个人身份信息透露给第三方, including parents, unless the student has provided written consent.

Understanding Educational Records

“教育记录”一词的定义是那些包含与学生直接相关的信息并由学校或代表学校的一方维护的记录. Under FERPA, 学校一般不需要保存特定的教育记录或包含特定信息的教育记录. Rather, 学校被要求对其保留的教育记录提供一定的隐私保护. Also, unless there is an outstanding request by a student to inspect and review education records, FERPA permits the school to destroy such records without notice to the student.

Student Rights 

FERPA为esball官方网(“学院”)的学生提供有关其教育记录的某些权利. These rights include:

• 有权在学院收到访问请求之日起45天内检查和审查学生的教育记录. 学生应向注册办公室提交书面请求，确定学生希望检查的记录. 教务处将安排查阅，并通知学生查阅记录的时间和地点. Written requests should be submitted to:
  
  Registrar's Office
  Rhode Island College
  Building 4 (B4)
  600 Mount Pleasant Ave
  Providence, RI 02908
  records@est-pack.com​
• 要求修改学生认为不准确的教育记录的权利, misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. 希望要求学院修改记录的学生应向注册办公室提交书面请求, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, 学院将通知学生有关决定，并告知学生就修改请求举行听证会的权利. 有关听证会程序的其他信息将在通知学生有权参加听证会时提供给学生.
• 在学院从学生的教育记录中披露个人身份信息(PII)之前提供书面同意的权利, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. (For more information, see the section below entitled “Disclosure of Education Records.”)
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. 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
  U.S. Department of Education
  400 Maryland Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC 20202

Please Note: Under FERPA, 学校一般不需要保存特定的教育记录或包含特定信息的教育记录. Rather, a school is required to provide certain privacy protections for those education records that it does maintain. Also, unless there is an outstanding request by an eligible student to inspect and review education records, FERPA permits the school to destroy such records without notice to the student.

Disclosure with Written Consent

Under FERPA, 学院一般不会将学生的教育记录中的个人身份信息透露给第三方, including parents, unless the student has provided written consent. The signed and dated written consent must specify the records that may be disclosed, state the purpose of the disclosure, and identify the party or class of parties to whom the disclosure may be made. When a disclosure is made, if a student so requests, the College will provide the student with a copy of the records disclosed.

Disclosure without Consent

However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A “school official” is defined as a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee such as a disciplinary or grievance committee.

其他可能被视为学校官员的个人包括学院以外的志愿者或承包商，他们执行学院本应使用自己员工的机构服务功能，并且在学院对教育记录中PII的使用和维护方面受直接控制, such as an attorney, auditor, 或者是催收代理人，或者是一个学生自愿协助另一个学校官员完成该官员的任务. 如果学校官员需要审查教育记录以履行学院的专业职责，则学校官员通常具有合法的教育利益.

More Cases for Disclosure without Consent

Additionally, FERPA allows schools to disclose records, including PII, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions:

• ​To officials of another school where the student seeks or intends to enroll, 或者在学生已经入学的情况下，如果披露的目的与学生的入学或转学有关, subject to the requirements of FERPA.
• To authorized representatives of the U. S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local educational authorities, 比如负责监督学院国家支持的教育项目的州高等教育机构. Disclosures under this provision may be made, subject to the requirements of FERPA, in connection with an audit or evaluation of federal- or state-supported education programs, or for the enforcement of or compliance with federal legal requirements that relate to those programs. 这些实体可能会向其指定为其授权代表进行任何审计的外部实体进一步披露PII, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity on their behalf.
• In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received, if the information is necessary to determine eligibility for the aid, determine the amount of the aid, determine the conditions of the aid, or enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
• To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the College, in order to: (a) develop, validate, or administer predictive tests; (b) administer student aid programs; or (c) improve instruction.
• To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions.
• To parents of a student if the student is a dependent for IRS tax purposes.
• To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena.
• 给移民归化局(INS)，目的是让INS确定学生的非移民身份, 前提是学生已经签署了I-20表格，并同意为此目的发布教育信息.
• To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency, subject to FERPA.
• To a victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense, subject to the requirements of FERPA. 披露的内容只能包括对所指控的罪行或违法行为的纪律处分程序的最终结果, regardless of the finding.
• To the general public, the final results of a disciplinary proceeding, subject to the requirements of FERPA, 如果学院确定该学生被指控为暴力犯罪或非强制性犯罪的肇事者，并且该学生违反了针对该学生的指控的学校规则或政策.
• To parents of a student regarding the student’s violation of any federal, state, or local law, or of any rule or policy of the College, 如果学院确定学生违反了纪律，并且学生年龄在21岁以下，则管理使用或拥有酒精或受管制物质.

Please Note: The College maintains a record in the student’s file listing 向谁披露了个人身份信息，以及获得信息的一方或多方的合法利益. This does not apply to school officials with a legitimate educational interest or to directory information.

Directory Information

Additionally, the College may disclose, without consent, the following "directory" information about the student:

• name
• telephone number
• email address
• honors and awards
• class level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior or graduate)
• major and/or minor
• degrees
• address
• date and place of birth
• dates of attendance
• enrollment status (full-time, part-time or not enrolled)
• graduation date

请注意:学生有权拒绝允许任何或所有有关学生的信息被指定为目录信息. Students can log in to My.RIC and update their FERPA restrictions for directory information. Otherwise, students must notify the Registrar's Office in writing of such a request.

Common Scenarios to Consider

When a student comes to meet with a faculty member and brings parents, 学生应提供书面批准，包括家长，否则家长可以在办公室外等候.

• Parents who call cannot be given information without the student's written consent.
• Papers cannot be left in a pile to be picked up by students.
• Grades cannot be posted on a list that includes identifying information.
• If you have any questions contact the Director of Records at 401-456-8213.