The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:
FERPA permits institutions to identify certain items of information as directory information. This type of information refers to information contained in an educational record that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. This information may be disclosed unless the student, during the first two weeks of the semester, has indicated in writing to the Registrar, that s/he does not wish this information released. St. John’s College identifies directory information as the student’s name, home address and home telephone number, campus/local address and local telephone number, email address, photograph, student schedule, dates of attendance, field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, full-time or part-time status, class level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate institute), degrees (including dates conferred), awards and honors received, essay titles, hometown, date and place of birth, previous institution(s) attended, anticipated degree date, senior and award essays.
Exceptions to non-disclosure of personally identifiable information are set out in the FERPA regulations and reiterated in the College Policy on FERPA Compliance. A few of those exceptions are listed below:
Important, please read carefully – Office of the Registrar, St. John’s College, Santa Fe
Directory Information is defined as that information which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed.
St. John’s College, in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (as amended), has designated the following items as Directory Information
Student’s name home address and home telephone number, campus/local address and local/cell telephone number, email address, photograph, student schedule, dates of attendance, field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, full-time or part-time status, class level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate institute), degrees (including dates conferred), anticipated degree date, awards and honors received, essay titles, senior and award essays, hometown, date and place of birth, previous institution(s) attended.
St. John’s College may disclose any of the above listed items without the student’s prior written consent, UNLESS the Office of the Registrar is notified in writing to the contrary. As a practice, St. John’s College does not normally release this type of information to anyone outside the college community.
If you wish to officially withhold your Directory Information as defined above from release, come to the Office of the Registrar within two weeks of registration (Fall or Spring) or within one week of registration (Summer) to complete and sign a non-disclosure form.
St. John’s College assembles FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY directories containing student information. The confidential directories contain 1) key personal and emergency contact information, 2) photo IDS, 3) local/campus contact addresses and telephones. They are distributed to select academic and administrative offices, including security and senior residents. St. John’s College officials with a legitimate educational interest are entitled to access Directory Information under FERPA.
Student academic information is considered confidential and will not be released, with certain exceptions as outlined in FERPA, without the student’s written permission.
A student’s don rag and conference reports, grades, and grade point average are considered confidential, as are gender, race, social security number, etc. Therefore, if you wish to have your grades or any part of your academic records sent to any person, institution, or to parents, you need to authorize the college, through the Office of the Registrar, to do so. Authorization forms are available in the Office of the Registrar.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was enacted by the United States Congress in 1974 setting forth requirements regarding the privacy of student records. Any educational institution that receives funds under applicable programs administered by the US Secretary of Education must comply with FERPA.
A. Definitions:
Student – Any individual who is or has been in attendance at St. John’s College.
Educational Records – Any record (in handwriting, print, video or audiotapes, paper, film, computer or other medium) maintained by St. John’s College or an agent of the College (including all Staff and Faculty) that is directly related to a student, except as listed below.
Educational Records are NOT:
A record made by a staff or faculty member if it is kept in the sole possession of the maker of the record, is used only as a personal memory aid, and is not accessible or revealed to any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the record.
Records created and maintained by the St. John’s College Security Office for law enforcement purposes.
An employment record of an individual whose employment is not contingent on the fact that he or she is a student, provided the record is used only in relation to the individual’s employment.
Records made or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist or other recognized professionals or paraprofessionals if the records are used only for the treatment of a student and made available only to those persons providing treatment.
Records that contain information about an individual after he or she is no longer a student at the College.
B. Annual Notification: Students will be notified of their FERPA rights annually by publication in the Student Handbook and by an insert in their Fall Registration Packet. January Freshmen will receive the insert in their Spring Registration Packet.
C. Where To Find the Federal Regulations Describing the FERPA Regulations: A copy of the regulations is on file in the Office of the Registrar or at the website:
To comply with FERPA, the College has formulated the following policy:
The right to inspect and review the student’s education records.
A. Students may inspect and review their education records upon request to the College Registrar.
The student should submit to the Registrar a written request which identifies as precisely as possible the record or records he or she wishes to inspect.
The Registrar will make arrangements for access as promptly as possible (but within 45 days) 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 Registrar shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed. When a record contains information about more than one student, the student may inspect and review only the records that relate to him or her.
B. Limitation on Right to Access: The College reserves the right not to permit a student to inspect the following records:
Financial records of the students parents.
Letters and statements of recommendation for which the student has waived his or her right of access, or which were maintained before July 1996.
C. Copies: The College is not required to make copies of records unless the student otherwise would be effectively prevented from exercising his or her right to review and inspect the records (e.g., a former student who lives more than 100 miles from Santa Fe). If copies are provided, the fee will be $0.20 per page. Please note that while the student has a right to review and inspect records, the College will not forward copies of records to third parties if the student has outstanding obligations of any kind to the Financial Aid or Treasurers Office. In addition, the College reserves the right to hold the transcripts of students who have outstanding loan obligations at other institutions that participate in federal financial aid programs or if there is an unresolved question of academic dishonesty or other disciplinary infraction involving the student.
D. Type, Location and Custodians of Education Records:
Admission Records: Office of the Registrar, Registrar
Academic Records: Office of the Registrar, Registrar
Financial Records: Office of Treasurer and Financial Aid, Treasurer, Director of Financial Aid
Health Records: Student Health Center, Nurse Practitioner
Placement and Career Services Records: Career Development Office, Director of Career Development
Disciplinary Records Office of the Registrar: Assistant Dean, Registrar
Absence Records: Office of the Assistant Dean, Dean
Some records are not included in the types listed above, such as copies of correspondence in Offices not listed. The Registrar will collect such records, direct the student to their location, or otherwise make them available for inspection and review.
The right to request the amendment of the students education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the students privacy rights.
A. A student must ask the Dean or an appropriate official of the College to amend a record. In so doing, the student should identify the part of the record to be amended and specify why the student believes it is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s privacy rights.
B. The Dean or an appropriate official of the College shall decide within a reasonable time whether or not to amend the record as requested. If the College decides not to amend the record, it will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing to challenge the information believed to be inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s privacy rights.
C. Upon request of the student for a hearing, the College will arrange for a hearing within a reasonable time and notify the student, reasonably in advance, of the date, place and time of the hearing.
D. The hearing will be conducted by an official of the College who does not have a direct interest in the outcome of the hearing. The student shall be afforded a full and fair opportunity to present evidence relevant to the issues raised in the request to amend the student’s education records. The student may be assisted by one or more individuals, including an attorney.
E. The Dean or an appropriate official of the College will prepare a written decision based solely on the evidence presented at the hearing. The decision will include a summary of the evidence presented and the reasons for the decision.
F. If, as a result of the hearing, the College decides that the information is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s right of privacy, it will amend the record and notify the student, in writing, that the record has been amended.
G. If, as a result of the hearing, the College decides that the challenged information is not inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s right of privacy, it will notify the student that he or she has a right to place in the record a statement commenting on the challenged information and/or a statement setting forth reasons for disagreeing with the decision. The statement will be maintained as part of the student’s education records for as long as the contested portion is maintained. Whenever the College discloses the contested portion of the record, it will also disclose the statement.
H. 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.
A. In general, the College will disclose personally identifiable information from a student’s education records only with the written consent of the student. However, records may be disclosed without consent under the following conditions:
The disclosure is to other College officials who have a legitimate educational interest in the records.
A College official is:
A College official has a legitimate educational interest if the official is:
B. person to whom the College discloses educational record information may not re-disclose the information without the consent of the student, unless otherwise permitted under FERPA.
C. Record of Requests for Disclosure: The college will maintain a record of requests for access to and disclosure of personally identifiable information from a student’s educational records as required by FERPA. The record may be reviewed by the student.
D. Directory Information: In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the College designates the following categories of information with respect to each student presently or previously attending the college as directory information which may be disclosed by the College at its discretion, without the student’s prior written consent: the student’s name, home address and home telephone number, local/campus address and local/campus telephone number, email address, photograph, student schedule, dates of attendance, field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, full-time or part-time status, class level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate institute), degrees (including dates conferred), anticipated degree date, awards and honors received, essay titles, senior and award essays, hometowns, date and place of birth, previous institution(s) attended.
Current students have a right to inform the College within two weeks of Fall registration that any or all of the above information about the student should not be designated as directory information.
E. 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.
Family Policy Compliance Office US Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue SW Washington, DC 20202-4605
Student disciplinary files are permanently retained; they are kept separate from the academic records but are a part of the educational file.
