FERPA

 

PennWest Edinboro policy is in compliance with the Pennsylvania Right To Know Law of 1957 and the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, concerning the rights of students to confidentiality and privacy of their records.

Directory Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that colleges and universities, with certain exceptions, obtain a student's written consent prior to disclosure of personally identifiable information. However, institutions may (not must) disclose appropriately designated "directory information" without written consent, unless the university has been advised by the student that he/she does not wish to have his/her directory information released. 

Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can, but is not required to be disclosed to outside organizations without the student's written permission.

PennWest Edinboro is committed to maintaining the privacy of its students' records and therefore also limits its release of Directory Information for official University purposes only.

PennWest Edinboro will not release Directory Information for solicitation purposes to 3rd parties from outside the university. This includes outside vendors, businesses, and organizations unless the university has entered into a contract or agreement with the organization to supply specific service to the university or its students that requires the use of this information.

The Registrar, as the custodian of student records, also carefully screens the release of Directory Information to parties within the university to assure that its students only receive correspondence related to the academic and social missions of the institution.

PennWest Edinboro hereby designates the following student information as "directory information." Such information may be disclosed without a student's previous consent by the institution for any purpose, at its discretion with the exceptions noted below:

  1. Name
  2. Addresses (campus, local, permanent, and email)
  3. Telephone number  
  4. Program and concentration(s) and minor(s)
  5. Student activity participation, including athletics
  6. Weight, height (athletic teams)
  7. Dates of attendance
  8. Full-time, Three-Quarter Time, Half-Time, Less Than Half Time Enrollment Status
  9. Anticipated graduation date
  10. Class level
  11. Degrees and awards received
  12. Date of graduation
  13. All educational institutions previously attended
  14. Academic awards/scholarships/honors received
  15. Student Photograph

Currently, enrolled students have the opportunity to withhold disclosure of all 16 categories of information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The University will not partially withhold this information, so students are advised to think carefully before requesting non-disclosure. To withhold disclosure, written notification must be received in the Office of Records and Registration, Hamilton Hall, 210 Glasgow Road, Edinboro, PA 16444. Forms requesting the withholding of "directory information" are available online or in the Office of Records and Registration.

PennWest Edinboro assumes that failure on the part of any student to specifically request the withholding of "directory information" indicates individual approval for disclosures. Former students and alumni are not covered under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). As such, the University is not obligated to honor requests for non-disclosure of "directory information" from former students.

Note: Students requesting that "directory information" not be disclosed will have this information withheld indefinitely after leaving the University. Students are cautioned that making such a request may adversely impact future requests from potential employers, and other important individuals/organizations.

Student’s Rights

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (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 University receives a request for access.

    Students should submit to the Registrar, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The University official 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 University 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 University to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the University 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 University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding to 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 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 interests. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Council 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.

    Upon request, the University may disclose education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

  4. As of January 3, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education’s FERPA regulations expand the circumstances under which your education records and personally identifiable information (PII) contained in such records—including your Social Security Number, grades, or other private information—may be accessed without your consent. First, the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities (“Federal and State Authorities”) may allow access to your records and PII without your consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program. The evaluation may relate to any program that is “principally engaged in the provision of education,” such as early childhood education and job training, as well as any program that is administered by an education agency or institution. Second, Federal and State Authorities may allow access to your education records and PII without your consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain cases even when we object to or do not request such research. Federal and State Authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security promises from the entities that they authorize to receive your PII, but the Authorities need not maintain direct control over such entities. In addition, in connection with Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, State Authorities may collect, compile, permanently retain, and share without your consent PII from your education records, and they may track your participation in education and other programs by linking such PII to other personal information about you that they obtain from other Federal or State data sources, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice, military service, and migrant student records systems.

  5. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by PennWest Edinboro 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 20202-4605


Copies of the University’s policy governing the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act are available in the Office of Records and Registration, Hamilton Hall. Questions concerning FERPA should be referred to the Registrar.

Contact Us

Office of Records and Registration
Hamilton Hall
210 Glasgow Road
Edinboro, PA 16444
Email: registrar@pennwest.edu
Phone: 814-732-3501
Fax: 814-732-2130

Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.