The Basics
What year was FERPA put into place?
1974
Records directly related to a student that are personally identifiable and are maintained by the institution or a party acting for the institution are called:
Education Records
Which agencies must comply with FERPA?
All education institutions and agencies (even K-12)
Notes that are made and kept by one individual and are not accessible to all are not subject to FERPA. These notes are called:
Sole Possession Notes (However, if you share them, they are no longer exempt and can be released if requested)
Which office do I contact if I mistakenly commit a violation?
Office of the Registrar at registrar@ccis.edu or Stephanie Whitener. Also, please contact us if you suspect someone else has committed a violation or you think a violation may occur.
Where can you find Columbia College's official FERPA policy?
It is located policy pages and the Office of the Registrar website pages.
What is FERPA an acronym for?
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Yes or No: In order to receive Federal funds under any program administered by the DOE, entities must comply with FERPA.
Yes! Some examples of funding include Title IV aid, Federal grants for research projects, etc.
Does FERPA pertain to NAIA athletes?
Yes. FERPA pertains to all students who have matriculated, regardless of their athletic status. However, height and weight are considered "directory information" because of this.
In addition to the Student ID Number or Date of Birth, how many additional pieces of information must be confirmed before any student information may be disclosed to the student over the phone?
Three. Examples can be found on the FERPA policy page.
Is there a way for students to designate someone with whom college officials can interact?
Yes. Columbia College allows students to designate someone that can interact with college officials through our third-party release form. There is also an authorized user and proxy that allows different access options.
The demonstrated "need to know" by school officials who act in a students' educational interest is known as:
Legitimate Educational Interest
Yes or No: FERPA requires institutions to send an Annual Notification of Rights to all students.
Yes. This is sent in the fall every year.
Can Columbia College release non-directory information when students' health and safety are concerned?
Only if it is determined necessary to protect the health and safety of the student and/or other individuals. Call the Office of the Registrar if a situation like this arises and assistance is needed.
Who is the FERPA contact at Columbia College?
The Registrar-Stephanie Whitener
FERPA is sometimes referred to as __________, after its congressional author.
The Buckley Amendment
Information contained in an education record of a student "that would not generally be considered harmful" or an invasion of privacy if disclosed is called:
Directory Information
If a student's record is marked with a Privacy Block, can you still give out directory information?
No. If a student's record is marked with the privacy block, they have filled out a Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information form which prevents the college from releasing any information about the student.
Are postsecondary institutions required to provide information to military recruiters at their request?
Yes, you can connect with the Office of the Registrar for confirmation.
Columbia College has how many days to establish an appointment so a student can review their official records?
45 days which is in alignment with the Federal requirement.
What does FERPA govern?
The release of records maintained by the college and access to those records
At what point is one protected under FERPA at Columbia College?
Once a student has been begun their first course at Columbia College, they are protected under FERPA.
No unless there is a third party release on file. This is important to share during the admission process, since the experience will shift once classes begin for the student. We need to ensure that a third party release is on file before sharing non-directory information. These expectations need to be shared before matriculation.
Do student workers need to abide by FERPA policies?
Yes. They are considered Columbia College employees, and due to their responsibilities they may have access to various student records. They need to know and understand the policies around student records.
List 3 things you can do on a daily basis to reduce the likelihood of a FERPA violation.
There are many tips and tricks you can do to protect student privacy and data. Let's hear some of your great ideas!