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FERPA
Student Privacy
Valencia Community College has a firm commitment to protecting
the privacy rights of its students. In making this commitment, the
College wants to ensure that all faculty and staff are familiar with
state and federal laws pertaining to student privacy, as well as
College policies and procedures that have been implemented to help
guarantee student privacy.
All faculty and staff and staff are
asked to review this web site, and take the short FERPA Quiz.
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What is FERPA?
FERPA stands for Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(sometimes called the Buckley Amendment). Passed by Congress in
1974, the Act grants four specific rights to college students.
Section 1002.22, Florida Statute, substantially enacts
provisions of FERPA as a matter of state law, with minor variations.
Valencia Policy
No. 6Hx28:10-09 contains policy and procedures related to
implementation of these laws:
- the right to see the information that the institution is
keeping on the student
- the right to seek amendment to those records and in certain
cases append a statement to the record
- the right to consent to disclosure of his/her records
- the right to file a complaint with the FERPA Office in
Washington
Information is also available at
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OII/fpco/ferpa/
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FERPA FAQs
What are Education Records?
Information recorded in any form that is directly related to a
student and maintained by the college and by those acting for the
college.
- personal information
- enrollment records
- grades
- schedules
The storage medium in which you find this information does not
matter. A student educational record may be:
- a document in the Admissions and Records District office
- a computer printout in your office
- a class list on your desktop
- a computer display screen
Education Records Do Not Include:
- Records of instructional, supervisory and administrative
personnel kept in the sole possession of the maker of the record
and not revealed to anyone other than the maker's substitute;
- Records of a campus law enforcement unit created and
maintained by that unit and used solely for law enforcement
purposes;
- Employment records, maintained apart from educational
records, relating to persons who are employees;
- Records kept and maintained by a health care professional,
used solely in connection with treatment and disclosed only to
individuals providing treatment; or
- Records which include information about an individual after
he or she is no longer a student.
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What is the Right to Inspect and Review?
Valencia must grant requests to review within a reasonable time
but in no case more than 45 days after the request is received.
Valencia must respond to reasonable requests for explanations and
interpretations of the records.
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What is Prior Written Consent?
A signed and dated document that includes specification of the
records to be disclosed, the purpose of the disclosure and the
identity of the person to whom records will be disclosed. A
written consent form can be accessed by clicking here (pdf).
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When is Consent Not Required? (This is not
an exhaustive list of exceptions)
- For legitimate educational purposes within the college.
- To officials at an institution in which student seeks to
enroll.
- To comply with a court order or subpoena.
- In connection with a health or safety emergency if necessary
to protect the student or others.
- To parents of students who are dependents for income tax
purposes.
- If it is directory information.
- To parents of a student younger than 21 years of age if the
disclosure concerns discipline for violation of the campus drug
and alcohol policy.
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What is Directory Information for Valencia
Community College?
- Student's Name
- Dates of Attendance
- Major Field of Study
- Dates of Degrees
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Special "DON'TS" For Faculty and Support Staff
To avoid violations of FERPA rules,
DO NOT:
- at any time use the Social Security Number of a student in a
public posting of grades
- ever link the name of a student with that student's social
security number in any public manner
- leave graded tests in a stack for students to pick up by
sorting through the papers of all students
- circulate a printed class list with student name and social
security number or grades as an attendance roster
- discuss the progress of any student with anyone other than the
student (including parents) without the consent of the student
- provide anyone with lists of students enrolled in your classes
for any commercial or other purpose
- provide anyone with student schedules or assist anyone other
than college employees in finding a student on campus
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