Student Records Policy
Oregon Coast Community College shall follow all applicable state and federal laws, rules, and regulations which apply to student records. Subject to the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, all information contained in the College records which is personally identifiable to any student shall be kept confidential and not released except upon prior written consent of the subject student or upon the lawful subpoena or other order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
FERPA-approved exceptions include college-defined Student Directory Information, and information released for purposes of the Solomon Amendment. Students must be given the ability to opt-out of the release of Student Directory Information. Student information may be shared among College faculty and staff on an official (need to know) basis.
FERPA, also known as the Buckley Amendment, (Statute: 20 U.S.C. 1232g; Regulations: 34CRF Part 99), is a federal law that states (a) a written institutional policy covering student privacy rights must be established and (b) a statement of adopted procedures covering these rights must be made available. The law provides that the institution will maintain the confidentiality of student education records and affords students certain rights regarding their educational records.
They are in general:
• The right to obtain a copy of OCCC’s current Student Records Policy.
•The right to inspect and review their own educational records.
• The right to seek to amend their own educational records.
• The right to have some control over the disclosure of information from their own educational records by authorizing or denying access in writing.
• The right to file complaints of alleged failures to comply with the requirements of FERPA with the U.S. Department of Education.
Note: FERPA rights belong to the OCCC student, regardless of the student’s age.
Questions about these policies can be directed to the Registrar at Registrar@OregonCoast.edu or at 541-867-8538.
FERPA – OCCC Student Directory Information
Background:
The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requires that Oregon Coast Community College, with certain exceptions, obtain a student’s written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) from the student’s education records. However, Oregon Coast Community College and other educational institutions may disclose what the College (OCCC) has defined as “directory information” without written consent, unless the student has advised the College (OCCC) to the contrary in accordance with Oregon Coast Community College procedure.
Purpose:
One purpose of directory information is to allow Oregon Coast Community College to include information from student education records in certain college publications, or to local news media to recognize student achievements and awards. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- A list of OCCC graduates, their degrees/certificates completed, and awards received, provided to local newspapers;
- Publication of student achievement of honors and President’s/Deans’ List awards;
- Publication of graduation programs;
- Recognition of scholarship recipients.
Under FERPA law, student directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without the student’s prior written consent. Outside organizations to whom Oregon Coast Community College may release student directory information include, but are not limited to,
- Employers considering students for interviews, seeking verification of degrees/certificates completed or in progress;
- Other institutions of higher education;
- Local agencies to provide confirmation of student status for housing requests.
OCCC Definition of Student Directory Information:
In recognition of its responsibility to protect both the family privacy and the safety of its students, Oregon Coast Community College defines and limits directory information to include only the following student information:
- Student’s name
- Major field of study
- Dates of attendance
- Enrollment status (e.g., undergraduate or graduate, full-time or part-time)
- Grade level
- Degrees, honors, and awards received
Student Directory Information Opt-out Procedure:
If a student does not want Oregon Coast Community College to disclose any or all of the types of information designated above as directory information from their education records without their prior written consent, the student must notify the Registrar at Oregon Coast Community College by using the opt-out provisions within the FERPA/Student Directory Information/Solomon Amendment notification sent to students each term, or by completing the
OCCC Student Directory Information Opt-out Form (Student) and Opt-out Form (Parent). Student opt-outs must be received by the date specified within the notification.
FERPA and the Solomon Amendment – Requirement to Provide Information to Military Recruiters
The Solomon Amendment is a federal law that allows military recruiters to access some address, biographical and academic program information on credit students age 17 and older who have not filed any FERPA restrictions.
The Department of Education has determined the Solomon Amendment supersedes most elements of FERPA. An institution is therefore obligated to release data included in the list of “student recruiting information,” which may or may not match the College’s FERPA student directory information list.
Student recruiting information is defined as:
- Name
- Address (not defined as OCCC Student Directory Information)
- College Email Address (not defined as OCCC Student Directory Information)
- Telephone (not defined as OCCC Student Directory Information)
- Age (not defined as OCCC Student Directory Information)
- Class Level (Freshman, Sophomore, etc.)
- Academic Major
- Place of Birth (not defined as OCCC Student Directory Information)
- Degrees Received
- Most Recent Educational Institution Attended
[Note: These laws are Section 9528 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. § 7908) and 10 U.S.C. § 503(c).]