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The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:
- 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, dean, head of the academic department 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 students 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 have been addressed.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
- A student who wishes to ask the University to amend a record should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed.
- 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 the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedure will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
- The right to provide written consent before the University discloses personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
- The University discloses educational records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted as its agent to perform a service instead of using University employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board 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 for the University.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Hofstra University 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 20202-46052
Availability of Records
The Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA), requires that Hofstra University, with certain exceptions, obtain the student’s written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, including grades, courses, GPA, Social Security number, and other personal information. However, Hofstra University may release appropriately designated “directory information” without the student’s written consent, unless the student has advised the University to the contrary in accordance with University procedures.
Hofstra University has designated the following information as directory information: the student’s name, address, telephone listing, electronic mail address, photograph, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, grade level, enrollment status (e.g., undergraduate or graduate; full-time or part-time), participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, degrees, honors and awards received, and the most recent education agency or institution attended.
If students do not want Hofstra University to disclose directory information without their prior written consent, they must file a form to request nondisclosure of directory information to all third parties. This form is available at the Student Financial Services and Registrar Suite, Memorial Hall.
The Solomon Amendment
In accordance with the Solomon Amendment, the University will make accessible to the Secretary of Defense, directory information including each student’s name, address, telephone listing, age (or year of birth), place of birth, level of education (e.g. freshman, sophomore, or degree awarded for a recent graduate), most recent educational institution attended, and current major(s).
Where a student has requested that the University withhold directory information from all third parties under FERPA by filing the form described above, then no information about that student will be released under the Solomon Amendment.
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