Students walking in front of Stewart Memorial Library
  1. Coe
  2. Academics
  3. Academic Resources
  4. Registrar
  5. FERPA

FERPA

Student Notification of Rights Under FERPA

FERPA, (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records.

  1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the college receives a request for access. Students should submit written request to the Office of the Registrar identifying the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar 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 Office of the Registrar, the Registrar 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 if the student believes it is inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the college to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the college official responsible for the records, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. FERPA was not intended to provide a process to be used to question substantive judgments which are correctly recorded. The rights of challenge are not intended to allow students to contest, for example, a grade in a course because they felt a higher grade should have been assigned. If the college decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the college 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 procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
  3. The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. FERPA permits disclosure without consent to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the college 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 college has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, collection agent or official of the National Student Loan Clearinghouse); a student serving on an official committee, such as admissions, petitions, retention, honors recognition, disciplinary or grievance committee; or a student 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.

A student is a person who attends or has attended Coe College, as determined by matriculation and enrollment by the first date of an academic term. Coe College obtains written permission from the student before releasing any information from a student's educational record in most cases. However as the law allows, on a case-by-case basis, appropriate parts of a student record may be disclosed, without consent of the student, to the following parties:

  • College employees who have a legitimate need to know
  • Persons who need to know in cases of health and safety emergencies
  • Accrediting organizations to carry out accrediting functions
  • Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student
  • Federal, state and local governmental officials for purposes authorized by law
  • Individuals who have lawfully obtained court orders or subpoenas
  • Organizations conducting educational studies for the college
  • Courts during litigation between the college and the student or parent
  • Victim of crime of violence after final results of a disciplinary hearing
  • Public after disciplinary proceedings determine student committed crime of violence

Schools also have the right to release information contained in the Coe College Student Directory without the student's consent unless the student requests that this information not be included in the Coe College Student Directory.
The following is considered directory information at Coe College and will be released unless the student indicates that it should not be. The request to withhold directory information must be submitted in writing to the Office of the Registrar by the end of the first week of Fall Term.

  • Name
  • Date of admission to Coe
  • Hometown
  • Dates of attendance at Coe
  • Enrollment Status (full time or part time)
  • Major(s)
  • Minor(s)
  • Class level (first-year, sophomore, junior, senior)
  • Expected graduation date, or graduation date
  • Expected degree, or degree earned
  • Honors (e.g. Dean’s list, Latin honors, awards)
  • Sports participation, including athletic statistics such as height and weight
  • Addresses (both local and permanent)
  • Phone numbers
  • Photographs and videos
  • Email address
  • Parents' or guardians' names
  • Participation in off-campus study
  • Participation in extracurricular activities

In many situations, complaints relative to FERPA can be resolved with the college on an informal basis. Any student who wishes to discuss a FERPA complaint may contact the Registrar, Lower Level Voorhees Hall. More information concerning FERPA may be found in the Coe College Catalog.

If a student wishes to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the college to comply with the requirements of FERPA, they should be directed to:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605