FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

Annually, Marywood University informs students of The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), which affords students certain rights with respect to their education records.

They are:

• The right to inspect and review the student's educational 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 student of the time and place where the record(s) may be inspected.  If The record(s) 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 be addressed.
• The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading.  They should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record(s) that they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.  If the University decides not to amend the record(s) as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision, and the Vice President of the area concerned will 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.
• The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education record(s), except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.  Exceptions include disclosure to personnel within the institution who are acting in the student's educational interest, to officials of other institutions in which the student seeks to enroll, to persons or organizations providing the student financial aid, to accrediting agencies carrying out their accreditation function, to persons in compliance with a judicial order, and to persons in an emergency in order to protect the health or saftey of students or other persons.
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Marywood 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  20202-4605

Copies of the full policy, including a directory of education records maintained on students in this institution is posted on the Registrar's Bulletin Board on the first floor of the Liberal Arts Center.

Definition of Directory Information

Marywood University hereby designates the following categories of student information as public or "Directory Information." Such information may be disclosed by the institution for any purpose, at its discretion.

• Category I   Name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, dates of attendance, class.
• Category II  Previous institution(s) attended, major field of study, awards, honors, degree(s) conferred (including dates).  Currently enrolled students may withhold disclosure of any category of information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.  To withhold disclosure, written notification must be received in the Office of the Registrar prior to September 25, 2009.  Forms requesting witholding of "Directory Information" are available in the Office of Academic Records.  Marywood University assumes that failure on the part of any student to specifically request the withholding of categories of "Directory Information" indicates individual approval for disclosure.