FERPA/Graham-Leach-Bliley Act
PCC 211 - Ext. 1227

Notification of Rights

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-380, referred to as the Buckley Amendment) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights are:

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 to the appropriate College official written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where records may be inspected. If the College official to whom the request was submitted does not maintain the records, that official 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 that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Students should ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the College officials responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. 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 disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is defined as a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has legitimate education interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College 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 EducationM
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington DC 20202-4605

Directory Information
PCC 211 - Ext. 1227

Important Information Regarding the Distribution of the Student Directory Information

The confidentiality of students' educational records is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law. However, FERPA allows the College to release student "directory information" without a student's consent unless the student has requested such information be kept confidential. Northland College defines "directory information" as the following:  name, birthdate, all addresses (campus, campus post box, permanent, etc.), all telephone numbers (permanent/mailing and campus, etc.), Northland College e-mail address, previous educational institutions attended, major and/or minor field(s) of study, name of advisor, photos, participation in officially recognized activities/sports, class year/academic level, dates of attendance, current credit load, enrollment status, credit hours earned, honors awarded, degree(s) received, dates that degree(s) or honor(s) were received.

The two most common ways in which Northland College releases student directory information are:

1. Through the verification process of the Registrar’s Office or similar offices that have access to student records. The verification process verifies that a student is enrolled at the College by potential employers, credit agencies, and others. Directory information as defined above may be made available through other offices with access to student records upon similar request.

2. The “Campus Directory” PDF file is available through the Northland College secure portal and on PubFiles. This database lists campus mailbox, campus phone, campus address, and home address information for students. Because it is on the secure portal and on PubFiles, it is available only to members of the campus community who have Northland computer accounts. It may also be released to the County Clerk for voter registration purposes. The public directory on the Northland College website makes available a student’s name, campus address, campus phone number, and campus e-mail address.

Northland College offers students the option to keep directory information confidential. However, please be advised that doing so will make this important information unavailable to all, including prospective employers, credit agencies, and others to whom you may want this information known, or verified. Thus it is recommended that students carefully consider whether personal privacy concerns outweigh the potential inconvenience of having directory information withheld. Submitting this form will make your directory information confidential until you request in writing to the Registrar's Office that this restriction be lifted. As with all confidential student records, Northland College will release information to specific individuals or entities only with the express written consent of the student or as otherwise required by law.

For questions about compliance with FERPA and/or GLB Act, call the Registrar's Office at 715-682-1227.