Chapter Four - Student Support: FERPA
FERPA: It's the Law
Student Privacy Rights (FERPA) Procedure 3.0400
The contents of a student's record are considered confidential and may be not be released to third parties without the written authorization of the student. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides this protection for all student records.
College employees or individuals contracted by the College are considered "school officials" and may have access to student records without the authorization of the student. These employees must have a "legitimate educational interest" when accessing any student record.
College employees who have access to student records may not release any portion of these records to third parties, including parents, without the authorization of the student. Third parties seeking access to student records, including parents, without the authorization of the student. Third parties seeking access to student records should be directed to contact the Office of the Registrar.
FERPA Tutorial
Any Seminole state employee (including adjuncts) authorized to access student records must complete the FERPA tutorial available through Skillsoft Percipio.
Resources for Student Support
Adjunct Faculty Handbook
Home page, Table of Contents
Disabilities & Accommodations
Disability Support Services and Accommodations of Disabled Students
Accessibility for ALL Students
Accessible course content for everyone
FERPA: It's the Law
FERPA Guidelines and Information
FERPA: Guidelines
Guidelines from the office of Enrollment Services on handling student records:
- Do refer requests for information about the educational record of a student to the proper education record custodian.
- Do keep only those individual student records necessary for the fulfillment of your teaching and advising responsibilities. Private notes of a faculty member concerning a student and intended for the faculty member's own use are not part of the student's educational records.
- Do keep any personal professional records relating to individual students separate from their educational records. Private records of instructional, supervisory, and administrative personnel and ancillary educational personnel are to be kept in the sole possession of the maker and are not to be accessible or revealed to any other person, except a substitute.
- Do change factual information regarding grades and performance in an educational record when the student is able to provide valid documentation that information is inaccurate or misleading. The substantive judgment of a faculty member about a student's work, expressed in grades and/or evaluations, is not within the purview of students' rights to challenge their educational records.
- Do not display student scores or grades publicly in association with names, Social Security numbers, or other personal identifiers. If scores or grades are posted, use some code known only to you and the individual student.
- Do not put papers, graded exams books, or lab reports containing student names and grades in publicly accessible places. Students are not to have access to the scores and grades of others in class in ways that allow other students to be identified.
- Do not request information from the educational record custodian with a legitimate educational interest and the appropriate authority to do so.
- Do not share student educational record information, including grades or grade point averages, with other faculty or staff members of the College unless their official responsibilities identify their "legitimate educational interest" in that information for that student.
- Do not share information from student educational records, including grades or grade point averages, with parents or others outside the institution, including in letters of recommendation, without written permission from the student.
When in doubt err on the side of caution and do not release student educational information. Contact Enrollment Services/Registrar for guidance.
Additional Questions
Have some questions? Read these FERPA FAQs.