Records Office
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords
students certain rights with respect to their education records.
They are as follows:
- 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 written requests that identify 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.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s
education records that the student believes are inaccurate
or misleading.
Students may ask the University to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
If the University decides not to amend the records 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 procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
- The right to privacy of personally identifiable
information contained in the student’s education records,
except to the extend 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 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 (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.
The University may release without consent the following directory information: name, address, e-mail address, telephone numbers, major fields of study, date of birth, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of student-athletes, most-recent educational institution attended, number of current hours in which the student is enrolled, student enrollment status (i.e. full or part time), degrees and graduation dates, anticipated degrees and graduation dates, classification (i.e. freshman, sophomore, etc.), awards and honors, dates of attendance, and class schedule, (this latter only by the Police Chief or his designee). Students wishing to withhold directory information must fill out a “Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information” form, which may be obtained in the Registrar’s Office.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department
of Education concerning alleged failures by the University
of Montevallo 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
600 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605
Any complaints or questions should be addressed to the Registrar, Records Office, Palmer Hall, (205) 665-6040. There is also a complete copy of the University’s FERPA policy on file in the Records Office.