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FERPA

Wayne Community College supports the rights and privacies afforded each student by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and is in compliance with its provisions.

The statute governs access to records maintained by certain educational institutions and the release of such records. In brief, the statute provides to students:

  • the right to inspect and review his/her education records within 45 days after receipt of the request for access.
  • the right to request the amendment of education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of his/her privacy rights under FERPA
  • the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures to comply with requirements of the right to provide written consent before the school releases personally identifiable information from a student’s education records with the exception of:
    1. directory information, which WCC defines as the student’s name (legal, chosen, and previous), major field of study, full-time/part-time enrollment, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and student ID number - none of which can be used to gain access to education records except when used in conjunction with one or more factors that authenticate the student's identity, such as a PIN, password, or other factor known or possessed only by the student or authorized user (34 CFR 99.3)

      Note: Any student who does not wish the College to release any or all information designated as directory information without the student’s written consent must notify the Office of Admissions and Records (Wayne Learning Center, Room 109) immediately. Requests for non-disclosure must be filed annually. The College assumes that the student’s failure to file a request for non-disclosure indicates approval for disclosure.

    2. school officials, including teachers within the educational institution or local educational agency who have been determined to have legitimate educational interests;
    3. officials of other schools or school systems in which the student seeks or intends to enroll, upon condition that the student be notified of the transfer, receive a copy of the record if record is desired, and have an opportunity to challenge the content of the record;
    4. authorized representatives of U. S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or State and local educational authorities;
    5. in connection with a student’s application for, or receipt of, financial aid;
    6. state and local officials or authorities to which such information is specifically allowed to be reported or disclosed by a state statute that concerns the juvenile justice system and the system’s ability to effectively serve, prior to adjudication, the student whose records were released;
    7. organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, educational agencies or institutions for the purpose of developing, validating, or administering predictive tests, administering student aid programs, and improving instruction, if such studies are conducted in such a manner as will not permit the personal identification of students and their parents by persons other than representatives of such organizations and such information will be destroyed when no longer needed for the purpose for which it is conducted;
    8. accrediting organizations in order to carry out their accrediting functions;
    9. parents of an eligible student if the student is a dependent for IRS tax purposes;
    10. in compliance with judicial order, or pursuant to any lawfully issued subpoena, upon condition that students are notified of all such orders or subpoenas in advance of the compliance therewith by the educational institution.
    11. appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency;
    12. information designated as “directory information”

Student records, academic transcripts of the College, post-secondary transcripts, high school transcripts, and other documents maintained as part of the student’s permanent file are maintained in the Office of Admissions and Records. Any student wishing to challenge the content of his or her educational records that are maintained in this office should notify the Director of Admissions and Records in writing. An Authorization to Release Information is required to release records from the Office of Admissions and Records or the Financial Aid Office.