Student Privacy (FERPA)

Student Privacy: FERPA 

Student information may not be released to anyone other than the student. This includes parents or guardians. Faculty should direct these inquiries to the Admissions Office. Relevant coursework may be discussed only with the student and the department chair.

https://www.austincc.edu/ferpa

This federal law is set forth by The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.  http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

Student information includes all of the following:

1. Grades

2. Test scores

3. Social Security numbers

4. Gender

5. Class schedules 

Faculty may not do any of the following:

1. Release student information by email.

2. Release student information by postcard.

3. Post grades publicly, even with numeric identification.

4. Leave graded tests or papers in a stack for students to pick up by sorting through the tests or papers.

5. Discuss a student’s classroom performance or grades with parents.

Recommendation Letters

When faculty members receive requests for letters of recommendation from students, they should have the student sign a written authorization enabling a disclosure of such relevant information in the letter. In the alternative (no consent to release), the content of the letter should not contain information from the student's educational record as described above.

Deliver Grades

Faculty may deliver grades in any of the following ways:

1. In-person

2. By Blackboard: https://acconline.austincc.edu/

3. By sealed letter 

   • Students may give faculty a self-addressed, stamped envelope in which to deliver final grades.

Telephone Policy

Release of information by telephone should only be made when faculty members have positively identified the person to whom they are speaking through a series of questions, to which the answers would be known only by the student (grades on an assignment in a class, room number of class, list of last semester’s courses and grades, etc.)

Parent Rights under FERPA

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s student records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. 

Student Rights under FERPA

You have the right to inspect and review your student records maintained by the college. The college is not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for eligible students to review the records. You may be charged a fee for copies. 

You have the right to request that a school correct records that you believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If ACC decides not to amend the record, you have the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the college still decides not to amend the record, you have the right to place a statement with the record setting forth your view about the contested information. 

Generally, the college must have written permission from you in order to release any information from your student record. However, FERPA allows the college to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions:

• School officials with legitimate educational interest

• Other schools to which a student is transferring

• Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes

• Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student

• Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school

• Accrediting organizations

•  To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena

•  Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies

•  State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.