Privacy and Confidentiality

PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT RECORDS

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:

• 1. The right to inspect and review their personal education records within 45 days of the day the Seminary receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place the records may be inspected.

  2. The right to request the amendment of their personal education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the Seminary to amend the record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write to the Registrar clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the Seminary decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the Seminary 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 their personal education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes without consent. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate interests. A school official is a person employed by the Seminary in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position; a person or company with whom the Seminary has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Directors; or a student serving on an official committee, such as Ministerial Development 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.

  4. The Pentecostal Theological Seminary has designated the following categories of information as directory information: name, mailing address, email address, telephone listing, degree program and concentration of study, and dates of attendance. Also, a student directory containing the name, address, phone number, email address, and photograph of currently enrolled students may be published by the Student Services Office. If published, the Student Services Directory is for on-campus use only. If the student does not wish such information to be released without consent, the student must complete a REQUEST TO PREVENT DISCLOSURE OF DIRECTORY INFORMATION form with the Registrar. If this form is not filed with the Registrar’s Office, it will be assumed that the directory information may be disclosed.

  5. The right to file a complaint with the US Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the Seminary to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

POLICY ON INFORMATION AND RECORDS

The Seminary maintains academic records in many media forms for each enrolled student. These records are the property of the Pentecostal Theological Seminary. After graduation, digital copies of the graduate's admission documents (i.e., application, autobiography, transcripts of prior academic records) and the transcript from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary are designated as a permanent record. Portfolio materials collected to demonstrate the student's achievement of program outcomes may be retained in the Student Academics Office. Release of information to third parties shall be made only at the written request of the student or by subpoena, except in cases of grave injustices and crimes.