Federal law governs how colleges and universities supervise student educational records. Trenholm State Community College adheres to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. This act is designed to protect the privacy of students’ educational records. FERPA also establishes the rights of students to inspect and review their educational records; it provides guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings; and establishes the rights of students to file complaints with the FERPA Office. Students will be notified by the publication of the regulations in the College Catalog/Student Handbook. The College shall not permit access to or allow the release of education records or personally identifiable information contained therein, other than directory information as defined within the paragraph titled ‘Directory Information,’ without the written consent of the student, to any party other than the following:
- Other school officials and teachers of the College who have been determined by the College to have legitimate educational interests;
- Officials of schools or school systems in which the student seeks or intends to enroll, upon the condition that the student may receive a copy of the record, if desired, and have an opportunity for a hearing to challenge the content of the record;
- Certain authorized representatives of federal departments/agencies or state educational authorities for purposes of audits, evaluative studies, etc. Data collected will be protected in a way that prevents personal identification except when specifically authorized by federal law;
- State and local officials or authorities to which such information is specifically required to be reported or disclosed pursuant to State statute adopted prior to November 19, 1974;
- 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 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;
- Accrediting organizations in order to carry out their accrediting functions;
- Parents of a student who is a dependent for income tax purposes;
- A lawful subpoena or court order;
- Other appropriate persons in an emergency to protect the health or safety of the student or others. Students shall have access to all such information in accordance with the procedures outlined in this statement with the exceptions specified within the following paragraph.