Privacy Rights of Students Policy

Student Records

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Student Release of Information

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

  1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day Cañada College receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar of the Admissions and Records Office a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The director will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the Admissions and Records Office, the student shall be advised of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
  2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate. Students may ask Cañada College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. They should submit a written request to the director, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed and specifying why it is inaccurate. If Cañada College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the student shall be notified of the decision and advised as to their 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 the student's education records, except to the extent 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 Cañada College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom Cañada College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, collection agent, degree conferral & transcript processing agent, document managing agent, and placement sites for internship or similar student work/study opportunities); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing their tasks; consultants, volunteers or other outside parties to whom Cañada College has outsourced institutional services or functions that it would otherwise use employees to perform. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill their professional responsibility. As allowed within FERPA guidelines, Cañada College may disclose education records without consent to officials of another school, upon request, in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
  4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

    Student Privacy Policy Office
    U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office,
    400 Maryland Avenue,
    SW Washington, DC, 20202-8520

Directory Information

Federal and State laws provide that the college may release certain types of “Directory Information” unless the student submits a request, in writing to the Registrar that certain or all such information is not be released without his/her/their consent.

You can read more about this on the "Directory Information" policy webpage.