FERPA Annual Notification of Student Rights

Annual Notification of Students Rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records.  These rights include:

  • The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access.

Students should submit to the Office of Admissions, Records, and Registration, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect.  The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.  If the College official to whom the request was submitted does not maintain the records, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

  • The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate. 

Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate.  They should write to the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate.  If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the College 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. 

Note:  FERPA is not intended to provide a process to be used to question substantive judgments that are correctly recorded.  The rights of challenge are not intended to allow students to contest, for example, a grade in a course because they feel a higher grade, or withdrawal, should have been assigned.  FERPA is intended to ensure the factual and accurate nature of the information in students’ education records and students’ rights to verify that information.

  • 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 the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance 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. Upon request, the College discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

  • The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Bucks County Community College to comply with the requirements of FERPA.  The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

    Family Policy Compliance Office
    U.S. Department of Education
    400 Maryland Avenue, SW
    Washington, DC 20202-4605

Directory Information

The College has designated the following student information as public or Directory Information. The College may disclose such information for any purpose:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Telephone number
  • E-mail address
  • Date and place of birth
  • Major field of study
  • Dates of attendance
  • Degrees and awards received
  • Previous institution(s) attended
  • Participation in officially recognized sports and activities
  • Weight and height of members of athletic teams

Such information may be disclosed at the discretion of the College to individuals, agencies, and institutions for purposes relating to activities approved by and associated with Bucks County Community College.  Examples of these activities are:

  • Student elections
  • Recognition of degrees and awards by publishing on the BCCC Website, newspapers, commencement programs, etc
  • Recognition of participation in College sports and activities by publishing on the BCCC Website, newspapers, programs, etc
  • Student insurance plans that are approved by the Board of Trustees of the College

Information will not be disclosed for purposes unrelated to activities approved by and associated with Bucks County Community College.  Examples or these unrelated activities are:

  • Developing mailing lists to engage in a commercial enterprise
  • Dissemination of political information
  • Solicitation of funds by individuals, agencies, and institutions
  • Notification of opportunities to attend meetings of, engage in a contract with, participate in other goods or services from, or join an organization, institution, agency, or individual that is not approved by and associated with Bucks County Community College. 

Note:  The College does not publish a student directory because of the expense incurred in such an undertaking and the potential for invasion of students’ privacy.

Withholding disclosure of Directory Information

Currently enrolled students may withhold disclosure of any category of information under FERPA. To withhold disclosure, the Office of Admissions, Records, and Registration must receive written notification prior to three weeks after the first day of classes for the semester in which the withholding of Directory Information is to take effect. The College assumes that failure on the part of any student to specifically request the withholding of categories of Directory Information indicates approval for disclosure.

Please consider very carefully the consequences of any decision by you to withhold any category of “Directory Information”, as any future requests for such information from non-institutional persons or organizations will be refused.

Bucks County Community College will honor your request to withhold any category of   “Directory Information” but cannot assume responsibility to contact you for subsequent permission to release them. Regardless of the effect upon you, the institution assumes no liability for honoring your instructions that such information be withheld.