The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal privacy law affording students certain rights related to the release of and access to their education records. The Registrar’s Office ensures compliance with FERPA at Missouri Valley College, and this office should be contacted with any questions or concerns about this policy. Additionally, you may contact the following with any questions about your FERPA rights or to request clarification or further information:
Marsha Lashley, Registrar
Lashleym@moval.edu
660-831-4115
Definition of Education Records and Exclusions
The definition of “education records” is any record maintained by the College that is directly related to a student and includes, but is not limited to, grades, transcripts, and disciplinary files. Education records can exist in any medium, including hard copy, typed, or electronic. However, there are some exclusions from the definition of education records, including:
- Records kept in the sole possession of the maker, that are used only as a personal memory aid, and are not accessible or revealed to any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the record;
- Records of the College’s law enforcement unit that are created by it for law enforcement purposes and maintained by it;
- Records relating to an individual who is employed by the College (except if the individual is a student employed as a result of his or her status as a student) that are made and maintained in the normal course of business, related exclusively to the individual in that individual’s capacity as an employee and are not available for any other purpose;
- Records on a student 18 years of age or older made or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist or other recognized professional or paraprofessional acting in his or her professional capacity or assisting in a paraprofessional capacity so long as the records are made, maintained or used only in connection with treatment of the student and are disclosed only to individuals providing treatment;
- Records created or received by this College after the student is no longer in attendance and are not directly related to the individual’s attendance as a student.
Directory Information
Directory information is data about a student which can be released without prior consent because it would not generally be considered to be harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. The College designates the following items as directory information:
- Student name
- Address
- Telephone number
- Date and place of birth
- Class Standing
- Enrollment status (full-time/part time)
- Dates of attendance
- Grade level
- Photographs
- Degrees, honors and awards received
- Previous institutions attended by the student
- Fields of study
- Participation of officially recognized activities and athletics
- Height and weight of members of athletic teams
Unless the College has been notified by the student that directory information about himself/herself is not to be released, the College may release such information at its discretion and without further permission. Note, however, that the College reserves the right to not disclose directory information in some situations or may choose to limit the scope of the release to specific parties, for specific purposes, or both, even if a student has not opted-out of such disclosures.
Students who do not wish to permit the distribution of such information should notify the Registrar’s Office in writing during the first week of each semester. The College will honor these written request for non-disclosure for only one semester; authorization to continue withholding directory information must be filed during each ensuing semester of attendance. Students may request that all or part of their directory information not be released.
The College will honor all requests to withhold any of the categories of directory information, but will not assume any responsibility to contact the student for subsequent permission to release that information. Student should realize that requesting that directory information be withheld could have negative consequences. For example, the names of students who have restricted their directory information will not appear in the commencement program or other College publications. Also, employers, potential employers, credit card companies, loan agencies, scholarship committees, and the like will be informed that the College has no information available about the student’s attendance at the College if these entities were to request directory information that has been restricted. Regardless of the effect on the student, the College assumes no liability for honoring a request of the student to restrict the disclosure of directory information.
Notwithstanding the above, a student may not opt-out of the disclosure of the student’s name, identifier or College email address in a class in which the student is enrolled.
V. Authorizing the Release of Education Records
Students may authorize the release of education records protected by FERPA to designated parties by using the College’s form available in the Registrar’s Office and Admissions Office.