Loyola Marymount University Bulletin 2011-2012 > Academic Degree Requirements and Policies > Privacy Rights of Students in Education Records (FERPA) > Notice of Student Rights with Respect to Education Records (FERPA)

Notice of Student Rights with Respect to Education Records (FERPA)

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Privacy Rights of Students in Education Records (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. 1232g) (“FERPA”) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

(1) The right to inspect and review the student's education records (with certain limited exceptions) within 45 days of the day LMU receives the student’s written request for access. A student should submit any such request in writing, identifying the record(s) the student wishes to inspect, to the appropriate LMU official or department. LMU will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

(2) The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes to be inaccurate. A student should submit any such request to LMU in writing, clearly identifying the records that the student believes are inaccurate and specifying the reasons the student believes them to be inaccurate. LMU will notify the student of its decision, and if the decision is negative, of the student’s right to a hearing regarding his or her request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided at that time.

(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 such exception permits disclosure to “school officials” with “legitimate educational interests” without a student’s consent. A “school official” is any person employed by LMU in any administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including public safety and health services staff); any person or company with whom LMU has contracted to provide a service to or on behalf of LMU (such as attorneys, auditors, or collection agents); any person serving on LMU’s Board of Trustees; or any 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 the official’s professional responsibilities.

Another such exception permits LMU to disclose a student’s “directory information,” consisting of a student’s name, address(es), e-mail address(es), telephone numbers, major field of study, enrollment status, dates of attendance, anticipated degree and degree date, degrees, honors and awards received, participation in officially recognized activities; a student’s personal identifier used by the student for purposes of accessing or communicating in electronic systems; most recent educational institution attended; and photograph, to anyone within the LMU community and to the general public. Students who wish to have their directory information withheld must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing each semester by the close of official registration. (Please note that such withhold notification will prevent LMU from providing your directory information to friends, prospective employers, organizations and others with whom a student may wish to share such information, so a student should make any withhold notification carefully.)

Upon request, LMU also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll or where the student is already enrolled so long as the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer.

Information on other exceptions to FERPA’s requirements is available through the Office of the Registrar.

(4) The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning LMU's compliance 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.