PennWest Edinboro policy is in compliance with the Pennsylvania Right To Know Law
of 1957 and the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as
amended, concerning the rights of students to confidentiality and privacy of their
records.
Directory Information
TheFamily Educational Rights and Privacy Act(FERPA), a Federal law, requires that colleges and universities, with certain exceptions,
obtain a student's written consent prior to disclosure of personally identifiable
information. However, institutions may (not must) disclose appropriately designated
"directory information" without written consent, unless the university has been advised
by the student that he/she does not wish to have his/her directory information released.
Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful
or an invasion of privacy if released, can, but is not required to be disclosed to
outside organizations without the student's written permission.
PennWest Edinboro is committed to maintaining the privacy of its students' records
and therefore also limits its release of Directory Information for official University
purposes only.
PennWest Edinboro will not release Directory Information for solicitation purposes
to 3rd parties from outside the university. This includes outside vendors, businesses,
and organizations unless the university has entered into a contract or agreement with
the organization to supply specific service to the university or its students that
requires the use of this information.
The Registrar, as the custodian of student records, also carefully screens the release
of Directory Information to parties within the university to assure that its students
only receive correspondence related to the academic and social missions of the institution.
PennWest Edinboro hereby designates the following student information as "directory
information." Such information may be disclosed without a student's previous consent
by the institution for any purpose, at its discretion with the exceptions noted below:
Name
Addresses (campus, local, permanent, and email)
Telephone number
Program and concentration(s) and minor(s)
Student activity participation, including athletics
Weight, height (athletic teams)
Dates of attendance
Full-time, Three-Quarter Time, Half-Time, Less Than Half Time Enrollment Status
Anticipated graduation date
Class level
Degrees and awards received
Date of graduation
All educational institutions previously attended
Academic awards/scholarships/honors received
Student Photograph
Currently, enrolled students have the opportunity to withhold disclosure of all 16
categories of information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
The University will not partially withhold this information, so students are advised
to think carefully before requesting non-disclosure. To withhold disclosure, written
notification must be received in the Office of Records and Registration, Hamilton
Hall, 210 Glasgow Road, Edinboro, PA 16444. Forms requesting the withholding of "directory
information" are availableonline or in the Office of Records and Registration.
PennWest Edinboro assumes that failure on the part of any student to specifically
request the withholding of "directory information" indicates individual approval for
disclosures. Former students and alumni are not covered under the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). As such, the University is not obligated to honor
requests for non-disclosure of "directory information" from former students.
Note:Students requesting that "directory information" not be disclosed will have this information
withheld indefinitely after leaving the University. Students are cautioned that making
such a request may adversely impact future requests from potential employers, and
other important individuals/organizations.
Student’s Rights
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights
with respect to their education records. They are:
The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of
the day the University receives a request for access.
Students should submit to the Registrar, or other appropriate official, written requests
that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The University official 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 University official to
whom the request was submitted, 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 are inaccurate or misleading.
Students may ask the University to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate
or misleading. They should write the University official responsible for the record,
clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate
or misleading.
If the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the
University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or
her right to a hearing regarding to the request for amendment. Additional information
regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of
the right to a hearing.
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 that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials
with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the
University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff
position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or
company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or
collection agent); a person serving on the Council 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 University may disclose education records without consent to officials
of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
As of January 3, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education’s FERPA regulations expand
the circumstances under which your education records and personally identifiable information
(PII) contained in such records—including your Social Security Number, grades, or
other private information—may be accessed without your consent. First, the U.S. Comptroller
General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and
local education authorities (“Federal and State Authorities”) may allow access to
your records and PII without your consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal- or state-supported
education program. The evaluation may relate to any program that is “principally engaged
in the provision of education,” such as early childhood education and job training,
as well as any program that is administered by an education agency or institution.
Second, Federal and State Authorities may allow access to your education records and
PII without your consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain
cases even when we object to or do not request such research. Federal and State Authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security
promises from the entities that they authorize to receive your PII, but the Authorities
need not maintain direct control over such entities. In addition, in connection with
Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, State Authorities may collect, compile, permanently
retain, and share without your consent PII from your education records, and they may
track your participation in education and other programs by linking such PII to other
personal information about you that they obtain from other Federal or State data sources,
including workforce development, unemployment insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice,
military service, and migrant student records systems.
The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged
failures by PennWest Edinboro 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
Copies of the University’s policy governing the Family Education Rights and Privacy
Act are available in the Office of Records and Registration, Hamilton Hall. Questions
concerning FERPA should be referred to the Registrar.