Wartburg College Privacy Statement

ACADEMIC RECORDS in the Registrar's Office contain documents relevant to student academic history. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students 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 the college receives a request for access. Students should submit to the registrar written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the students of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

2. The right to request amendment of education records the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students should write the registrar, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.

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 amendment request. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided when the student is 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 that 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, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); 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 Regents; 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.

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Wartburg 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

Student records are available to faculty and administration for internal educational purposes only. Any inquirer will be given only "directory information," including student enrollment status, major, period of enrollment, graduation date, address, phone, photograph, e-mail address, date of birth, guardian's name, and high school name.