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Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) Policy

SUNY Plattsburgh is committed to maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of education records as required by FERPA.

Policy Information

Policy Number Policy Owner
9002.3 Registrar's Office

 

  • 4.0 Policy

    It is the policy of SUNY Plattsburgh to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.  This means that we will safeguard the privacy of student education records and will not release them to third parties unless we have that student’s prior consent or in accordance with a specific exemption prescribed by law.  

     Common exemptions that the College exercises include:

    • Release of directory information to school officials and third parties, and
    • release of education records to school officials with legitimate educational interest.

    The College understands that students may want to exercise greater control over the release of their education records.  We have established procedures that allow students to withhold the release of directory information to third parties (“Confidentiality Hold”) or delegate access to their records to a third party (“Proxy access”).

    We also recognize that students have a legitimate interest in the contents of their education record and we will provide that student with access to inspect their education records upon request as permitted under the law and in accordance with applicable University and College policies (see Appendix).

    If a student feels that the content in their education record is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of their privacy rights, they may ask that the record to be changed or to insert a statement explaining the alleged inaccuracy or misstatement in the file.  We will review this request and inform the student of our decision.  If the student’s request is denied, we will provide them with an opportunity for a hearing to resolve the matter.

    FERPA becomes effective on the first day of classes the first semester a student is enrolled at the College.  A student’s education record remains covered by FERPA for their entire life.  Once a student has passed away, their FERPA rights end and the College will exercise its discretion in deciding whether, and under what conditions, records will be disclosed to survivors or third parties.

    We take the responsibility of safeguarding the privacy of student records seriously.  Biannually, the College will inform our students of their rights under FERPA.   College employees are expected to comply with FERPA and any related procedures promulgated by the Registrar’s Office.  If a student feels that their FERPA rights have been violated, we encourage that student to contact the Registrar’s Office.  Students may also file a complaint with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Policy Compliance Office, Office of Human Resources and Administration, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202-4604.

For additional information about this policy, please contact the Policy Owner listed above.

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