The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records. When a student, regardless of age, enters (is in attendance the first day of class) an institution of higher education such as Southeastern Community College, all rights to inspect and review the educational record transfer from the parent to the student under FERPA. A student's educational record is confidential and will only be shared by the college official with other Southeastern Community College administrators or lending agencies that have a legitimate need to know this information. (Policy 4.16)
As a parent, you may want to access to your student's grades, financial records, academic records, and other records. We recognize how important parents and other family members are to the success of our students, however, we are limited to the information we can share by FERPA which protects and governs the release of certain student records. With a student's permission, Southeastern will share the student's records (academic records, account/billing information, and/or financial aid records) with the student's parent(s), spouse, and/or other individuals the student may choose to designate. This privacy release will remain in effect, unless revoked by the student, for the duration of the student's enrollment at Southeastern Community College. If a student would like to grant access to release his/her student record, he/she must complete and submit a "FERPA Release Form" found on the college website to the registrar's office. For more information, contact the SCC Registrar’s Office.
Directory information is defined as information contained in the educational records of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy, if disclosed. A school may disclose directory information to third parties without consent if it has given public notice of the types of information which it has designated as "directory” information.” Parents and eligible students have the right to request the school to not disclose directory information about them. Students who object to the release of directory information must notify the registrar’s office in writing within five (5) school days from the first day of the term. A complete list of items that the student does not want disclosed must be included in the written notification. If no objection is received by that date, the information will be classified as directory information until the beginning of the next academic year.
Southeastern Community College considers the following information to be directory information:
- student name
- date of birth
- dates of attendance
- degrees, diplomas, certificates, or awards received
- major field of study or program
- enrollment status and/or dates of enrollment
- Southeastern Ram email address
- most recent educational agency or institutions attended
- participation in officially recognized activities
All other information contained in the individual’s educational record is considered confidential and will be released only on written approval from the student concerned.
An individual student is authorized, upon request to the registrar, to review his/her educational record and to challenge erroneous or misleading information contained therein. Copies of the detailed policy concerning student records are maintained in the registrar’s office and are available upon request.
Southeastern Community College does not sell or otherwise provide mailing lists of students to any person or entity except as mandated by certain federal laws for military recruiters. The Solomon Amendment requires the release of name, address, and date of birth to military recruiters upon their request.