Learn Your Rights

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records:

1. Students have the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access. Students should submit to the registrar, head of the academic department, or another 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.

2. Students have the right to request the amendment of their education records that they believe are inaccurate or misleading. If the University decides not to amend the records as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his/her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3. Students have 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 which 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 service staff; a person or company with whom the University has contracted such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent; 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/her professional responsibility. FERPA permits the University to disclose any and all education records, including disciplinary records, to another institution at which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

4. Students have the right to file a complaint with the U. S. Department of Education concerning the alleged failures by Southwestern Adventist University 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. The University may, at its discretion, publish or release the following information without prior consent unless the student requests in writing that certain information be withheld: name, address, telephone listing, enrollment status, class, major field of study, most recent previous school attended, photographs, date and place of birth, participation in officially recognized activities, email address, dates of enrollment, anticipated date of graduation, degrees, and awards and honors. The registrar is responsible for compliance with the provision of this Act. Questions concerning the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act may be referred to the Department of Records.