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Registrar

Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)

Northeast Community College complies with all federal, state, and local laws, which relate to student records including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and pursuant regulations. Regardless of the student's age, rights under FERPA begin when a student enrolls at Northeast Community College.

The College Registrar through the Vice President of Student Services is responsible for maintaining and controlling all student education records. An individual who believes that the College has failed to comply with the requirements of FERPA may file a complaint with the:

U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202-8520

Under the law, directory information may be released by the College without the student's consent. The following items are considered directory information: student's name, address, telephone number, email address, major field of study, participation in officially recognized sports and activities, weight and height of athletic team members, dates of attendance, honors and awards received, degrees and awards, photographs, and the most recent previous institution attended by the student. If a student does not desire such directory information to be released, a request in writing must be filed each semester with the Vice President of Student Services.

Release of information other than directory information normally requires written permission from the student. The College may release non-directory information without consent in specific cases as outlined in College policies. Northeast maintains a record of all disclosures, and if a student so requests, a copy of the disclosure will be given to the student.

Northeast officials may release information without student's prior written consent to the following groups:

  • Northeast Community College faculty and staff with a legitimate educational interest and needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the college.
  • A secondary educational institution in which the student is co-enrolled.
  • Person or company with whom the college has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using college employees or officials. (such as an attorney, auditor, collection agent, verification agency such as the National Student Loan Clearinghouse)
  • Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes
  • Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student
  • Organizations conducting certain studies on or on behalf of the school
  • Accrediting organizations
  • To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena
  • Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies
  • State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law

Students have the right to inspect their education records. The College will not withhold a student's record from a student who has properly requested information under the conditions described in College policies and presented valid identification. A student has the right to request an amendment of their record, obtain a hearing related to their record, or add a statement to their record. An individual who believes that he or she has been denied the right to view appropriate records may appeal the decision with the Vice President of Student Services through the student grievance procedure. This procedure does not apply to disputes about grades assigned by faculty. For information on the grade appeal policy and procedure, refer to the student handbook or college catalog.

For additional information regarding students' rights and freedoms, refer to the Student Code of Conduct section of the Student Handbook, available in the Student Services office. To obtain a complete copy of the college's policy governing education records, contact the Vice President of Student Services.