The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 is a federal law that provides each student with the right to “inspect, challenge, correct and protect” the content of their cumulative record and files. The law also provides that the College will maintain confidentiality of student records except with respect to special cases noted in the legislation.

A request by a student to inspect their educational records shall be directed to the Registrar. Educational records include:

  • Transcripts
  • Admission files
  • Internship education records
  • Placement records

The following are not included in FERPA’s definition of a student’s educational records:

  • Personal records kept by a College faculty or staff member;
  • Student employment records that relate exclusively to the student in the capacity of an employee;
  • Records maintained separately from educational records solely for law enforcement purposes that are revealed only to law enforcement agencies of the same jurisdiction;
  • Medical records maintained by the College Health Services if those records are used solely for treatment and made available only to persons providing treatment.

 A student wishing to review their files must make a written statement to the Registrar listing the items of interest. Files covered by the Act will be made available within 45 days of the request. Students may have copies of their records at their own expense at prevailing rates. Exceptions to the right of inspection are as follows:

  • Financial records of parents of the student or any information contained therein.
  • Confidential letters and statements of recommendations that were placed in the cumulative file of the student prior to January 1, 1976.
  • Information for which a student has signed a waiver of their right of access to confidential information as it pertains to admission, and application for employment.
  • Records that are excluded from the FERPA definition of educational records.

Moore College of Art & Design shall not permit access to or release information from the cumulative record of any student to any party other than as follows:

  • Academic, personal and biographical information will be released to faculty, professional staff and administrative officers within the College on a “need-to-know” basis.
  • Access to a student’s records may be provided to officials of other colleges or universities in which the student seeks or intends to enroll, on the condition that the student requests the intended transfer of records, is given a copy of such records if desired, and is given the opportunity for a hearing to challenge the content of such records.
  • Access shall be granted to authorized federal officials auditing federally-supported education programs and state officials to whom information from student records is required by statute to be disclosed.
  • Persons processing students’ financial aid applications shall have access.
  • Access will be granted to organizations conducting studies for educational agencies in connection with predictive tests, student aid programs and the improvement of instruction, provided that the identity of students must not be revealed to anyone other than representatives of such organizations.
  • Access will be granted to accrediting organizations carrying out their accrediting functions.
  • The College may grant access to a student’s parent(s) upon receiving written documentation that the student is dependent upon their parent(s) for federal income tax purposes. Exceptions to this policy are:
    • Students may sign a release authorizing parental access to their records and/or authorizing appropriate staff members or faculty to discuss their academic progress or health with family members and doctors. Release forms are in the Dean of Students' Office and the Registrar's Office; under most circumstances, these releases only cover the academic year in which they are signed.
    • In accordance with the October 1998 amendments to FERPA, the Dean of Students may decide to notify parents or guardians of students under 21 that are found to be in violation of College policies regarding the use of or possession of alcohol or drugs, when the violation is determined to be serious or repeated.
    • In an emergency, appropriate persons may have access if the knowledge of information from a student’s record is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons.

The College reserves the right to refuse to provide copies of records to students with outstanding financial obligations to the College or against whom there is an unresolved disciplinary action pending. In accordance with FERPA, letters of recommendation and transcripts from other institutions will not be copied. Students must request these from the originator. In accordance with the Act, the College has designated the following categories as Directory Information:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Electronic address assigned by the College
  • Date of birth
  • Major field of study
  • Participation in officially recognized activities
  • Dates of attendance (including current classification and year matriculation and withdrawal status)
  • Degrees and awards received (type of awards and degree and date granted, honors and Dean’s list)
  • The most recent previous educational agency or institutional attended
  • Photographs

Students wanting any of the above information withheld should notify the Registrar in writing within two weeks of each year’s academic enrollment. Students may challenge any information contained in their cumulative record that they believe to be inaccurate, misleading or inappropriate. This right does not extend to reviewing grades unless the grade assigned by a faculty was inaccurately recorded in the records.

Students may also insert a statement in their records to explain any such material from their point of view. A student who wishes to challenge the information in their file must make a written request for a hearing to the Registrar.

The request will be reviewed by the Academic Dean and the Dean of Students jointly. Revisions and clarifications of this policy will be published as experience with the law and Moore College of Art & Design's policy warrants.