Notification of Students’ Rights Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Clark College conforms to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), as amended, which affords students certain rights as to their education records.

  1. Students have the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of the day the college receives a written request for access. Students should submit, to the Registrar, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the record(s) may be inspected. If the records requested are not maintained in Enrollment Services, the student will be advised of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
  2. Students may request that their education records be amended if they believe such information is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of privacy rights. Students must request in writing that the office that maintains those records amend them. Students should identify the part of the records they want corrected and specify why they believe it is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of privacy rights.
  3. A student has 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. With few exceptions (stated below), no one will have access to student records without the written consent of the student. Clark College will not release a student’s record to a parent/guardian without the student’s written permission. Such a policy is in effect regardless of the student’s age or financial dependency upon the parent/guardian.


    1. The college may release student directory information without student consent which includes student’s name, major field of study, enrollment status, dates of attendance, participation in recognized sports, degrees and certificates earned, term degrees and certificates awarded, and honors. 


    2. Exceptions include school officials with a legitimate educational interest in a student’s educational record. A school official is a person employed by the college in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the college has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, collection agent, or the National Student Clearinghouse, an agency which acts as a clearinghouse for student loan deferment reporting); a person elected to the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Exceptions also include accrediting agencies; student financial aid agencies; and those who require student information in an emergency situation in which someone’s health or safety is at risk. Clark College also discloses educational records without consent to officials of baccalaureate institutions in which a student seeks to, or intends to, enroll.


    3. In compliance with the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, the college is authorized to disclose information to a parent or guardian about any school disciplinary violation involving alcohol or a controlled substance which has been found to have been committed by a student who is under the age of 21.


    4. Pursuant to the Solomon Amendment, Clark College is authorized to disclose the following information to the military for recruitment purposes: student’s name, address, telephone listing, age, Clark student email, academic major, and degrees received from Clark College.


    5. Students who do not wish to have directory information released by the college must file a student directory restriction request with Enrollment Services.
  4. A student has the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Clark College to comply with the requirements of FERPA by writing to:

    Family Policy Compliance Office
    U.S. Department of Education
    400 Maryland Ave. SW
    Washington, DC 20202-4605

    The Family Compliance Office investigates each timely complaint to determine whether the educational agency or institution has failed to comply with the provisions of FERPA. A timely complaint is defined as an allegation that is submitted within 180 days of the date of the alleged violation or of the date that the complainant knew or reasonably should have known of the alleged violation. In some instances, records may be withheld by the college. The Security/Safety Office may request a hold on records if there is concern that such records may compromise a criminal investigation.

Copies of the complete FERPA policy may be obtained at Enrollment Services. For additional information please see Policies and Procedures and FERPA for Students websites for additional information.