Page 302 - 2012-2013 TMCC College Catalog

F-10 2012-2013 TMCC College Catalog
information to specific individuals by accessing the Third Party
Release link in their online Student Center.
At the registrar’s discretion, the campus may provide
directory information to agencies, businesses and individuals
with legitimate interest in the educational or career goals of the
student, in accordance with the provisions of the Act to include:
student name, address, telephone number, email address(es),
semesters of enrollment, full-time/part-time status, honors and
awards, degree(s) awarded, emphasis field(s), certificate field(s),
and date(s) of graduation.
Under the provisions of FERPA, school officials may release
directory information at their discretion without prior consent
of the student. A “school official” is any person employed by the
college in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research
or support staff position (including law enforcement units and
student workers); a person of a company with whom the college
has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent);
a person serving on the Board of Regents; a person assisting
another school official in performing his or her tasks.
Students may have directory information withheld by
changing their security settings in their online Student
Center. TMCC assumes that failure to specifically request the
withholding of directory information indicates individual
approval for disclosure. TMCC maintains records of requests
and disclosures of personally identifiable information with the
exception of the information disclosed to parties described
above in the performance of their duties. The records of request,
whether granted or not, shall include the names of the persons
who requested the information and their legitimate interests in
the information.
The law provides students with the right to inspect and
review information in their educational records, to challenge
the content of their educational records, to have a hearing if
the outcome of the challenge is unsatisfactory, and to submit
explanatory statements for inclusion in their file if they feel the
decision of the hearing panel to be unacceptable.
Students wishing to review their educational records must
file a written request with the custodian of the records listing
the item or items of interest. Records covered by the Act will
be made available for inspection within 45 days of the request.
Students may have copies made of their records with certain
exceptions, e.g., a copy of academic records for which a financial
hold exists, or a transcript of an original or source document
which exists elsewhere. Copies would be made at the students’
expense of one dollar per page. Educational records do not
include records of instructional, administrative and educational
personnel which are in the sole possession of the maker and are
not accessible or revealed to any individual except a temporary
substitute; records of the law enforcement unit; employment
records or alumni records. Persons who have not enrolled may
not review their educational records.
Educational records may be located in the following offices
of TMCC.
• Administration: may include disciplinary hearing records,
and student appeal documents. The custodian of these
records is the division administrator. This office may also
have records of disciplinary investigations. The custodian of
these records is the associate dean of instructional support.
• Admissions and Records office: may include application
for admission, transcripts of previous training, resident
fee application, applications for change in tuition status,
letters of recommendation, academic records, registration
materials, veteran certification records. The custodian of
these records is the director of admissions and registrar.
• Business office: may include registration payments, student
loan files and miscellaneous fee records. Custodian of the
records is the controller.
• Institutional Research and Assessment office: may include
test scores. The custodian of these records is the director of
assessment.
• Student Development office: may include appeals and
grievances. The custodian of these records is the dean of
student services.
• Financial Aid office: may include financial aid records,
scholarship records, and employment records. The
custodian of these records is the director of financial aid.
• Instructional departments: may include records of students
under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and records
relating to student academic course work. Custodian of
these records is the vice president for academic affairs and
student services.
• Special Training Projects: may include records of students
under Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second
Language (ESL). The custodian of these records is the
coordinator of adult basic education/English as a second
language.
Students may not inspect the following as outlined by the Act:
financial information submitted by their parents; confidential
letters and recommendations associated with admissions,
employment, job placement or honors to which they have
waived their rights of inspection and review; or educational
records containing information about more than one student, in
which case the campus will permit access only to that part of the
recordwhichpertains to the inquiring student.The campus is not
required to permit a student to inspect and review confidential
letters and recommendations placed in the student’s file prior
to January 1, 1975 provided those letters were collected under
established policies of confidentiality and were used only for the
purpose for which they were collected.
Students who believe that their educational records contain
information that is inaccurate or misleading or is otherwise
in violation of their privacy or other rights may discuss their
problem informally with the custodian of that record. If the
decision is in agreement with the student’s request, the
appropriate records will be amended. If not, the student will
be notified within a reasonable period of time that the record
will not be amended, and will be informed by the custodian of
the record of any right to a formal hearing before the student
appeals board, except in the case of a grade appeal. The policy
on grade appeals is printed in the paragraph“Appeal of Grade”in
the Appeals Procedures section of this course catalog. Student
requests for a formal hearing must be made in writing to the
associate dean of institutional support. A student may present,
at the student’s expense, evidence relevant to the issues raised
and may be assisted or represented at the hearing by choosing
one or more persons, including attorneys.
Recommendations of the student appeals board will be based
solely on the evidence presented at the hearing and will be
presented to the president for approval or disapproval. Decisions
of the president or designee will consist of written statements
summarizing the evidence and stating the reasons for the
decision, and will be delivered to all parties concerned. The
educational records will be corrected or amended in accordance
with the decision of the board if the decision is in favor of the
student. If the decision is unsatisfactory to the student, the
student may place with the educational records a statement
setting forth any reason for disagreeing with the decision of the
Board. The statement will be placed in the educational records,
maintained as a part of the student’s records and released
whenever the records in question are disclosed.
Students who believe that the adjudication of their challenge
was unfair, or not in keeping with the provisions of the Act
may request in writing, assistance from the president of TMCC.
Further, students who believe their rights have been abridged,
may file complaints with the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act office, Department of Health, Education andWelfare,
Washington, D.C. 20201, concerning the alleged failure of TMCC