The federal government has secured the privacy of your personal data through legislation that is connected to federal financial aid programs.
You may file a written request with the MLC Records Office that all directory information about you remain private and not be released. [ A Directory Information Release Form is available from the Records Office. ] Directory information includes your name, home and campus addresses, your student ID photo, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, date and place of birth, grade classification level, full or part-time status, honors and awards, degrees and fields of study, high school graduated from, home congregation, participation in sports and campus activities, weight and height of athletic team members, athletic performance data, and dates of attendance. This privacy request is optional––not a requirement. If a student elects to suppress directory information, the college and its staff may not be in a position to act in an emergency. Students at MLC do not commonly exercise this legal right.
If you are 18 years of age your grade reports, financial statements and the like are not sent to your parents. You may, however, sign a waiver form authorizing the college to supply this information to your parents. So, for example, if your parents are helping to pay your college bill and you want your monthly statement sent to them, you must sign a waiver form in the Financial Services Office.
MLC’s full policy on the student’s right to privacy may be requested from the records office.
Your MLC Records and Federal Privacy Law
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:
- The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access.
Students should submit to the records office, dean, head of the academic department or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The College 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 College official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading.
Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the College will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or 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.
- 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.
An exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. 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 as its agent to provide a service instead of using College employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Governing Board; 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.
The College may also disclose personally identifiable information from education records to appropriate parties in connection with an emergency if knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals. Parents of eligible students are among the appropriate parties to whom health and safety emergency-related information may be disclosed.
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 responsibilities for the College.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Martin Luther College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
S. Department of Education
600 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605
