DMACC Student Handbook: Policies & Procedures

Confidentiality of Student Records/FERPA

(Educational Services Procedure 4600)

Click here to access our policy.

Des Moines Area Community College complies with the laws of the United States and the State of Iowa in the maintenance of, access to, and release of student records. All procedures conform to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

A student has the right to inspect and review his/her educational records. The Student Records Office at DMACC has been designated by the institution to coordinate the inspection and review of such records. A student must make a written request to the Student Records Office. Only records covered by the Act will be made available within 45 days of the receipt of the written request. Educational records do not include: records of instructional, administrative, and educational personnel, which are the sole possession of the maker and are not accessible or revealed to any individual except a temporary substitute; records of the Security Office; student health records; employment records; and alumni records. Health records, however, may be reviewed by physicians of the student’s choosing.

A student has the right to request and receive a response that explains or interprets his/her educational records.

A student may not inspect and review the following as outlined by the Act: financial information submitted by their parents; confidential letters and recommendations associated with admissions, employment or job placement, or honors to which they have waived their rights of inspection and review; or education records containing information about more than one student, in which case DMACC will permit access only to that part of the record that pertains to the inquiring student.

DMACC will not permit students to inspect and review confidential letters and recommendations placed in their files prior to January 1, 1975, provided those letters were collected under established policies of confidentiality and were used only for the purposes for which they were collected.

Students who believe that their educational records contain information that is inaccurate, is misleading, or is otherwise in violation of their privacy or other rights may discuss their problems informally with the Registrar. The Registrar may agree to amend appropriate records. If not, the student will be notified within a reasonable period of time that the records will not be amended and will be informed by the Registrar of his/her right to a formal hearing.

Requests for a formal hearing must be made in writing to the Executive Dean of Student Services, who, within a reasonable period of time after receiving such written requests, will inform the student of the date, place and time of the hearing. Students may present evidence relevant to the issues raised and may be assisted or represented at the hearing by one or more persons of their choice, including attorneys at the student's expense. The hearing panels, which will adjudicate such challenges, will contain five members from the staff of DMACC appointed by the Executive Dean of Student Services who will insure that the panel members have no vested interest in the outcome of the hearing.

Decisions of the hearing panels will be final, will be based solely on the evidence presented at the hearing, will consist of written statements summarizing the evidence and stating the reasons for the decisions, and will be delivered in writing to all parties concerned. If the decision is in favor of the student, the education records will be corrected or amended in accordance with the decision of the hearing panel. If the decision is unsatisfactory to the student, the student may place with the education records statements commenting on the information in the records or statements setting forth any reasons for disagreeing with the decision of the hearing panel. The statements will be placed in the education records and released whenever the records in question are disclosed.

A student who believes that the adjudication of his/her challenge was unfair, or not in keeping with the provisions of the Act, may request in writing assistance from the Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs. Further, students who believe their rights have been abridged may file complaints with the: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Dept. of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-5901, concerning the alleged failure of DMACC to comply with the Act.

A student who wishes to have information about his/her educational record released or exchanged may 1) sign an Authorization for Release/Exchange of Information Form in the Student Record Office; 2) sign a comparable form, which may be provided in certain circumstances by the appropriate DMACC employee.

At its discretion, DMACC may release Directory Information in accordance with provisions of the Act. DMACC considers the following Directory Information: student name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, previous educational agencies or institutions attended by the student, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, and email address.

Students may withhold Directory Information by notifying the Student Records Office in writing within the first two calendar weeks of any semester. (See Notification of Retention of Directory Information Form ES4600.) Requests for non disclosure will be honored by the institution for only one calendar year after the date of the written request; therefore, authorization to withhold Directory Information must be filed annually in the Student Records Office.

DMACC will maintain a record of access to student's education records. This record is accessible only to the student and the staff in the Student Records Office or as provided for in the Act. The record of access to educational records will not include references to personnel at DMACC or others who have a legitimate educational interest.

One 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 security personnel and the campus nurse); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Directors, members of an external accreditation committee, an employee of a state/federal approving agency, or a student serving on an official committee, such as the Petition for Policy Waiver Committee, College Review Board or College Judicial Heading Board, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has legitimate educational interest in the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities. “College officials” include students serving on institutional committees. College officials who have access to student records in the course of performing their professional responsibilities shall not be permitted to release the record to persons outside the College, unless authorized in writing by the student or unless one of the exceptions stated earlier applies.

A student may request and receive copies of all or part of his/her educational records, with certain exceptions. For example, a student may not receive a copy of academic records for which a financial “hold” exists or a copy of a transcript from another institution. There will be a fee of $.10 per sheet for records that are copied.