Ensuring Privacy Rights (FERPA)

For the protection of students’ rights to privacy, the Registrar’s Office ensures the College’s compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day Georgia Piedmont Tech receives an access request. A student should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. Georgia Piedmont Tech’s official will make access arrangements and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by Georgia Piedmont Tech’s official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. A student who wishes to request that Georgia Piedmont Tech amend a record should write to the official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. Suppose Georgia Piedmont Tech decides not to amend the record as requested. In that case, Georgia Piedmont Tech will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s 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.
3. The right to provide written consent before Georgia Piedmont Technical College discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. Georgia Piedmont Tech discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by Georgia Piedmont Tech 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 Georgia Piedmont Tech has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using Georgia Piedmont Tech employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing their tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record to fulfill their professional responsibilities for Georgia Piedmont Technical College.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Georgia Piedmont Tech to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:
   1. Family Policy Compliance Office
      U. S. Department of Education
      400 Maryland Avenue, SW
      Washington, D.C. 20202-5901

Health and Safety Exemption

There are limited exceptions to FERPA regulations under which Georgia Piedmont Tech is permitted to disclose educational records or personally identifiable, non-directory information from education records in connection with a health or safety emergency without student consent.

The situation must present imminent danger to a student, other students or members of the school community to qualify as an exception. This action is not taken lightly, and only under circumstances that present imminent danger.