Records Policy

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (P.L. 93-380), effective November 19, 1974 (as amended by P.L. 93-568, the Buckley Amendment), is intended to afford students the right to inspect and review their educational records, seek to have their records amended, and have some control over the disclosure of information from their records maintained by an educational institution.

The Bushnell University Education Records Policy is intended to comply with the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Students are annually notified of their FERPA rights through the Class Schedule, Student Handbook and the Bushnell University handbook.

All school officials, as defined below, are expected to manage student records in their custody in accordance with FERPA regulations. To receive access to student records, school officials (including work study student personnel) must receive a copy of this Policy, sign the appropriate “statement of understanding”, and remain current regarding and FERPA modifications.

Student

• Refers to any person currently enrolled at Bushnell University or
• Refers to any person who has previously earned academic credit at Bushnell University, not to include those who have deceased.

Applicants for admission are not classified as students.

Education Records

Refers to any record (in handwriting, print, tapes, film, computer, or other medium) maintained by the University or an agent of the University which is directly related to the student, except:

• A personal record kept by a staff member if it is kept in the sole possession of the maker of the record and is not accessible or revealed to any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the record.
• Records created and maintained by the University’s law enforcement unit for law enforcement purposes.
• An employment record of an individual whose employment is not contingent on the fact that he or she is a student, provided the record is used only in relation to the individual’s employment.
• Records made or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized professional or paraprofessional if the records are used only for treatment of a student and made available only to those persons providing the treatment.
• Alumni records which contain information about a student after he or she is no longer in attendance at the University and which do not relate to the person as a student.
• Records maintained by Bushnell University legal counsel.

Directory Information

Bushnell University has defined Directory Information as the information listed below. This information may be released for any purpose at the discretion of the respective Program unless students have notified the university through the Restriction of Directory Information Form. Students have the right to restrict disclosure of their Directory Information. The restriction will be honored until the beginning of the following term. At this point, the student must resubmit a new request to restrict their directory information.

• Name
• Local and Permanent Addresses
• Telephone Numbers
• E-mail Address
• Current Enrollment Status
• Dates of Attendance
• Class Level
• Number of Credit Hours
• Degree(s) Conferred
• Honors and Awards
• Major Field of Study
• Past and Present Participation in Officially Recognized Sports and Activities
• Heights and Weights of Members of Athletic Teams
• Photographs
• Previous Institutions Attended

Confidential Information

The following list is a sample of confidential information and not a part of “Directory Information.”

• All Information (except for Directory Information) contained in the application for admission or readmission.
• All records of test scores and/or results.
• All transcripts of previous academic work.
• Transcripts at Bushnell University, including course grades, grade point average, and advancement information.
• All petitions requesting variance in established academic policy.
• Graduation petition and evaluation.
• Notices and/or reprimands for failure to meet academic policy and/or requirements of the Statement of Intent.
• All correspondence relevant to the academic records, including letters of acceptance, receipts, academic performance, leave of absence, and withdrawal.
• Records of all authorizations to access or release information contained in the student education record.
• Career Services Records, Education Placement Records, and/or Career Planning Records.

The student has the right to challenge the content of the education record. See the section on Correction of Education Records.

Academic Record Management

The Office of the Registrar oversees academic record management for all students at Bushnell University. All academic records are kept for a minimum of five years after the student’s last date of attendance. Academic records retain the necessary information to meet legal, financial, administrative, research, and historical needs as recommended by Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO).

The handling of student educational records follows the guidelines set out by the AACRAO, in keeping with explicit requirements to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g. FERPA provides students with the following rights:

(1) The right to inspect and review their education records;

(2) The right to seek amendment of their education records to correct information which they believe is inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of student privacy rights;

(3) The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information, except for disclosure to school officials with a legitimate educational interest and except to the extent FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent; and

(4) The right to be informed annually of their rights under the act if they are currently in attendance.

Limitation on Right of Access

The University will not permit a student to inspect the following records:

• The financial statement of the student’s parents.
• Letters and statements of recommendations for which the student has waived his or her right of access, or which were maintained before January 1, 1975.
• Records connected with an application to attend the institution or a component unit of the institution if that application was denied.
• Those records which are excluded from the FERPA definition of education records.

Provision of Copies

The University reserves the right to deny copies of records, including transcripts, not required to be made available by FERPA in any of the following situations:

• The student lives within commuting distance of the institution.
• The student has an unpaid financial obligation to the institution.
• There is an unresolved disciplinary action against the student.
• The education record requested is an exam or set of standardized test questions.

Fees for Copies of Records

Official transcripts cost $10 per copy. Unofficial copies are free of charge. Copies of other documents are subject to a $0.50 per page charge.

Third-party access to the education record without the student’s written permission is limited to individuals designated as School Officials, those persons and/or agencies specifically authorized in FERPA as amended, or to any other person to whom disclosure may be required by law.

Student Authorization

A student may authorize the release of his or her education record to a third party providing the request is made in writing, signed, and dated. At the time of matriculation, the University will give undergraduate students an opportunity to sign a Consent for Release of Information form to authorize parental access to grades, course schedule, and academic status information. This authorization can be relinquished with a written request from the student. Parents will be provided information about the University’s Educational Records Policy and the procedures for release of information. The University will encourage students and their parents to discuss the issue of access to grades, course schedule, and academic status and to reach an understanding about the sharing of information about academic progress. If a student’s signed, current authorization form is on file in the Office of the Registrar, a parent may either send a letter requesting a copy of grades, course schedule, or academic status or may complete and sign a Request to Review Education Records form, which is available from the Office of the Registrar. When parents request information, the Office of the Registrar will notify the student as a matter of courtesy.

Without Student Authorization

The University will disclose information from a student’s education record only with the written consent of the student, except that records may be disclosed without consent when the disclosure is:

• To school officials who have a legitimate education interest in the records. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position, including health or medical staff.
• A person elected to the Board of Trustees.
• A person employed by or under contract to perform a special task, such as the attorney or auditor.
• A person employed by the law enforcement unit of the University.
• A student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or who is assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate education interest if the official is acting on behalf of the student and is doing any of the following:
• Performing a task that is specified in his or her position description or contract agreement.
• Performing a task related to a student’s education.
• Performing a task related to the discipline of the student.
• Providing a service or benefit relating to the student or student’s family, such as health care, counseling, job placement, or financial aid.
• Maintaining the safety and security of the campus.
• To officials of another school, upon request, in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
• To certain officials of the U.S. Department of Education, the Controller General, and state and local education authorities, in connection with audit or evaluation of certain state or federally supported education programs.
• In connection with a student’s request for or receipt of financial aid to determine the eligibility, amount, or conditions of the financial aid, or to enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
• To state and local officials or authorities if specifically required by a state law that was adopted before November 19, 1974.
• To organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the University.
• To accrediting organizations to carry out their functions.
• To parents of an eligible student who is claimed as a dependent for income tax purposes. The University will evaluate individual circumstances before doing so and will require a copy of the first page of the parent’s federal income tax return to establish the student’s status as a dependent. The parent(s) will also be required to fill out a Request to Review Education Records form. If education information is properly released to a custodial parent of whom the student is a dependent, a duplicate of the released information may also be released upon request to a natural, non-custodial parent of whom the student is not a dependent.
• To the parent of a student under the age of 21 and the disclosure is in response to the violation of a law regarding alcohol or drug abuse.
• To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena. An attempt to notify the student is required by law before the University can honor such an order or subpoena.
• To appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency.
• To individuals requesting directory information so designated by the University.
• The results of any disciplinary proceeding conducted by the University against an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence to the alleged victim of that crime with respect to that crime.
• To the National Student Loan Clearing house.
• To the student.

Procedure to Inspect Education Records

Students may inspect and review their education records upon request to the appropriate records custodian. Students should submit to the records custodian or an appropriate institution staff person a completed Request to Review Education Records from which identifies as precisely as possible the record or records he or she wishes to inspect. Students may be asked to provide identification in order to ensure proper release of information.

The records custodian or an appropriate institution staff person will make the needed arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. Access must be given in 45 days or less from the date of receipt of the request. When a record contains information about more than one student, the student may inspect and review only the records which relate to him or her.

Types, Locations, and Custodians of Education Records

• Admissions – Office of the Registrar (Registrar)
• Cumulative Academic Records – Office of the Registrar (Registrar)
• Health Records – Office of Student Life (Director of Residence Life)
• Financial Records – Business Office (VP for Finances)
• Placement Records – Office of the Registrar (Registrar)
• Progress Records – Office of the Registrar (Registrar). Also from the Appropriate Graduate or Professional Studies department (Dean of said department)
• Disciplinary Records – Office of Student Life (Director of Residence Life)
• Occasional Records – The appropriate official will collect such records, direct the student to their location, or otherwise make them available for inspection and review.

Procedure to Request the Release of Education Records to Third Parties

Transcript of Record

As required by FERPA, all students are required to submit signed and dated requests for copies of their transcript of record. All requests for copies of the transcript of record are handled by the Office of the Registrar. Official transcripts cost $10 per copy. Unofficial copies are free of charge.

Records in Other Offices

Students should contact the records custodian in the appropriate office and submit a written request as indicated in the above procedures.