SUNY Orange, "If you have the dream, we have the way!"

Notification of Student Rights under FERPA

All requests for information about students should be referred to the college's FERPA Officer, Neil Foley, at (845) 341-4180.

1) What is an educational record? Educational records are records that are directly related to the student; and maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution.

2) What is directory information? Directory information is information that, if released, is generally considered not to be harmful or an invasion of privacy. Directory information at SUNY Orange consists of: Student's enrollment status (full or part time); current enrollment (e.g. Fall 2002) or dates of enrollment; academic program; degree or certificate awarded, date of degree/certificate, academic program, and honors received.

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

  1. 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 director of academic services or vice president for student development 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

    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 law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); 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 Trustees; 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.

    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 responsibility.

    Upon request, the College will disclose education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll (barring any indebtedness to this College).

  4. Students have the right to file a complaint with the U. S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with FERPA requirements:

    Family Policy Compliance Office, U. S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.

Parents’ Rights

Message to Parents: SUNY Orange is guided by the principle that students’ active involvement in their education enhances their learning and development. In keeping with this principle, SUNY Orange considers its primary relationship to be with its students.

When the student is a tax dependent of parents/guardians, it is important that both parties discuss how they will communicate. Academic progress is reported to students with the expectation that this information will be part of on-going discussions with parents/guardians.

If said discussions are not taking place with the student, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act has provided two ways in which parents/guardians of dependent students may inspect the educational records of the student.

The first is to obtain a signed written consent from the student and submit consent to the registrar in the Records and Registration Office. A student’s signed written consent must specify the records to be inspected; state the purpose for disclosure; and identify the person(s) to whom the disclosure should be made. A new consent form would be required each year or when access to additional educational records not covered in the first consent form are being requested. If the consent form does not specify the actual records to be inspected or simply states something equivalent to “all educational records,” the only educational records that will be disclosed are those that appear on the most current academic transcript.

If the student is unwilling to provide a signed written consent, the final alternative is for the parents/guardians to provide the registrar with a copy of the preceding year’s tax returns to demonstrate the student is a tax dependent. The copy provided must have either been completed by a third party (accountant, tax preparer, etc.) or be an official full complete copy (not the shortened version) from the Internal Revenue Service. Information on how to obtain this version can be found by contacting the IRS Office at (800) 829-1040. When the documentation is submitted, the parents/guardians must also specify the records to be inspected. If the request simply states something equivalent to “all educational records”, the only educational records that will be disclosed are those that appear on the most current academic transcript.

According to FERPA, an institution has up to 45 days after a valid request is presented to arrange for the inspection of the specified educational records. The meetings in the majority of cases will be made with the registrar who acts as the FERPA Officer for the institution, and not with individual faculty members.