FERPA Policy
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Policy Statement
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal statute that provides eligible Keuka College students with privacy and access rights to their education records. An eligible student is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution at any age.
This policy applies to all students who are currently enrolled or who have ever been enrolled in a part- or full-time capacity at the College. Individuals who applied for admission but never actually attended Keuka College are not covered by this policy.
This policy applies to all College employees, contractors, and volunteers who maintain or access student records.
Annual Notification
The College notifies eligible students of their rights under FERPA annually through the Keuka Record and an annual email from the Office of Records and Registration. Students who require this notice in an alternate format should contact the Office of Records and Registration.
Student Rights
Students have the right to:
- Inspect and review the student’s education record within forty-five (45) days of the day the College receives a student’s written request for access;
- Request the amendment of the education record if the student believes it is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA, and to a hearing if the request is denied.
- Consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) from the education record, and to require the College to obtain written consent before disclosing PII, unless an exception identified in 34 CFR § 99.31 applies.
- Restrict the disclosure of directory information, as described below.
- File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education regarding the College’s handling of the student record. Complaints must be filed within 180 days of the alleged violation or of the date the student knew or reasonably should have known of the violation. The office that administers FERPA is:
Student Privacy Policy Office
400 Maryland Avenue., SW
Washington DC 20202-8502
Email: ferpa.complaints@ed.gov
Students are responsible for reporting changes in address or name as outlined in the Personal Information and Change policy.
Procedures
Inspection and Review of Records
All requests for access to education records must be submitted in writing to the Office of Records and Registration and should identify the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The College will respond within forty-five (45) days of receipt of the request.
The Office of Records and Registration will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the requested records are not maintained by the Office of Records and Registration, that office will direct the student to the College department that maintains the record.
Amendment of Records
Requests for amendment must be submitted in writing to the Office of Records and Registration and must clearly identify the part of the record the student is requesting to be changed and specify why it should be changed.
If the Office of Records and Registration determines, based on the evidence and request provided, that the records should not be amended, it will notify the student in writing of the decision and of the student’s right to a hearing.
Hearing: A student may request a hearing by submitting a written request to the Associate Provost within fourteen (14) days of receipt of the denial notification. The College will hold the hearing within a reasonable period and will notify the student in advance of the date, time, and place. The hearing will be conducted by a College official who does not have a direct interest in the outcome. The student will be afforded a full and fair opportunity to present evidence relevant to the disputed portion of the record and may be assisted or represented by one or more individuals. The College will issue a written decision within a reasonable period after the hearing, based solely on the evidence presented.
Statement in the record: If the college decides after the hearing that the record will not be amended, it will inform the student of the right to place a statement in the record, commenting on the contested information or stating why the student disagrees with the College’s decision. Any such statement will be maintained with the contested portion of the record for as long as the record is maintained and will be disclosed whenever that portion of the record is disclosed.
Disclosure Without Consent
The College may disclose PII from education records without the student’s written consent only where permitted by 34 CFR 99.31, including disclosures to school officials with a legitimate educational interest, as defined below:
Health or safety emergency. In connection with a health of safety emergency, the College may disclose PII from a student’s education record to appropriate parties, including parents or guardians, if knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals. This exception applies only during the period of the emergency and does not authorize release of the student’s entire record. The College will record the articulable and significant threat that formed the basis for the disclosure and the parties to whom it was made.
Solomon Amendment: As required by the Solomon Amendment (32 CFR Part 216), the College will release requested student recruiting information to the Secretary of Defense for military recruiting purposes. Students who have restricted the release of directory information are excluded from these releases.
Contractors and other outside parties: An outside party may be treated as a school official only if the party performs an institutional service or function for which the College would otherwise use its own employees, is under the direct control of the College with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, uses the PII only for the purposes for which the disclosure was made, and does not redisclose the information without the College’s authorization.
Record of disclosures: The Office of Records and Registration maintains a record of each request for and disclosure of PII from a student’s education record, except for disclosures to the student, disclosures made with written consent, disclosures to school officials, and disclosures of directory information. This record is available for inspection by the student.
Directory Information and Restricting Its Release
At its discretion, the College may disclose directory information without prior written consent, except where a student has filed a valid request to restrict its release.
A student may restrict the release of directory information by submitting the FERPA request to restrict form, available on the Office of Records and Registration website. A request submitted within 10 days of the start of the term takes effect for that term; otherwise, it takes effect upon processing. A restriction remains in effect until the student rescinds it in writing, including after the student ceases to be enrolled. Students must submit a new form each time they wish to change their FERPA consent of restriction terms.
Students should understand that a restriction applies broadly: the College will not confirm enrollment or degrees to employers, insurers, or other inquirers, and the student’s name will be omitted from publications such as commencement programs, honors lists, and athletic rosters.
Record Retention: The College retains and destroys student education records in accordance with the College Record Retention Policy. Records subject to a pending request for inspection, amendment, or hearing, or to a litigation hold, will not be destroyed until the matter is resolved.
Definitions
Academic Record: Records related to a student's academic history during their enrollment at the College. Examples include registration records, grade changes, transcripts, approved leaves of absence, and withdrawal documentation.
Attendance: The period during which the student is taking courses at the College. Attendance can be in-person or delivered electronically.
Directory Information: Information that the College may disclose without a student's prior written consent, except when a student has filed a valid request to restrict its release.
Keuka College designates the following as Directory Information:
- Name
- Local and home address
- Keuka College email
- Local telephone listing
- Major field of study/program
- Class level
- Dates of attendance
- Enrollment status (undergraduate, graduate, full-or part-time)
- Degrees, honors, and awards received
- Most recent educational agency or institution attended
- Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
- Weight, height and photograph of members of the athletic team
Disclosure: The release, transfer, provision of access to, or communication of student information to any individual, agency, or organization by any means.
Education Record: Records directly related to a student and maintained by the College or a party acting for the College, excluding records excepted under 34 CFR § 99.3 (such as sole-possession notes, law enforcement unit records, and employment records unrelated to student status).
FERPA: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records and establishes students' rights to access and control the disclosure of those records.
Financial Record: Records related to a student's financial history during enrollment at the College. Examples include account statements, FAFSA-related documentation, and tax information submitted to the College.
Legitimate Educational Interest: A school official has a legitimate educational interest when access to an education record is necessary to fulfill their professional responsibilities on behalf of the College. Necessary access may include: performing a task specified in a job description, contract, or official appointment, performing a task related to a student’s education or discipline, or providing a service or benefit to the student, such as health care, counseling , job placement or financial aid. The final determination of legitimate educational interest is made by the Office of Records and Registration.
Non-Directory Information: Information contained in a student's education record not designated as directory information, which generally may not be disclosed without the student's written consent, unless disclosure is authorized by FERPA. Examples include grades, grade point average (GPA), class attendance records, disciplinary records, and financial aid information.
Parent: A natural parent, adoptive parent, or legal guardian of a student. For purposes of FERPA's dependency exception, parental status and a student's dependency may be verified through appropriate documentation, such as a federal income tax return demonstrating that the student was claimed as a dependent under Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code for the most recent tax year.
School Official: A person or entity acting on behalf of the College, including:
- A person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, support staff, law enforcement, or health services position; including Campus Safety and Residential Life staff;
- A College employee who is part of the student’s success team, including academic advisors, coaches, residential life staff, financial aid officers, and academic personnel;
- A contractor, consultant, volunteer, attorney, auditor, collection agent, or other party performing institutional services or functions on behalf of the College, subject to the conditions stated under “Contractors and other outside parties” above;
- A member of the College's Board of Trustees; or
- A student serving on an official committee, working as a student employee, or assisting a school official in performing institutional duties, where a legitimate educational need to know has been vetted and identified.
A school official has a legitimate educational interest when access to an education record is necessary to fulfill their professional responsibilities on behalf of the College. The final determination of legitimate educational interest is made by the Office of Records and Registration.
Student: Any individual who is or has been in attendance at the College and for whom the College maintains education records or personally identifiable information. The term does not include individuals who have been admitted but have not attended the College.
Questions
Questions concerning FERPA or this policy may be referred to the Office of Records and Registration at registrar@keuka.edu
The FERPA Waiver form, identified as the Student Records Release, is available in KC Self-Service and accessible via the student profile
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2026-2027 Updates
Updated location of FERPA Waiver form