Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Alabama State University complies with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended.

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

• The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day Alabama State University (ASU) receives a request for access. A student should submit to the registrar a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The ASU 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 ASU official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
• The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. A student who wishes to ask ASU to amend a record should write the ASU official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed. If ASU decides not to amend the record as requested, ASU 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.
• The right to provide written consent before ASU discloses personally identifiable information from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. ASU 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 ASU 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 ASU has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using ASU’s employees or officials (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 responsibilities for ASU. Upon request, ASU also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. FERPA requires an institution to make a reasonable attempt to notify each student of these disclosures unless the institution states in its annual notification that it intends to forward records on request.
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by ASU to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

  Family Policy Compliance Office
  U.S. Department of Education

  400 Maryland Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC 20202-5901