Records/FERPA

Confidentiality of Student Records

The College collects and maintains records on each student to facilitate the instruction, guidance, and educational progress of the student. The records contain information about students and their education and may include, but are not limited to, the following types of information: identification data, attendance data, record of achievement, educational and vocational plans, honors and activities, discipline data, objective advisor or teacher ratings and observations, and external agency reports.

 

THE FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT (FERPA)

Directory Information

According to the guidelines in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), EICC can release only
directory information on a student without the written consent of the student. EICC defines directory information as the following: Name, Address, E-mail Address, Telephone Number, Date and Place of birth, Field of Study, Activities participation, Sports participation, Weight and height (for athletic teams), Dates of attendance (full- time/part-time status), Degrees and awards received, prior educational institutions attended, President's and Dean's list.

Notification of Rights Under FERPA for Postsecondary Institutions

FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their 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 Registrar written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The college official will make arrangements for access and notify the students of the time and place for the inspection. 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, misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. Students who wish to amend their record 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 of a hearing.
   
   
3. The right to provide written consent before the College discloses personally identifiable information from 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, 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 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.
   
   
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by EICC to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:
   
   Family Policy Compliance Office
   US Department of Education
   400 Maryland Avenue, SW
   Washington, DC 20202

Disclosure of Education Record Information

(source: Guidelines for Postsecondary Institutions for Implementation for the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act of 1974 as amended)

1. Institutions shall obtain written consent from students before disclosing any personally identifiable information from their education records (with the exceptions as noted in sections 2,3,4 and 5 below). Such written consent must:
   • specify the records to be released.
   • state the purpose of the disclosure.
   • identify the party or class of parties to whom the disclosure may be made.
   • be signed and dated by the student EICC has the right to disclose information from student educational records if they choose without written authorization from the student according to the following guidelines:
     
     
2. Must disclose education records or components thereof without written consent to students who request information from their own records.
   
   
3. Institutions may disclose education records or components thereof without written consent of the students to:
   
   1. authorized representatives of the following for audit or evaluation of Federal and State supported
      programs or for enforcement of or compliance with Federal legal requirements which relate to those programs (see 34 CFR 99.35 for additional conditions that must be met): the Comptroller General of the United States; the Secretary of the Department of Education; state educational authorities.
      
      
   2. state and local officials to whom disclosure is specifically required by State Statute adopted prior to
      November 19, 1974.
      
      
   3. Veterans Administration officials (not covered by FERPA but specified under Title 38, Section 1790 (c), United States Code).
      
      
   4. other school officials within the institution determined by the institution to have a legitimate educational interest.
      
      
   5. officials of other institutions in which a student seeks or intends to enroll on the condition that the issuing institution makes a reasonable attempt to inform the student of the disclosure unless the student initiates the transfer, or the written policy of the institution includes a notice that the institution forwards education records to other institutions that have requested the records in which the student seeks or intends to enroll (see 34 CFR 99.34 for additional conditions that must be met).
      
      
   6. organizations providing financial aid to students, or determining financial aid decisions concerning eligibility, amount, condition, and enforcement of terms of said aid.
      
      
   7. organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, education agencies or institutions to develop, validate, and administer predictive tests, to administer student aid programs or to improve instruction. Those organizations may not disclose personally identifiable information on students, and information secured must be destroyed when no longer needed for their projects. Institutions are advised to obtain such assurance in writing.
      
      
   8. accrediting organizations carrying out their accrediting functions.
      
      
   9. parents of a student who have established that student(s) status as a dependent according to Internal Revenue Code of 1954, Section 152. (Institutions are not required to disclose information under this guideline and EICC may choose not to disclose).
      
      
   10. persons in compliance with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena, provided that the institution makes a reasonable attempt to notify the student in advance of compliance.
       
       
   11. persons in an emergency, if the knowledge of information in fact is necessary to protect the health or safety of students or other persons (according to 34 CFR 99.36, the working of this section "shall be strictly construed").
       
       
   12. an alleged victim of any crime of violence (as that term is defined in 18 U.S.C 16) of the results of any institutional disciplinary proceeding against the alleged perpetrator of that crime with respect to that crime.
4. Institutions may release without written consent those items specified as public or Directory Information for students who are currently enrolled, provided the following conditions are met prior to disclosure:
   1. that the institution inform the students of information or categories designated as public or Directory Information.
   2. that students be given the opportunity to refuse disclosures of information for any or all categories of directory information.
   3. students be given a reasonable period of time in which to state such refusals in writing
      
      
5. Institutions may release without written consent those items designated as public or directory information on any student not currently enrolled unless that student, at his/her last opportunity as a student, requested otherwise.
   
   
6. Institutions may also disclose personally identifiable information from a student's education records to a third party if the eligible student has signed and dated a written consent from which is presented to a school official by the third party.

Your Academic Record (Transcript)

Final grades may be viewed online at www.eicc.edu on your EICConnect eBridge account. A permanent record of all the student’s courses, credits, and final grades earned (transcript) is kept in the Registrar’s office. Students may review their records.

How to Have a Transcript Sent

Transcript ordering allows you to order official transcripts via the Web at any time, 24/7. Official transcripts can be delivered electronically in as little as 15 minutes from when you place your order.

Access the site here: www.eicc.edu/transcriptrequest

You can order as many transcripts as you like in one online session using any major credit card. There is a $2.25 charge for the service. Real-time email and mobile text alerts keep you up-to-date on the status of your order. You can also track your order on the Transcript Order Web site .

Among the benefits you will realize from online Transcript Ordering are:

• Convenient 24/7 access
• Electronic delivery in 15 minutes (if you have no holds on your student account)
• Secure transactions
• Immediate, secure electronic transcript delivery worldwide
• Automatic order updates via mobile text alerts and email
• Online order tracking
• Ability to order multiple transcripts for multiple recipients in one order

Transcript Ordering is provided through the National Student Clearinghouse , a nonprofit organization serving the higher education community for more than 20 years.

American Opportunity Tax Credit

The American Opportunity Tax Credit was established to provide refundable tax credits for certain students enrolled in college. To comply with the regulations for the tax credit, each January Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (Clinton Community College, Muscatine Community College, and Scott Community College) sends all students information recording the tuition paid to one of the colleges of EICC on a form called the 1098T. This information is needed for the filing of the tax credit, which is completed when you file your income taxes.

For more information on the American Opportunity Tax Credit, please review the following website:
http://taxes.about.com/od/deductionscredits/qt/American-Opportunity-Tax-Credit.htm .

Photo/Video Release Agreement

Eastern Iowa Community College uses photographic, video and/or digital images taken of students on College property and at College events in publications, advertisements, promotional materials and audiovisual productions with marketing and/or student recruiting.

All students are advised that the Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) Marketing Department takes photographs and shoots videos throughout the year that may include images (as well as audio/video recordings of voices) of members of the student body and reserves the right to use them for publicity, promotional and marketing purposes. The College also reserves the right to take photographs of campus facilities and scenes, events, faculty, staff and students for promotional purposes in any areas on campus or at any off campus event sponsored or co-sponsored by EICC or one of its colleges where subjects do not have a normal and reasonable expectation of privacy. All such photographs are the property of EICC and may be used for EICC promotional purposes (e.g. electronic and printed publications, websites, classroom use, college ads, etc.) without prior permission of the subjects.

Our students are our best resources for promoting the College and we hope you welcome involvement in these activities. Students who do not wish to have their images/voices used for this purpose must stipulate this in writing to the office of Dean of Student Development at the beginning of the semester. It is also expected that such students will excuse themselves from photo/video sessions and inform EICC photographers that they do not wish to be included.