Student Records Policy
Ranger College accords all the rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, to students who are declared independent. The College will neither provide access to nor disclose information from students’ educational records without written consent of students except to personnel within the institution, to officials of other institutions in which students seek to enroll, to persons or organizations providing students financial aid, to accrediting agencies carrying out their accreditation function, to persons in compliance with a judicial order, and to persons in an emergency in order to protect the health or safety of students or other persons.
Within the College only those members individually or collectively acting in the student’s educational interest are allowed access to student educational records. These members include personnel in the Registrar’s Office, Business Office, and Financial Aid Office, and other administrative personnel seeking the information in the discharge of their official duties. Academic personnel shall have access within the limitations of their need to know as it relates to students enrolled in their classes or in their capacity as student advisors.
At its discretion Ranger College may provide Directory Information in accordance with the provisions of the Act to include student name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and weight and height of members in athletic teams.
Students may withhold Directory Information by notifying the Vice President of Student Services in writing within two weeks after the first day of class for the full term. Requests for non-disclosure will be honored by the institution for only one academic year; therefore, authorization to withhold Directory Information from general release must be filed annually in the Office of the Vice President of Student Services.
Students shall have the right to inspect and review information contained in their education records, to challenge the contents of their education records, to have a hearing if the outcome of the challenge is unsatisfactory, and to submit explanatory statements for inclusion in their files if the decisions of the hearing panels are unacceptable. Students wishing to review their education records must make written requests to the Vice President of Student Services listing the item or items of interest. Only records covered by the Act will be made available within forty-five days of the request. Students may have copies made of their records with certain exceptions.
Students who believe their education records contain information that is inaccurate or misleading or is otherwise in violation of their privacy or other rights may discuss their concerns informally with the Vice President of Student Services. If the decisions are in agreement with the student’s requests, the appropriate records will be amended. If not, the student will be notified within a reasonable period of time that the records will not be amended, and the student will be informed of his/her right to a formal hearing. Student requests for a formal hearing must be made to the Vice President of Student Services, who within a reasonable period of time after receiving such a request will inform the student of the date, place, and time of the hearing. Students may present evidence relevant to the issues raised and may be assisted or represented at the hearing by one or more persons of their choice, including attorneys, at the student’s expense.
Decisions of the hearing grievance officer will be final, will be based solely on the evidence presented at the hearing, will consist of written statements summarizing the evidence and stating the reasons for the decisions, and will be delivered to all parties concerned. The records will be corrected or amended in accordance with the decisions of the hearing panel if the decision requires such. If the decision is unsatisfactory to the student, he/she may place within the education records statements setting forth any reasons for disagreeing with the decisions of the hearing panels. The statements will be placed in the education records, maintained as part of the records, and released whenever the records in question are disclosed.
Students who believe the adjudication of their challenge was unfair or not in keeping with the provision of the Act may request, in writing, assistance from the President of the College, and he shall aid them in filing complaints with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office, Dept. of Education, Washington, D.C.