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

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. A student should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes 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, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. A student who wishes to ask the college to amend a record should write the college official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed.
   If the college decides not to amend the record as requested, the college 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.
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.
   The college 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 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 as its agent to provide a service instead of using college employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the College Council; 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; and National Student Clearinghouse officials. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the college. Upon request, the college also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
   Buffalo State hereby designates the following categories of student information as public or directory information. Such information may be disclosed by the institution for any purpose, at its discretion.

A. Name, address, electronic mail address, telephone listing, dates of attendance, enrollment status (e.g., undergraduate or graduate, full-time or part-time), class level, and academic adviser.

B. Most recent educational agency or institution attended; major field of study; degrees, honors, and awards received.

C. Participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, date and place of birth, photographs. Currently enrolled students may withhold disclosure of any category of information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. To withhold disclosure, written notification must be received by September 15 in the Registrar’s Office, Moot Hall, Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222-1095. Nondisclosure of information will commence thereafter and be effective until September 14 of the following year. Written notification to withhold disclosure must be made each academic year. Buffalo State assumes that failure on the part of any student to specifically request the withholding of categories of directory information by the deadline date indicates individual approval for disclosure.

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Buffalo State 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 Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20202-5901

Refer to DOPS Policy I:13:00.