Academic Records/Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. Those rights are as follows:

  • Students have the right to request to review their educational records. Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the privacy rights of the student.
    • Students should submit written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect to the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar’s Office will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected, no more than 45 days after the initial request is received.
    • 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 to a hearing.

Some of the more common exceptions to FERPA rights are as follows:

  • Disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests.
    • A school official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as 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 must have legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
  • Disclosure for transfer purposes.
    • Upon request, the College may disclose educational records without consent to officials of another school in which a student intends to enroll.
  • Disclosures to parents of dependent children.
    • A student is a minor dependent student if they can be claimed as a dependent on the tax return of a parent, guardian, or another individual. However, the College will check with the student before releasing information to parents or guardians.
  • To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena. 
  • In connection with a health or safety emergency.

The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Student Privacy Policy Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave. S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-5920

Annual Notification of FERPA Rights

The College will annually notify eligible students of their rights under FERPA. The notification will include information regarding the right to inspect, review, and seek amendment of their academic records, the right to redact consent to disclose personally identifiable information, and share information regarding how to file grievances with the Student Privacy Policy Office. 

Notification of Directory Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that Dunwoody College of Technology, with certain exceptions, obtain written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records. However, Dunwoody College of Technology may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you have advised the College to the contrary in accordance with the institution’s procedures.

For ineligible students (under 18 and/or a dependent), directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent.

If you do not want Dunwoody College of Technology to disclose any or all of the types of information designated below as directory information from your education records without your prior written consent, you may notify the Registrar’s Office by completing a Consent to Release Education Records form (Dunwoody credentials are required to access the form).

Dunwoody has designated the following information as directory information:

  • Student's name
  • Address (local, permanent, and electronic mail)
  • Telephone numbers
  • Hometown
  • Electronic mail address
  • Dates of attendance
  • Enrollment status (full-time, part-time, or not enrolled)
  • Program of study
  • Class level
  • Degrees and awards earned 
  • Participation in officially recognized activities
  • Photographic, electronic, or video images, if the student has consented to release. These images include the student participating in Dunwoody sanctioned events.