STUDENT RECORD CONFIDENTIALITITY:
FERPA/HIPAA INFORMATION
- Student Privacy
- What is FERPA?
- What is HIPAA?
- FERPA FAQs
- Special "DON'TS" For Faculty and Support Staff
- GTC Student Records Policy Statement
- Directory Information
Download the FERPA/HIPAA Presentation Handout (PDF)
Student Privacy
Griffin Technical College has a firm commitment to protecting the privacy rights of its students. In making this commitment, the College wants to ensure that all faculty and staff are familiar with state and federal laws pertaining to student privacy, as well as College policies and procedures that have been implemented to help guarantee student privacy.
What is FERPA?
FERPA stands for Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (sometimes called the Buckley Amendment). Passed by Congress in 1974, the Act grants four specific rights to college students:
- the right to see the information that the institution is keeping on the student
- the right to seek amendment to those records and in certain cases append a statement to the record
- the right to consent to disclosure of his/her records
- the right to file a complaint with the FERPA Office in Washington
Information is also available at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OII/fpco/ferpa/
HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Passed in 1996 HIPAA is a federal law that sets a national standard to protect medical records and other personal health information. The rule defines “protected health information” as health information that:
-
identifies an individual and
-
is maintained or exchanged electronically or in hard copy.
If the information has any components that could be used to identify a person, it would be protected. The protection would stay with the information as long as the information is in the hands of a covered entity or a business associate. The protections apply to individually identifiable information in any form, electronic or non-electronic. The paper progeny of electronic information is covered (i.e. the information would not lose its protections simply because it is printed out of a computer), and oral communications are also covered.
Information is also available at: http://www.cdc.gov/privacyrule/privacy-HIPAAfacts.htm
FERPA FAQs
What are Education Records?
Information recorded in any form that is directly related to a student and maintained by the college and by those acting for the college.
- personal information
- enrollment records
- grades
- schedules
The storage medium in which you find this information does not matter. A student educational record may be:
- a document in the Admissions and Records District office
- a computer printout in your office
- a class list on your desktop
- a computer display screen
Education Records Do Not Include:
- Records of instructional, supervisory and administrative personnel kept in the sole possession of the maker of the record and not revealed to anyone other than the maker's substitute;
- Records of a campus law enforcement unit created and maintained by that unit and used solely for law enforcement purposes;
- Employment records, maintained apart from educational records, relating to persons who are employees;
- Records kept and maintained by a health care professional, used solely in connection with treatment and disclosed only to individuals providing treatment; or
- Records which include information about an individual after he or she is no longer a student.
What is the Right to Inspect and Review?
Griffin Technical College must grant requests to review within a reasonable time but in no case more than 45 days after the request is received. Griffin Technical College must respond to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the records.
What is Prior Written Consent?
A signed and dated document that includes specification of the records to be disclosed, the purpose of the disclosure and the identity of the person to whom records will be disclosed. A written consent form can be accessed by clicking here (pdf).
When is Consent Not Required? (This is not an exhaustive list of exceptions)
- For legitimate educational purposes within the college.
- To officials at an institution in which student seeks to enroll.
- To comply with a court order or subpoena.
- In connection with a health or safety emergency if necessary to protect the student or others.
- To parents of students who are dependents for income tax purposes.
- If it is directory information.
- To parents of a student younger than 21 years of age if the disclosure concerns discipline for violation of the campus drug and alcohol policy.
What is Directory Information for Griffin Technical College?
- Student's Name
- Dates of Attendance
- Major Field of Study
- Dates of Degrees
Special "DON'TS" For Faculty and Support Staff
To avoid violations of FERPA rules,
DO NOT:
- at any time use the Social Security Number of a student in a public posting of grades
- ever link the name of a student with that student's social security number in any public manner
- leave graded tests in a stack for students to pick up by sorting through the papers of all students
- circulate a printed class list with student name and social security number or grades as an attendance roster
- discuss the progress of any student with anyone other than the student (including parents) without the consent of the student
- provide anyone with lists of students enrolled in your classes for any commercial or other purpose
- provide anyone with student schedules or assist anyone other than college employees in finding a student on campus
- give out directory information about a student who has requested confidentiality. Remember to check the Confidentiality screen in BANNER
- Re-disclose confidential information without authorization
- reveal “personally identifiable information” in a recommendation letter, e-mail, or phone conversation
GTC Student Records Policy Statement
Procedures relating to the establishment, utilization, availability, and retention of student records are in accordance with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 as amended, the State Board of Technical and Adult Education, and the policies of Griffin Tech. Students, alumni, and other interested parties should contract that Registrar's Office to obtain a copy of the College's policy.
Griffin Tech, in compliance with FERPA, releases the following as directory information without the consent of the student:
Any student or parent of a dependent student who objects to the release of directory information may file a Request to Suppress Directory Information in writing to the Registrar clearly stating what directory information should not be released.
Upon written consent of the student, specific information not listed above may be released provided the signed consent form is on file in the student's file.
In accordance with FERPA, certain governmental institutions have access to student records without prior consent for disclosure, If requested, Griffin Tech will notify the student of the release of any information to any agency for which prior consent is not required.
Griffin Tech, in compliance with FERPA, releases the following as directory information without the consent of the student:
- Name
- Address
- Electronic mail address
- Enrollment status (full-time or part-time)
- Program of Study
- Dates of Attendance
- Certificate/diploma/degree awarded
- Honors received
- Recognized study activity participation
- Photograph for publicity
Any students or parent of a dependent student who objects to the release of directory information may file a Request to Suppress Directory Information in writing to the Registrar clearly stating what directory information should not be released.
Upon written consent of the student, specific information not listed above may be released provided the signed consent form is in the student's file.
In accordance with FERPA, certain governmental institutions have access to student records without prior consent for disclosure. If requested, Griffin Tech will notify the student of the release of an information to any agency for which prior consent is not required.
