The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

A federal law enacted in 1974, which provides students certain rights with respect to their education records. Specifically it provides students the right to:

• Inspect and review their education records
• Request the amendment of inaccurate or misleading records
• Consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in their education record
• File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Methodist College to comply with this law. FERPA authorizes the release of Directory Information without the students consent under certain conditions that are set forth in the Act. Methodist College has defined its Directory Information in accordance with the law.

Directory information is information contained in an education record of a student which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. At the Methodist College, directory information consists of the student's name, local and permanent address, email address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, enrollment status, degrees and awards (including scholarships) received, participation in officially recognized activities, pictures, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended.

Note: Directory information is information that the College may disclose, but it is not required to do so. It is College policy to refrain from actively disclosing addresses, telephone numbers and date of birth, however we routinely verify this information. The College does not disclose social security numbers, personal identification numbers, grades, grade point averages, class schedules, academic actions nor the number of credits enrolled in or earned unless the student has signed a consent form.