Revised by President’s Cabinet 10/27/15
Adopted by President’s Cabinet 9/25/12
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is designed to protect the privacy of student educational records maintained by the institution. Once a student enrolls in a postsecondary institution or is 18 years of age at enrollment, all rights to the education record vest solely in the student. FERPA governs the access and disclosure of education records. Educational records are records that are directly related to the student and that are maintained by an educational institution. This broad definition encompasses many records contained in various units within the institution and contains numerous exceptions. Careful analysis of the student record and its exceptions is essential to protect the privacy of student records. All faculty and staff should understand the fundamental elements of FERPA, abide by the student privacy regulations, and seek assistance and guidance from the Office of the Registrar when necessary.
To ensure that all East Georgia State College employees attain working knowledge of FERPA, all faculty and staff will be required to complete annual mandatory on-line FERPA training. All new employees are required to complete the EGSC FERPA Training as part of Orientation. The Registrar will coordinate with the Director of Human Resources to ensure that initial training and refresher courses are released and that new employees are informed of this requirement. All existing employees must complete training and any refresher training within sixty (60) days of release; all new employees must complete within thirty (30) days of release. The mandatory FERPA training includes completion of the following items: the FERPA training module, the FERPA on-line quiz and the FERPA confidentiality statement. Unit supervisors will monitor training compliance of his or her direct reports. Any faculty or staff member that fails to complete the mandatory training will be addressed by his or her supervisor in the annual evaluation.
