2025-2026 Adrian College Academic Catalog

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Notification of Student Rights under FERPA

 

Adrian College and the Adrian College School of Graduate Studies uphold the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 and its amendments, which affords students confidentiality and certain rights with respect to their education records. Students are notified of their rights under FERPA during Orientation as well as in the annual Catalog. If confidential information from a student’s educational record is accidentally released, Adrian College and the Adrian College School of Graduate Studies follow the breach checklist to remedy the situation.

 

Questions regarding FERPA may be directed to the Registrar’s Office at registrar@adrian.edu or the Office of Academic Affairs at academicaffairs@adrian.edu. Students’ rights under FERPA begin when the student has matriculated to Adrian College or the Adrian College School of Graduate Studies. This will occur after the enrollment census is confirmed.

Under FERPA, students have the following rights: limit disclosure of personally identifiable information (Known as “directory information”); inspect and review their educational record; request amendments to their educational records; and file a complaint with the Department of Education. All educational records are kept in perpetuity.

Disclosure Policy

Directory information contained within student records includes the following:

  • Name

  • Address (including permanent, local, and email

  • addresses)

  • Phone number

  • Birth date and place of birth

  • Name of parents/guardians

  • Previous school(s) attended

  • Dates of attendance

  • Awards or honors received

  • Degrees awarded

  • Dates of degrees awarded

  • Majors and minors

  • Official Adrian College ID photo

  • Classification (first year, second year, etc.)

  • Enrollment status

  • Athletics: statistics (including weight, height, etc.),

  • -other information included on team activity sheets

  • Participation in officially recognized events,

  • activities, and sports

  • Leadership positions at Adrian College

Any of the above information may be released by the College, as it is deemed to not be an invasion of privacy for students. Adrian College will only release directory information to a third party as needed, including if it receives a Freedom of Information Act of Solomon Amendment (includes citizenship status) request.

Students may request their directory information be confidential and not released by submitting a completed, hand-written non-disclosure form to the Registrar’s Office. The form must be received by the 10th day of Fall semester classes and must be re-submitted annually.

All other information beyond directory information is considered confidential and has its confidentiality guaranteed. The following circumstances are the only approved exceptions to this:

  • Adrian College faculty or staff who have a legitimate need

  • A court order or subpoena

  • National Student Clearinghouse reporting

  • Financial Aid purposes

  • The protection/safety of students, faculty, and staff

In all other instances, student confidential information will not be disclosed without written consent.

Where to Find Records

Student records are housed in various offices across the Adrian College campus. These offices include:

  • Academic Affairs

  • Academic Services

  • Alumni

  • Faculty advisors

  • Financial Aid

  • Health & Counseling Center

  • Housing

  • Institute for Career Planning

  • Office of Graduate Studies

  • Registrar

  • Student Life

Record Review Process

FERPA awards students the right to review their educational record. The Registrar’s Office and Office of Academic Affairs have been designated by the College to coordinate the review process. Students who wish to review their record must make a written request to both the Registrar and the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs listing the item(s) of interest. Records covered by FERPA will be made available to the student within 45 days of receipt of the request. All documents will be reviewed in the presence of a designated College official. If the record to be reviewed is not housed within the Registrar’s Office or Office of Academic Affairs, the Registrar and Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs will advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

A student who believes that their educational record contains inaccurate or misleading information or is in violation of their privacy rights may discuss the problem informally with the Registrar and Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs. If the discussion resolves the challenge, the record in question will be amended within 45 days of the discussion. If the discussion does not resolve the challenge, the student will be notified within a reasonable period of time that the record will not be amended the student will then be informed of their right to a formal hearing.

The formal hearing request must be made in writing to the Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs, who will then notify the student within a reasonable amount of time of the date, place, and time of the hearing. The student is welcome to present evidence relevant to the challenge and may be assisted by a person of the student’s choice at the hearing. The hearing panel will be composed of the Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs, the Dean of Graduate Studies & Institutional Effectiveness, and two faculty members of the Academic Status Review Committee’s choosing. However, no member of the hearing panel may have a direct interest in the outcome of the hearing. If such an occasion arises, the Academic Status Review Committee will determine the proper administrative replacement.

Decisions of the panel are final and will be based solely on the evidence presented during the hearing. A written final statement will be sent to the student within 45 days of the hearing. If the decision is not in favor of the student, they may place statements commenting on why they believe the information is misleading in their record. The final statement from the panel will also be filed in the educational record.

If the student still believes the College has violated their rights under FERPA, they have the right to submit a written complaint to the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue,

SW., Washington, D.C. 20202-4605.

Restricted Information

As outlined in FERPA, students my not review the following: financial information submitted by parent(s) or guardian(s); letters and recommendations to which the student has waived the rights of review; or educational records containing information about more than one student. If a student requests to review their educational record and it contains information in any of the above categories, the College will permit access only to the part of the record pertaining to that student.

The College is not required to permit students to review confidential letters and recommendations placed in their files prior to January 1, 1975.

FERPA for Faculty and Staff

Maintaining confidentiality of all student educational records is everyone’s responsibility. Adrian College and the Adrian College School of Graduate Studies require all faculty and staff to know and comply with FERPA.        

Faculty and staff who handle student records may not release any confidential information without expressed written consent from the student, including progress and grades in courses; graded materials; or class lists (to anyone outside the College). Any directory information released will be done in an ethical and professional manner to the inquirer who has established identity and reasonable need for the information.

If purging old physical documents, including any advising documents, with confidential information, faculty and staff members are required to shred it. If a shredder is not available, faculty and staff are welcome to bring it to the Registrar’s Office for shredding. If purging old electronic documents, faculty and staff members are required to destroy the file.

FERPA for Families

At Adrian College, we strive to follow our Ribbons of Excellence: caring for humanity and the world; learning throughout a lifetime; thinking critically; crossing boundaries and disciplines; and developing creativity. We believe that in order for students to learn and live these ribbons, they must be guided into independence. We hope to nurture our students as they step into adulthood, fostering academic success, self-reliance, good judgement, and mature relationships. This means that once they turn 18, the right to see confidential information transfers from parents/guardians to students. FERPA awards them this right.

Expiration of Credits / Courses

Past students who have withdrawn from Adrian College and have been out for six or more years will need to change to the most recent catalog for their program and may need to retake prerequisite courses prior to moving forward in their studies.  The decision regarding prerequisite courses will be made by the department chair prior to enrolling in courses.  

Transcripts

Adrian College follows these guidelines for releasing or withholding official transcripts in accordance with regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Education:

    Transcript requests are released when the student account balance meets one of the following conditions:

1. A full transcript will be released when your account balance is fully paid. This includes being current through the most recent installment due for those enrolled in a multi-payment plan.

2. A partial transcript will be released if your account has an unpaid balance but Title IV federal aid has been applied. The partial transcript will include all semesters through the most recent semester where Title IV federal aid was used and the balance has been paid in full. Transcript requests may be withheld for semesters with an unpaid balance due in which Title IV federal aid has not been applied.

Title IV federal student financial aid programs are comprised of the following: Federal Pell Grant, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Direct Parent PLUS Loans, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), and Federal Campus Employment programs.

For more information regarding additional transcript requests please visit the Registrar’s webpage at https://www.adrian.edu/academics/registrar/transcripts. If students have questions or need further assistance, please contact the Adrian College Registrar’s office at registrar@adrian.edu or (517) 265-5161 ext. 3192.