2014-15-Undergraduate-Catalog

Release of RecordsExternal release of records will occur in accordance with federal law.Student Life Policies • 113Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, pertains to studenteducational records maintained by Shenandoah University. The Act allows students andparents of dependent students access to their educational records while also protectingtheir right to privacy by limiting the transferability of records without the students’ consent.The following guidelines are meant to assist all members of the Shenandoah community inunderstanding the provisions of the Act as they apply to Shenandoah University. FERPArules are covered in greater depth under Academic Policies.Release of Confidential RecordsThe university will not release educational records of current or former students unless awritten statement authorizing such a release is received from the student. Exceptions to thispolicy include the following:1. Faculty and staff members having a legitimate educational interest in the record.2. Authorized federal and state officials in the process of administering educationalprograms.3. Requirements in the administration of the Financial Aid Program.4. Accrediting organizations carrying out their accrediting function.5. Parents of a dependent student. Each student is considered financially dependent uponhis/her parents if claimed as a dependent for federal income tax purposes. A certifiedcopy of the parents’ most recent federal income tax return verifying the student’sdependency status must be provided to the Registrar’s Office annually.6. Directory information. (See Academic Policies section.)7. Organizations conducting studies on educational programs, provided the identity of thestudent is not revealed.8. An emergency situation involving the health or safety of the student or other persons.9. The university is in compliance with the Patriot Act.10. In cases of a search warrant or subpoena from law enforcement or the court system, theuniversity is required to comply with requests for students’ records.11.The university will advise all recipients of student records that only authorized personsmay view the records. Each university office will keep a record of all individuals requestingor receiving student records except as noted in Item 1 above.Under FERPA, students control access to their academic records and grant access to thoserecords to their parents and other third parties through written permission. Many studentsgrant this access with general permission; others sign individual forms or written documentson a case-by-case basis. Under Virginia Law (Code of Virginia §23-9.2:3, amended July 2008),parents of students who are defined as “dependent” under U.S. Tax Code may be grantedaccess to certain records by providing evidence of tax dependency and making a specificwritten request.