Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (also known as the Buckley Amendment) was enacted to protect the privacy of educational records, to establish the right of students to examine and review their educational records, and to establish guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading statements.

Students have the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of the day the Corcoran receives a request for access. A student who wishes to inspect and review his or her education records should submit a written request to the registrar which identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. Students also have the right to request an amendment of their education records that they believe are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of their privacy rights under FERPA. A student who wishes to ask the Corcoran to amend a record should write the registrar and clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, as well as specify why it should be changed. If the registrar decides not to amend the record as requested, the registrar will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment (see section on Academic Appeals Committee). Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

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. The Corcoran College of Art + Design has designated the following information as directory information: student’s name, participation in officially recognized activities, thesis titles, addresses, telephone listings, e-mail addresses, photographs, degrees and awards received, date and place of birth, field of study, dates of attendance, enrollment status (full- or part-time, undergraduate or graduate), and the most recent school attended. No other information will be released without a student’s prior written consent, including disclosure of information to parents or family members. Special requests can be made by students to withhold the release of directory information, or to authorize release of information to third parties such as parents.

If you do not want the Corcoran to disclose your directory information from your education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing each year prior to the first day of fall classes. One exception, which permits disclosure without a student’s prior written consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the Corcoran in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including security personnel); a person or company with whom the Corcoran has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using Corcoran employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as the Honor Committee and the Student Conduct Committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the College. Upon request, the Corcoran also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

The privacy rights of an individual expire with that individual's death. Access to records held by an institution for a deceased person is not a FERPA issue but a matter of institutional policy. The Corcoran will exercise its own discretion in deciding whether, and under what conditions, information should be disclosed to survivors or third parties. Individuals requesting information from the record of a deceased student should be directed to the Office of the Registrar.

Any questions regarding additional details of the institution’s FERPA policy, or concerns about a possible violation of FERPA rights should be directed to the Office of the Registrar. Complaints that concern any alleged failures by the Corcoran to comply with the requirements of FERPA can be filed with:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20202-5901