Family Education Rights and Privacy Act
Eastern Virginia Medical School’s (EVMS) policy regarding the confidentiality of student records is in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). FERPA was enacted to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data. It is EVMS’ policy to maintain as confidential all personally identifiable information in education records except that which is considered to be “directory information.”
Directory information is defined as that information which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Designated directory information at EVMS includes: student name, telephone number, EVMS e-mail address, degrees or certificates sought and/or conferred, program/class year, dates of attendance, awards and honors received, enrollment status, photograph, the name of the most recent previous educational institution attended, and residency or other internship or post-completion placement.
EVMS, without consent of the student, may disclose directory information unless the student has restricted the release of this information. Students have the right to request that directory information not be disclosed to third parties by submitting the “FERPA Directory Hold Form” (available in the Office of the Registrar, Lewis Hall, Room 1147) to the Registrar within (10) days of the start of any new or renewing term. If this form is not completed and received in person (with photo ID) in the Office of the Registrar within the timeframe stated above, it will be assumed that directory information may be disclosed. Students may elect to withhold directory information at any point during their enrollment.
EVMS cannot assume responsibility to contact you for subsequent permission to release directory information. Please consider very carefully the consequences of any decision by you to withhold directory information. Should you decide to do so, any future requests for such information from non-institutional persons to third parties cannot be processed even after you graduate.
FERPA affords students in attendance certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights are:
- The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day EVMS receives a request for access.
All students should submit to the Registrar a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The form to request access to inspect and review student academic records is available via the Office of the Registrar. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
All students who wish to ask EVMS to amend a record should contact the Office of the Registrar, in writing, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed. The form to request an amendment to a student record is available via the Office of the Registrar. If EVMS decides not to amend the record as requested, EVMS will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
- The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
(Please note: EVMS will not release information from a student’s educational record without the student’s written consent except as indicated below.)
FERPA permits disclosure, without a student’s prior written consent, to:
- School officials with legitimate educational interests. A “school official” is a person employed by EVMS in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including EVMS law enforcement personnel and health staff); faculty sponsoring an honor society; contractors, consultants, volunteers or other outside parties providing services instead of using EVMS employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Visitors; or a student serving on an official EVMS committee, such as a disciplinary, student progress or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. Inter-institutional disclosure may be made between EVMS and entities that administer or participate in joint or affiliated programs or activities and that further a legitimate educational interest because such disclosures are considered made to “school officials”. 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 EVMS.
- Officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll so long as the disclosure is related to the enrollment or transfer.
- EVMS may disclose education records to appropriate parties, including a student’s parent(s), if it determines that there is a significant threat to the health or safety of a student or other individuals, but only to those persons whose knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by EVMS to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202-5901
As of January 3, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education’s FERPA regulations expand the circumstances under which your education records and personally identifiable information (PII) contained in such records - including your Social Security Number, grades, or other private information - may be accessed without your consent. First, the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities (“Federal and State Authorities”) may allow access to your records and PII without your consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program. The evaluation may relate to any program that is “principally engaged in the provision of education,” such as early childhood education and job training, as well as any program that is administered by an education agency or institution. Second, Federal and State Authorities may allow access to your education records and PII without your consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain cases even when we object to or do not request such research. Federal and State Authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security promises from the entities that they authorize to receive your PII, but the Authorities need not maintain direct control over such entities. In addition, in connection with Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, State Authorities may collect, compile, permanently retain, and share without your consent PII from your education records, and they may track your participation in education and other programs by linking such PII to other personal information about you that they obtain from other Federal or State data sources, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice, military service, and migrant student records systems.
Policy on Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment
Policy on Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment
Policy on Resolution of Sexual Harassment
Policy on Resolution of Sexual Harassment
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