The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) offers students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights are as follows:
- The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the school receives a request for access. Students should submit a written request to the Office of the Registrar that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar then notifies 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 or misleading. A student may ask Sofia University to amend a record they believe is inaccurate or misleading. A written request must be made to the Provost. The request should include all information which identifies the part of the record the student wants amended and why the student believes the record to be inaccurate or misleading. The Provost or designee responds to the student of the decision in writing. Students will be advised of their right to a hearing in the event that the University decides not to amend the specified record. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified.
- The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure of student records without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if they need to review an education record in order to fulfill their professional responsibility. A school official is a person employed by Sofia University in an administrative, supervisory, academic/research, or support staff position (including law enforcement personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom Sofia University has contracted (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 a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. Sofia University discloses education records without consent, upon request, to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Sofia University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC20202-4605.