FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
As employees of Southeastern Technical College, we become agents of the College in our representations to others regarding the school. When representing the school, whether in a conversation with a student, parent, community member, or others, we must be sensitive to the increasing possibilities of overstepping our authority to speak regarding certain issues, particularly those concerning confidentiality and the release of student information. During the course of your employment, you may come into contact with information regarding students. Only certain information, called Directory Information, is allowed to be released concerning students.
FERPA is an acronym for the Federal Education Rights to Privacy Act. An Instructor cannot discuss a student's class status with anyone other than the student and appropriate personnel within the college. (I.E. No communication with Parents/Guardians.) This Is the Law. The only exception to this is for high school students enrolled in a class as an ACCEL student. Since these are high school students, parents have a right to know, but only after the parents contact student services who in turn would contact the Instructor. Related to this is the fact that Instructors are not to give any student his/her grade over the phone, via e-mail, or by posting in any manner. Students would have to speak with the Instructor in person or otherwise wait until grades are available in BannerWeb.
Each year, every employee of the College is expected to complete FERPA training. The registrar's office will notify you by email when the training will take place and where you need to go for the training.