Consumer Information: Student Rights Under FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the California Education Code afford "eligible students" certain rights with respect to their education records. Eligible students are those who are or have been in attendance at Golden Gate University. These rights include:

  1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the date the university receives a request for access. A student should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and will notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the school official to whom the request was submitted, the official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed. If the student cannot inspect the records at Golden Gate University's San Francisco campus, copies of the records will be made available by regular mail at the cost of $0.25 per page, upon satisfactory proof of the student's identity.
  2. The right to request the amendment of a student's education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student's privacy rights under FERPA. A student who wishes to ask the school to amend a record should write the school official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the University decides not to amend the record as requested, the University 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.
  3. The right to provide written consent before the University discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from students' education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent FERPA contains various exceptions to the general rule that the University should not disclose education records without seeking the prior written consent of the student. The following circumstances are representative of those in which education records may be disclosed without the student's prior written consent:
    1. The University may release directory information upon request. Directory information is information that is not generally considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. See Directory Information for more information.
    2. School officials who have a legitimate educational interest in a student's education record may review it. A school official is a person employed by Golden Gate University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position; a person serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside the University who performs an institutional service or function for which the University would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the University with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agency or a student volunteering to assist another school official in preforming his or her duties. 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 University.
    3. The University discloses education records without consent to officials of another school, in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, upon request of officials at that other school.
    4. The University may inform persons including either parent(s) or guardian(s) when disclosure of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons.
    5. The University must provide records in response to lawfully issued subpoenas, or as otherwise compelled by legal process.
  4. The right to file a complaint with the US Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
US Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5920