FERPA

CMN policies regarding family educational and privacy rights are governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Copies of the act, policies, and regulations are maintained in the Office of Admissions/Registrar. In accordance with FERPA, eligible students are entitled to access official educational records directly related to the student, including the right of inspection and review. Students should contact the Office of Admissions/Registrar for information concerning the procedures for such inspection and review. It is the policy of the College of the Muscogee Nation to follow all guidelines set by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in regards to a student’s information. No information shall be released without the prior written consent of the student, except to personnel within the institution who have a legitimate educational interest.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a Federal law which provides that the institution will maintain the confidentiality of student education records.

College of the Muscogee Nation accords all the rights under the law to students. Those rights are: 1) the right to inspect and review the student’s education records; 2) the right to request the amendment of the student’s education records to ensure that they are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy or other rights; 3) 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; 4) the right to file with the U.S. Department of Education a complaint concerning alleged failures by College of the Muscogee Nation to comply with the requirements of FERPA; and 5) The College of the Muscogee Nation accords all the rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to students.

For more information, please refer to the CMN Student Handbook.

No one outside the institution shall have access to, nor will the institution disclose any information from students’ education records without the prior written consent of the student(s) except to personnel within the institution who have a legitimate educational interest, to persons or organizations providing students financial aid, to accrediting agencies carrying out their accreditation function, to persons in compliance with a judicial order, and to persons in an emergency in order to protect the health or safety of students or other persons. All these exceptions are permitted under the Act. {Refer to the FERPA Annual Notification, Item #3}

Within the College of the Muscogee Nation community, only those members, individually or collectively, acting in the students’ legitimate educational interests are allowed access to student education records. Legitimate educational interests means 1) the information or records requested is(are) relevant and necessary to accomplishment of some task or determination; and 2) the task or determination is an employment responsibility for the inquirer or is a properly assigned subject matter for the inquirer’s employment responsibility. {Refer to the FERPA Annual Notification, Item #3}

Social Security number and student status data may be provided to other state agencies for use in detection of fraudulent or illegal claims against state monies. Please be aware that the college does not maintain a single database containing all student education records. Rather, records are maintained in various systems by type and overseen by various records custodians. Present or former college students may request their own student education records, and the college will comply with any applicable court order or lawfully issued subpoena.

Policy and Regulation References:

• 20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99
• CMN Student Handbook