Notification of Student Rights Under FERPA

AUC and FERPA

AUC strives to follow the guidelines set by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which affords students certain rights with respect to the student’s education records. 

These rights include:

The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day AUC 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.

An appropriate AUC official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the requested records may be inspected.

If the requested records are not maintained by the AUC official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

The student has a right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s rights under FERPA.

A student who wishes to ask AUC to amend a record should write the AUC official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed.

If AUC decides not to amend the record as requested, AUC 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 student has a right to provide written consent before AUC discloses personally identifiable information from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. AUC does disclose education records without a student’s prior consent under certain exceptions and conditions. For example, AUC discloses educational records to school officials with a legitimate educational interest in the information. For these purposes, a school official is a person employed by or affiliated with the institution in an administrative, supervisory, academic or support staff capacity. A legitimate educational interest is the demonstrated need to know information to perform a job function and/or fulfill a responsibility related to the student’s education.

Also, upon request, AUC discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

AUC also discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent to law enforcement where a threat to health, safety or security may exist, or in response to a court or quasi-judicial order (e.g. a subpoena or warrant). This is not an exhaustive list of situations in which education records may be disclosed without a student’s consent.

A student has the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by AUC 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

Student Consent for Release of Education Records [PDF]