The University of Management & Technology's policy on the release of student education record complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment. This law preserves students' right to privacy.

Student Right of Review

UMT students are given an annual notice of their rights under FERPA and the university's policies regarding their education records. This notice will be accomplished by written mailing, electronic mail, posting to the university web site, or other reasonable means.

All UMT students have the right to inspect and review records. Student requests for access to or copies of their educational records will be complied with in a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 30 days from the date of the request.

If a student believes the record to be inaccurate, he or she may seek to amend it. UMT must decide, within a reasonable period of time, whether to grant the request. If the request is denied, the student has a right to a hearing. If the disagreement with the record continues after the hearing, the student may insert an explanation of the objection in the record. The right of appeal does not apply to grades or educational decisions about students that school personnel make. However, the appeals process can be used to determine whether a grade was properly recorded in the records.

UMT reserves the right to delay access to records if:

• the students has an unpaid financial obligation
• to the university;
  there is an unresolved disciplinary action against the student; or
• the requested record includes an exam or test questions.

The university reserves the right to charge a reasonable fee for copies of student records. The university cannot destroy records if a request for access is pending.

FERPA applies to all students 18 and older. Parents retain access to student records of children who are their dependents for tax purposes.

Definitions of Education Records

Education records include a range of information about a student that is maintained in schools in any recorded way, such as handwriting, print, computer media, video or audiotape, film, microfilm, and microfiche. Examples are:

• Date and place of birth, parent(s) and/or guardian addresses, and where parents can be contacted in emergencies;
• Grades, test scores, courses taken, academic specializations and activities, and official letters regarding a student's status in school;
• Disciplinary records;
• Documentation of attendance, schools attended, courses taken, awards conferred, and degrees earned;
• Information about student employment as a result of his or her student status;
• Personal information such as a student's identification code, social security number, picture, or other information that would make it easy to identify or locate a student.

The following materials are not considered to be part of the Education Record:

• Personal notes made by teachers and other school officials that are not shared with others.
• Information related to employment, except for records of someone employed as a result of his or her student status.
• Records that only contain information about an individual after he or she is no longer a student at UMT.

Students do not have the right to access to the following information in their education records:

• Financial records of their parents.
• Confidential letters of recommendation.

Directory Information

Part of the education record, known as Directory Information, includes personal information about a student that can be made public according to the university's student records policy. Directory information may include a student's:

• name
• address
• telephone number
• date and place of birth
• major field of study
• student activities
• dates of attendance
• degrees and awards received
• previous education institutions attended
• photograph.

Each year, UMT must give student public notice of the types of information designated as Directory Information. By a specified time after students are notified of their review rights, students may ask to remove all or part of the information about them that they do not wish to be available to the public without their consent.

Individual faculty and staff members must not release directory information before first determining whether the student has requested that any or all of it be withheld.

Release of Student Records

Disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records is not permitted to third parties without a student's permission. A written, signed, and dated consent form is required to release any records.

Federal law allows for a number of circumstances under which records may be released without the student's prior permission. Records may be released to:

• Individuals requesting Directory Information.
• UMT officials who have a legitimate educational interest in the information. A legitimate educational interest is defined as the need for a school official to know the contents of a record in relation to a legitimate university objective. This interest must comply with federal or state law or university policy.
• Officials of other educational institutions to which the student seeks or intends to enroll. The student has a right, upon request, to obtain a copy of the information that was released. UMT may release information about disciplinary actions take against students to officials from other educational institutions without prior consent.
• State and Federal officials for auditing purposes.
• Persons or organizations involved in financial aid matters related to the student.
• Organizations conducting studies for the university.
• Accrediting organizations.
• Appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency.
• Comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. A reasonable effort must be made to notify the student in advance of compliance, except in the case of a federal grand jury subpoena or other circumstances where notification is prohibited by law.
• Alleged victims of crimes of violence. Disclosure is limited to the disciplinary proceedings against the alleged perpetrators of the crimes.

UMT must inform third parties (other than school officials) who receive information from education records without the student's consent that the information cannot be disclosed to any other individual or organization except in compliance with the Buckley Amendment. Any third party that inappropriately re-releases personally identifiable information from an education record cannot have access to educational records for five years.

UMT must keep a record of the names of third parties to which education records have been release. This record should be kept with the education record. This requirement does not cover requests by officials of the university or the release of directory information.

Appeals Process

Students who believe their rights have been abridged and have exhausted their administrative appeals may file complaints with the Family Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605. Complaints must be filed within 180 days of the date of the alleged violation or the date on which the complainant knew or should have know of the alleged violation.