AR 5040 Student Records

AR 5040 Student Records

References:

     Education Code 76200 et. seq.
     Title 5, Sections 54600 et seq.
     20 U.S. Code Section 1232 g(j) (U.S. Patriot Act)
     Civil Code Section 1798.85
     Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
     Internal Revenue Code of 2954, Section 152
     ACCJC Accreditation Standard II.C.8

 

In accordance with the Congressional Legislation entitled Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), the Policy/Procedure stated hereinafter is established in regard to the privacy, review and release of identifiable information in a student's records.

RECORDS - CONTENTS AND SUPERVISION 

A.   The Administrator of Admissions and Records shall have supervisory charge of all education records within his/her jurisdiction, and shall be directly responsible for specific records, and shall maintain a list of individuals, by position or name, so designated.

B.   The Rancho Santiago Community College District currently maintains records that comprise the categories of files noted below, and that contain information directly related to a student or students. The inclusion of a file category in the following list does not constitute a requirement that such category be maintained by each component of the district, or, if such category is maintained by each component of the district, that each type of category information listed be included in full in each student's file. The inclusion of a category or type of information in the following list does constitute a requirement that, if the file is maintained and the type of information obtained and retained, such file and information shall be made available in full in accordance with the limitations and procedures established in this policy and/or the referenced Act.

1.   Admissions and Records - College Credit: These records are maintained in the Admissions/Records Office of each college and include permanent records of work taken at each college, transcripts of work taken at other colleges, test results, college applications, academic petitions, grade and attendance rosters, student programs, graduation records, counseling logs, student certification records and correspondence with students. Faculty, administration and clerical staff members have access to these files, if such access is necessary for the completion of their official duties.

2.   Admissions and Records - Continuing Education: These records are maintained in the Continuing Education Division offices located in Santa Ana and Orange, and include records of work taken in the continuing education program, transcripts from other schools, test results, student programs, counselor's notes, and correspondence. The Records personnel also maintain a permanent record file that lists the name, address, telephone number, date of birth, subjects taken, grades received, credits granted and attendance hours of each student during each current and past school year. Faculty, administration and clerical staff members have access to these files, if such access is necessary for the completion of their official duties.

3.   Data Processing Files - College Credit: These files are maintained in the Information Technology Services department and stored either on tape or in disc pack. These records are kept in one of two files - (1) the current file or (2) the historical file. Both of these files contain student name, permanent number, current address, units attempted, units completed and total grade points accumulated, and graduation status. In addition, the current file maintains the student program. Personnel employed in ITS have access to these files, if such access is necessary for the completion of their official duties. Also, the Admissions/Records staff have access via on-line terminal to the current files.

4.   Financial Aid Files - College Credit: These records are maintained in the Financial Aid Offices at Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College.   Administrators, the financial aid officer, and the financial aid staff have access to these records, as such access is necessary for the completion of their official duties.

5.   Placement Office Files - College Credit: These records are maintained in the Placement Office and include applications, student resumes, and letters of recommendation. Administrators, the placement officer, and the Placement Office clerical staff have access to these records, if such access is necessary for the completion of their official duties.

6.   Veterans Office Files - College Credit: These records are maintained in the Placement Veterans Office and include information regarding the number of units a veteran student is enrolled in for the current semester and the number of dependents claimed by the veteran student. Administrators, the Veterans Affairs officer, the Veterans Representative and the Veterans Office clerical staff have access to these records, if such access is necessary for the completion of their official duties.

7.   Health Services Files - College Credit: These records are maintained in the Health Services Center and include medical histories, treatment records and records of medications administered. Administrators and Health Center personnel have access to these records, if access is necessary for the completion of their official duties.

8.   Divisional/Departmental Files - Work Experience, Student Conduct Records, Etc.: If official records are maintained by a Division Dean or department, they are related to a particular program within the division or department which requires special certification and/or admissions procedures, and may include student evaluations, recommendations, achievement records, etc.   Student conduct files are maintained by the Office of the Associate Dean of Student Development at Santa Ana College and by the Office of the Director of Student Services at Santiago Canyon College.

9.   Security:  These files are maintained by the Chief, District Safety and Security and include traffic decal lists, traffic violation records, and historical logs of security infractions and incident reports.

Exceptions to Educational Records are:

1.     Individual records maintained by a staff member if kept in sole possession of the maker of the records and not accessible or revealed to any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of records.

2.     Records made or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist or other recognized professional or paraprofessional, if records are used only for treatment of a student and made available only to those persons providing the treatment.

3.     Records created by law enforcement.

4.     Employment records

5.     Alumni records.

RELEASE OF STUDENT INFORMATION

A.   The privacy of student files is and will continue to be scrupulously maintained. Except as required under the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, the Rancho Santiago Community College District will make public without student consent only certain "directory information." This information consists of the following:

      A student's name, city of residence, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight, height, and age if a member of an athletic team, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational institution or agency attended by the student. Any student who prefers that some or all of such "directory information" not be made public must notify the Director of Admissions and Records no later than 15 working days after the first day of classes in each term of attendance.

      In accordance with the provisions of the Act, the following are exceptions and shall be permitted to have access to student records without permission:

(1)   faculty, staff, and administrators of the college who have a legitimate interest and need;

(2)   requests from research organizations, upon approval of the Research Department, conducting studies may be honored provided no information revealing the student's name is published;

(3)   federal or state education officials or authorized representatives of the Comptroller General of the United States, the Secretary of Education, an administrative head of an education agency, state education official, or their respective designees, or the U.S. Office of Civil Rights, where that information is necessary to audit or evaluate a state or federally supported educational program or pursuant to a federal or state law;

(4)   judicial or court orders, or subpoenas issued by the judge will be complied with (subpoenas from law firms need the written consent from the student (Ed. Code 76243) before records will be released;

(5)   certain federal and state officials, accrediting organizations and educational agencies will be supplied information without student consent when such information is needed for valid educational purposes. Finally, also under the provisions of the Act, information will be released without student consent in any emergency situation where the information is needed to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons.

B.   IN ALL INSTANCES OTHER THAN THOSE DESCRIBED IMMEDIATELY ABOVE, NO INFORMATION DIRECTLY RELATED TO ANY STUDENT WILL BE RELEASED TO ANY PERSON OR ORGANIZATION EXCEPT TO THE STUDENT HIMSELF/HERSELF, OR AT THE REQUEST OF THE STUDENT, TO AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION TO WHICH THE STUDENT PLANS TO TRANSFER.


NOTICE OF STUDENT RIGHTS

Students of the Rancho Santiago Community College District shall be notified annually of their rights under this policy. The method of notification shall be annually via the Class Schedule, College Catalog, and College Websites.

 

 

Responsible Manager:  Vice President of Student Services or designee

 

Revised:  August 2006
Revised:  May 7, 2018, 2018 (previously AR 5117)