Student Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

 FERPA Information - Students’ Right to Privacy

All inquiries regarding a student’s official educational records should be made through the Registrar’s Office. The following paragraphs in this publication serve as the student’s annual notification of their FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) rights:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) affords a student certain rights with respect to their education records. A student has the right to:

1. Inspect and review the student’s own education records within 45 days of the day the college receives a request for access. A student should submit, to the registrar, a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the record(s) may be inspected.
2. Request an amendment of the education record that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. A student may ask the college to amend a record that is believed to be inaccurate or misleading. The written request should be addressed to the registrar, clearly identify the part of the record that is to be changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the college decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the college will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of their 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. Consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the college in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research capacity, or a support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the college has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. 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 responsibility.

In addition, as of January 3, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education’s FERPA regulations expanded the circumstances under which a student’s education records and personally identifiable information (PII) contained in such records — including student Social Security Number, grades, or other private information — may be accessed without student consent. First, the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities (“Federal and State Authorities”) may allow access to student records and PII without student consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program. The evaluation may relate to any program that is “principally engaged in the provision of education,” such as early childhood education and job training, as well as any program administered by an education agency or institution. Second, Federal and State Authorities may allow access to student education records and PII without student consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain cases even when we object to or do not request such research. Federal and State Authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security promises from the entities that they authorize to receive student PII, but the Authorities need not maintain direct control over such entities. In addition, in connection with Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, State Authorities may collect, compile, permanently retain, and share without student consent PII from student education records. They may track student participation in education and other programs by linking such PII to other personal information about a student that they obtain from other Federal or State data sources, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice, military service, and migrant student records systems.

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

According to FERPA, its amendments, and the final rule of the U.S. Department of Education, the only information which may be released without the student’s written consent is directory information.

At MCC, directory information includes name, address, e-mail address, phone numbers, photographs, most recent previous school attended, MCC ID number, major field of study, campus attended, status (e.g., in-state/out-of-state status, current enrollment, dates of attendance, full-time/part-time, withdrawn, degrees awarded), honors received (e.g., Dean’s List, Honors List, PTK), participation in activities and sports, and weight and height of athletic team members.

Current and former students may withhold disclosures of “Directory Information” under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, by submitting written notification to the Office of the Registrar. In addition, current students may also withhold that disclosure through Colleague Self-Service. Failure on the part of any student to specifically request that “Directory Information” be withheld indicates individual approval for disclosure. Please note two important details regarding placing a “No Release” on a student record:

1. The College receives inquiries for directory information from a variety of sources outside the institution, including prospective employers, the news media and honor societies. Having a “No Release” on a record will preclude release of such information, even to those people.  This includes having the student’s name listed in the graduation program without prior written consent by the student.
2. A “No Release” applies to all elements of directory information on a record. MCC does not apply a “No Release” differentially to the various directory information data elements.

Per the FERPA Act, parents and/or legal guardians may request personally identifiable information from the educational records of an “eligible student” (a student age 18 or older or enrolled in a postsecondary institution at any age). The student must be a “dependent student” as that term is defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code. The requesting parent/legal guardian must have claimed the student as a dependent on the parent’s/legal guardian’s most recent income tax statement. Tax documentation must be provided at the time of the request before any non-directory or personally identifiable information regarding the student and/or their account will be released. Mohave Community College may disclose the student’s educational records to the requesting parents/legal guardian without the consent of the student, after receipt and approval of the requested documentation. Please contact the Registrar’s Office for further information.

MCC employees (including contracted temporary staff) who suspect there may have been a possible FERPA violation regarding any MCC student, past or present, must immediately report the suspected violation to their supervisor. Supervisors are expected to immediately notify the MCC Registrar’s Office.

A copy of the FERPA Act, more details about student rights, and any College policies related to the FERPA Act are available from the Registrar’s Office. For questions concerning FERPA, contact the Registrar’s Office.

Student Handbook

All students are expected to be familiar with the details provided in the Student Handbook. Failure to read the policies and procedures will not be justification for noncompliance. Mohave Community College reserves the right to change or withdraw curriculum, policies, tuition, or any other matters contained in this handbook without notice.

Student Code of Conduct

Mohave Community College recognizes that all students, as members of the college community, enjoy the freedom of speech and assembly, freedom of association, freedom of the press, right of petition, and the right of due process. These rights do not come without responsibilities and respect for others in the college community. Attendance at MCC is a privilege and not a right, and enrollment at Mohave Community College carries with it obligations in regard to conduct, both in and out of the classroom.

Mohave Community College acknowledges that in the course of discussion, debate, and classroom lectures, individuals may find certain topics disagreeable or uncomfortable. These circumstances are an inevitable component of the learning process and should not be considered detrimental when conducted with respect and courtesy. However, Mohave Community College has zero tolerance for threatening or violent language or behavior among its employees, students, or visitors. Examples of such behavior include but are not limited to:

• threats of intended violence against persons or property,
• physical assault on persons or property, verbal assault such as name calling, degrading, screaming, threatening, criticizing, berating, or humiliating, comments of intentional racial, ethnic, religious or sexual insult, actions of harassment such as bullying, hazing, pushing, or stalking,
• other demonstrations of immediate or planned violence.

Note: Weapons of any kind are prohibited on campus or at any off-campus college function unless specifically approved as part of a classroom activity. Offenders will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Students are responsible for knowing and understanding the contents of the MCC Student Code of Conduct and Student Bill of Rights. Students are also responsible for abiding by the laws governing the college and are expected to observe standards of conduct set by the college.

Student Honor Policy

To support a climate of academic honesty, Mohave Community College adopts an Honor Policy that reflects the fundamental right of all students to an education based on a code of academic integrity and responsibility within the college community. The Honor Policy gives the responsibility for assuring academic integrity to the entire college academic community: students, faculty, and the academic administration. Mohave Community College expects students to engage in all academic pursuits in a manner that is beyond reproach, and it expects faculty and the academic administration to fully support the MCC Honor Policy. Students found in violation of the MCC Honor Policy outlined in the MCC Student Code of Conduct and the Student Handbook are subject to academic, and where appropriate, disciplinary sanctions.