Release of Student Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, prescribes the conditions under which information about students can be released. It is the policy of Midlands Technical College to follow those guidelines to protect the privacy of students. The following student rights are covered by the act and afforded to all eligible students of the college:

• The right to inspect and review information in the student’s educational records.
• The right to request amendment of the contents of the student’s educational records if they are believed to be inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy or other rights.
• The right to prevent disclosure without consent, with certain exceptions, of personally identifiable information from the student’s informational records.
• The right to secure a copy of the college’s policy.
• The right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the college to comply with the provisions of the act.

Each of these rights, with any limitations or exceptions, is explained in the college’s policy and procedure statements (Policy 1.7 and Procedure 1.7.2), which may be received from the Registrar’s Office.

The college may provide directory information in accordance with the provisions of the act without written consent of an eligible student, unless that student requests in writing that such information not be disclosed. The following items are designated as directory information and may be released on any student for any purpose, at the discretion of the college, unless a written request for nondisclosure is on file: name, address, telephone listing, photos, videos, enrollment, dates of attendance, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of sports teams, the most recent previous institution attended, major field of study, and degrees and awards received.

Students who wish to request nondisclosure of the above items may indicate this by completing the appropriate form in the Student Records Office.

The college may also disclose Non-Directory information in accordance with the provisions of the act without written consent of an eligible student to parties with a Legitimate Educational Interest. Examples of Non-Directory information include but are not limited to: birth date, citizenship, disciplinary status, enrollment status (full time, half time, etc.), ethnicity, gender, grades/exam scores, grade point average (GPA), marital status, progress reports, student I.D., test scores (e.g., SAT, GRE, etc.), religious affiliation, veteran status, etc. 

Photographs and Videos of Students

Midlands Technical College (MTC) often uses videos and photographs of its students for college publications and public relations. MTC considers photographs and videos as directory information as explained in the Release of Student Information section. Anyone who doesn’t want his or her image used for these purposes should submit a written request with the Office of Student Records at recordsoffice@midlandstech.edu.