Notice of Student Rights
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:
1.The right to inspect and review student education records within 45 days of the date of receipt of the request for access by the NVI.
A student may submit a completed Student Request to Inspect Educational Records form to the appropriate office, indicating the record(s) they wish to examine. This form can be obtained through the Office of the Registrar website, as well as any other form mentioned in this document. An NV official will then arrange for access to the records and inform the student of the time and place where they can be reviewed. If the requested records are not maintained by that office, the student may contact the Registrar’s Office to inquire about the appropriate official or department to whom the request should be addressed.
2.The right to request an amendment to the student’s educational records that the student believes to be incorrect, misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
A student wishing to request the Institute to amend a record should submit a completed Appeals Form to the Registrar’s Office, clearly identifying the part of the record that the student wants to change and specifying why it should be changed. If the NV does not agree to modify the record as required, the NV must inform the student of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing on the request for alteration in writing. Additional information regarding hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
3.The right to give written consent before the University, except to the degree that FERPA authorizes disclosure without permission, discloses personal identifying information from the student’s education record. However, “Directory Information” is usually open to third parties, unless the student requests otherwise.
In general, for the disclosure of any "Non-Directory Information," a signed release consent is required. However, unless the student requests otherwise, all personally identifying information identified by the University as "Directory Information" is made available to third parties. The Institute may disclose educational records without the prior written consent of the student, pursuant to the FERPA exceptions for disclosure, such as the release to school officials with a legitimate educational interest. A school official refers to a person employed by the Institute in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the Institute has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using Institute employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student or volunteer 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 the educational record to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities as a member of the institute. Upon request, the University also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
4.The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University 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
5. Directory Information Public Notice
Under the standard protection of FERPA, a signed consent of release is necessary for the release of any “Non-Directory Information.” The Transcript Request form, Enrollment Verification/Graduation Verification form, and General Student Consent of Release of Educational Record(s) form can all be submitted to the Office of the Registrar for this purpose. Certain information designated as “Directory Information” may be disclosed without the consent or knowledge of the student unless the student has notified NV in advance that such information is not to be released (see below). “Directory Information” at NV is defined as:
• Photo
• Name
• Telephone Listing
• E-Mail Address
• Date and Place of Birth
• Major Field of Study
• Participation in Officially Recognized Activities and Sports
• Weight and Height of Members of Athletic Teams
• Student Status (e.g. Enrolled, Withdrawn, Graduated, etc.)
• Enrollment Time Status (e.g. Full Time, Half Time, etc.)
• Student Classification (e.g. Freshman, Junior, Graduate First Year, etc.)
• Dates of Attendance
• Degrees and Awards Received
• Most Recent Previous Educational Agency or Institution Attended
The aim of creating this definition of “Directory Information” is to notify the student of the types of personally identifiable information contained in this “Directory Information” classification and to allow the student to avoid the disclosure of this information if he or she wishes to. The student may request that his / her “Directory Information” remain confidential and therefore be treated as “Non-Directory Information.” The student must change his / her level of confidentiality to Total Confidentiality for this to happen. Students may apply in writing with the Registrar’s Office for changes to their confidentiality level.
6. Implications of Requesting Total Confidentiality to Student Records
Students who request Absolute Confidentiality should understand the various consequences of this enhanced level of privacy. The following are some, but not all, of these consequences. All students who do not request Complete Confidentiality will be assigned Standard Confidentiality, which entitles them to all of the FERPA’s regular security provisions as defined in the Notification of Student Rights under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) mentioned above. Students who request Complete Confidentiality should be aware that this would prohibit the Institute from disclosing any and all “Directory Information,” including their enrollment status, to potentially interested third parties such as parents, partners, family members, potential employers, and others. In order to allow the release of the “Directory Material” for students with Absolute Confidentiality, the student must complete and submit a General Student Consent Form for the Release of Educational Records to the Office of the Registrar, as mentioned above. Students who have requested Total Confidentiality may also be excluded from some internal Institute and departmental communications. Student athletes and other students who represent the Institute in an official capacity should consult with the athletic team or supervising department concerning the relevant logistics of requesting and maintaining Total Confidentiality while serving as an official representative of the Institute. Students who have requested confidentiality of their information will not be identified on honor lists (Dean’s list, EKE, etc.), and their names will not be printed on the graduation notice or read at the opening ceremony unless they make a formal written request to the Registrar’s Office.