Contents of Files and Directories
FERPA permits educational institutions to designate certain items pertaining to the student as “directory information.” These points of information may be disclosed by the College without the consent of the student. At Berea College, the following types of personally identifiable information have been designated as “directory information”: the student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, dates of attendance, major and minor (if any), participation in officially recognized activities and athletics, weight and height of athletic team members, degrees and awards received, and most recent previous institution attended. Directory information may be released to parties having a legitimate educational interest in the information. A student may request that the College not voluntarily release any information to anyone, including in media or news releases. Students who wish to exercise their rights under the law to refuse to permit release of any or all of the categories of personally identifiable information with respect to themselves must notify the Vice President for Student Life in writing, preferably before completion of registration for the first term of enrollment for that academic year.
Student records are defined as those records created to assist the offices of the Registrar, Admissions, Labor Program Office, Residential Student Life Office, Student Success & Transition, and Institutional Research and Assessment in their support of basic institutional objectives and any records identified by student name that contain personally identifiable information in any medium. Each of these offices maintains a list of the documents routinely kept in files retained by that office. Permanent student records are defined as those kept in perpetuity by the institution. The permanent records consist of the original admission application, and the academic and labor transcripts. Copies of the Records Retention and Disposal Schedule are available from the Student Life Administrative Office. FERPA information is located on the Registrar's Copies of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (as amended), which is commonly known as “FERPA”, are available in the reference section of the Library, and at the U.S. Department of Education. For information on the USA Patriot Act of 2001 (as amended), see the Association of Research Libraries.