FERPA

There are limitations on a student’s right to inspect and review their education records. NYSID is not required to allow students to review the following:

Confidential letters of recommendations or documents pertaining to parents’ financial records whether those letters were collected in a confidential manner, or if the student waived his/her rights to inspect and review said letters and are related to the students’ admission.

Grades

After each semester, students may view their grades through the NYSID Portal. Grades are not reported over the phone or via email. It is the responsibility of the student to report any concerns about final grades first to the faculty member assigning the grade, with the option of following up on any concern with their academic advisor.

The Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)

NYSID has adopted in accordance with provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). A copy of the law can be found at: www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html.

FERPA grants students certain rights with respect to their education records and information. Education records contain information such as academic transcript and financial aid and student account records. According to FERPA, a student’s rights regarding these records are: The right to inspect and review your education records. Students should submit to the registrar a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. New York School of Interior Design will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected within a reasonable time.

The right to request the amendment of your education records to ensure that they are accurate and not in violation of your privacy rights. Students should write to the NYSID official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the New York School of Interior Design decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, NYSID will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student at that time.

The right to file with the U.S. Department of Education a complaint concerning alleged failures by NYSID 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, D.C. 20202-4605.

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in your education records (information that would make your identity easily traceable; e.g., Social Security number, etc.) except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to College officials with legitimate educational interests. A College official is a person employed by the New York School of Interior Design in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom NYSID 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 College official in

performing his or her tasks. A College official has legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

The Office of the Registrar is the main contact for all purposes of the FERPA Policy.

Record Amendment Requests

Students that wish to challenge their records must submit a request in writing to the appropriate office maintaining said record, for ex-ample, the Office of the Registrar, or the Office of Admissions. Students must list the specific information they wish to question and a reason for the challenge.

All hearings will be conducted by a school official who has no direct interest in the outcome of the hearing. Students will be granted a full and fair opportunity to present their evidence that is relevant to their question. Once a decision is made by the hearing officer, a written decision will be made detailing the outcome of the decision and a brief summary of the evidence presented. If the outcome of the hearing is in favor of the student, the record in question will be amended accordingly. If the student’s request is denied, the student may appeal, in writing, to the school’s registrar within 10 days of the student receiving the denial. This appeal will be heard by an appeals board of three disinterested senior college officials and a decision will be made within a reasonable amount of time in writing. If the appeal is in favor of the student, the record will be amended accordingly. If the request is denied, the student has the right to place a statement with the record in question with a comment on the accuracy of the information.

Directory Information

Directory information includes address, telephone, dates of attendance, degrees awarded, and email address which can be shared with third parties without consent of the students. NYSID offers students the opportunity to request that this information is not provided to outside interests. This request should be made in writing and submitted to the registrar.

Personal Identifiable Information

Personally identifiable information is data or information which includes, but is not limited to:

• The student’s name • The name of the student’s parent or other family members • A personal identifier, such as the student’s social security number, student number, or biometric record

• Other indirect identifiers, such as the student’s date of birth, place of birth, and mother’s maiden name

• Other information that, alone or in combination, is linked or linkable to a specific student and that would allow a reasonable person in the school community who does not have personal knowledge of the relevant circumstances to identify the student with reasonable certainty

• Information requested by a person who the educational agency or institution reasonably believes knows the identity of the student to whom the education record relates.

A student’s personal identifiable information can be disclosed to their parents if they are claimed as a dependent for tax purposes.

Some instances in which student consent is not needed for disclosure are as follows:

• To NYSID college officials and staff who have a legitimate educational interest

• To federal, state and local authorities involving an audit or evaluation of compliance with educational programs

• In connection with financial aid; this includes veteran’s benefits • To organizations conducting studies for or on behalf of educational institutions

• To accrediting organizations

• To parents of dependent students

• To comply with judicial orders of subpoenas (see #2)

• In a health or safety emergency (see #3)

• Releasing directory information (see #4)

• Releasing the results of a disciplinary hearing to an alleged victim of a crime of violence

• Deceased students (see #5)

Conducting Studies

FERPA allows an institution to disclose personally identifiable information from education records, without consent, to organizations conducting studies “for, or on behalf of” the institution so long as the information is destroyed by the organization when the information is no longer needed for the study.

Subpoenas

Non-directory, personally identifiable information from education records can be released “to comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena” provided that the “institution makes a reasonable effort to notify the student of the order or subpoena in advance of compliance.” FERPA exempts institutions from the notification requirements in the case of a federal grand jury subpoena, or any other subpoena issued for a law enforcement purpose, that specifically orders that notification not be made in the subpoena.

Health or Safety Emergency

If non-directory information is needed to resolve an emergency situation, an educational institution may release that information if the institution determines that it is “necessary to protect the health or safety of the students or other individuals.” Factors to be considered or questions to be asked in making a decision to release student information in these situations are: (1) the severity of the threat or health or safety of those involved; (2) the need for the information: (3) the time required to deal with the emergency; and (4) the ability of the parties whom the information will be given to deal with the emergency.