Student Right ToSeeRecords By FRAN MacDONALD Do you think a student has a right to inspect all his school records and files? A growing controversy seems to have centered around this question, and in Congress, a battle rages between the legislative body and members of higher education a ssociations. A legislative bill, formally titled "The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974," was introduced by Senator James L. Buckley (C.-N.Y .) and signed into law on August 21, 1974. This law gives college and university students and the parents "f younger children the right to inspect all their school records and files . Its also prohibits release of material in a student's file without written consent of the college student or the parents of younger pupils, except to officials or
teachers of the school the student attends · or in which he plans to enroll, to certain state and Federal officials, and in connection with a student's application for financial aid . The effective date of this law is November 19, 1974. As a penalty for violation of this right , the legislation provides for the cutting off of Federal fund s to the schools and educational agencies which do not establish procedures for granting the access to school records within 45 days after request for them is made. On October 8, 1974, The American Council on Education and six other higher education associations including the Association of American . Colleges and the National Council of Independent Colleges and Universities requested in a memorandum to Congress that the effective date of this bill be postponed until July 1, 1975, to
allow time for hearings . These hearings would provide an opportunity for affected parties to state their views . Several reasons were given· to support his request. The first reason centers around the violation of confidence. The Act gives students access to all existing records. These records include such items as letters of recommendation for admission, which were solicited with an explicit commitment that they would be confidential and with the student's understanding that they would be confidential. The provisions of this Act violate that promise of confidence. A second area of concern was a list of important ambiguities which the higher education associations felt should be cured by legislative action . These ambiguities include the question of the broadness of the term " any and all official
records, files and data," and the granting of these rights to persons who have graduated or who have applied to a college but have not been admitted. Thirdly, the Act appears to have consequences that the Congress may not have intended . Students receiving financial aid would have access to confidential financial information , violating the privacy of their parents . Students receiving psychiatric care would have access to the psychiatrist's records . However , parent s can receive no information from a college about their children without the child ren 's consent . Despite its evident purpose of protecting students' privacy, the Act is likely to cause invasions of that privacy. This, the educational associations feel , is a fourth
(Continued on page 3)
• Vol. XXI, No. 2
November 18, 1974
CABRINI COLLEGE, RADNOR, PA.
THE MURDER OFLIDICE
TheDiary of Adam andEve
How often do you get a glimpse of an unpolished production? Above are pre-production shots of Cabrini's plays for this semester. The end results can be found on page 6 of this issue.