Amendment of Education Records

III. Amendment of Education Records

Step 1. Informal Process:

A student who believes his/her education records contain information that is inaccurate or misleading, or otherwise in violation of his/her privacy rights, may discuss these problems informally with the Office of Academic Records. If the decision is in accord with the student’s request, the appropriate records will be amended, and the student so informed. If the decision of the Office of Academic Records is not in accord with the request, the student will be notified in writing within a reasonable period of time, and informed of his/her right to a formal hearing.

Step 2. Formal Process:

1. Hearing – A student requesting a formal hearing must do so in writing to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, who, within a reasonable period of time after receiving such a request, will inform the student of the date, time, and place of the hearing.
2. Composition of the Hearing Panel – The hearing panel will be composed of the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Dean of Students, and the Academic Dean of the student’s school or their designates.
3. Conduct of the Hearing Panel – A student may present evidence relevant to the issues raised and may be assisted or represented by individuals of his/her choice at the student’s own expense, including an attorney. The decision of the hearing panel will be made in writing and based solely on the evidence presented at the hearing, and shall include a summary of the evidence and the reason(s) for the decision. The written decision will be sent to all parties concerned.
4. Decision of the Hearing Panel – If the hearing panel decides that information contained in a student’s education records is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of other rights, the student will be so notified and the education records will be corrected or amended accordingly. If the hearing panel decides otherwise, it shall notify and inform the student of his/her rights to place in the education record a statement commenting on the information in the records, and/or any reasons for disagreeing with the decision of the hearing panel. The statement will be placed in the education records of the student, and released whenever the records in question are disclosed.