Third Party Access

Law enforcement officers, court officials, and attorneys must have a subpoena or court order before student record information can be released. The College bears the burden of making a reasonable attempt to notify students before compliance with the subpoena. Personnel from accrediting organizations and government authorized studies are permitted access, although all personally identifiable information will be destroyed after use.

The Board of Directors, accreditors, auditors as a body, may examine students’ records; however, records or information in records may not be released to individual board members. A student’s records may be released only with students’ written consent. In an emergency, information may be released if a person’s health or safety is at stake and if the person receiving the information is in a position to act on it.

Annually, Columbus Technical College informs students of the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). This act, with which the College fully complies, protects the privacy of educational records, establishes the right of the students to inspect and review their educational records, and provides guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students also have the right to file complaints with the FERPA Office concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the act.