The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (F.E.R.P.A)

Southern Wesleyan University intends to comply fully with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended. The full policy statement on file in the Office of Academic Records explains the procedures for compliance, and copies are available on request.

The following categories of personally identifiable information have been designated as public or "directory" information that may be disclosed for any purpose without student consent: name, local and permanent address, e-mail addresses, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards (including scholarships) received, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and weight and height of members of an athletic team.

Currently enrolled students may withhold disclosure of directory information by sending a written request to the Office of Academic Records. Written requests for non-disclosure will be honored for a maximum of one year. Southern Wesleyan University assumes that failure to complete the request indicates approval of disclosure.

The law also provides the following rights for students with respect to their educational records:

1. To inspect and review information contained in records.
2. To challenge the content of records.
3. To be granted a hearing if the outcome of the challenge is unsatisfactory to the student.
4. To submit an explanatory statement for inclusion in the record if the outcome of the hearing is unsatisfactory.
5. To prevent disclosure, with certain exceptions, of personally identifiable information.
6. To secure a copy of the Southern Wesleyan University policy for educational records.

In accordance with FERPA, Southern Wesleyan University will disclose to parents information from the academic records of a student provided the University has on file consent of the student, or if the records in the Financial Aid Office indicate the student is a dependent.