Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records. The registrar of Methodist Theological School in Ohio has been designated by the seminary to coordinate the inspection and review procedures for student education records. A student who wishes to review his/her education records must make a written request to Academic Affairs, listing the item or items of interest. Records covered by the Act will be made available within a reasonable time not to exceed (by law) 45 days of the request.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records to ensure that they are not inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy. A student who believes that his/her education records contain information that is inaccurate or misleading or who believes that his/her privacy has been violated may discuss the problem informally with the registrar. If the registrar’s decision is in agreement with the student’s request, and after consultation with the academic dean and/or other concerned parties, the appropriate records will be amended. If not, the student will be notified within a reasonable period of time that the records will not be amended, and he or she will be informed by Academic Affairs of the right to a formal hearing.

3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

4. The right to file with the U.S. Department of Education a complaint concerning alleged failures by Methodist Theological School in Ohio to comply with the requirements of FERPA. A student who believes that Methodist Theological School in Ohio is in violation of FERPA in that he/she has been denied access to his/her records, or that he/she has been denied the right to a hearing, or that his/her information has been improperly disclosed may file a complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office, United States Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202-5920.

At its discretion, Methodist Theological School in Ohio may provide “directory information” in accordance with the provisions of the Act. “Directory information” is defined as including a student’s name, address, MTSO mailbox number, telephone number, e-mail address, date of birth, photograph, place of employment, employment telephone, degree or non-degree program in which enrolled, current enrollment (yes or no), enrollment status (full-time, half-time, less than half-time), class level, dates of attendance, degrees or awards earned (with dates received) from MTSO, educational degrees received from other educational institutions, and names of spouse/children.

A student may withhold directory information by indicating this preference in writing to the Academic Affairs within the first two weeks of any semester. Please note that such withholding requests are binding for all information to all parties other than for educational purposes. Students should consider all aspects of a directory hold prior to filing such a request. Requests for non-disclosure will be honored by MTSO as long as the student is enrolled. Upon request, MTSO may disclose education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

Within the Methodist Theological School in Ohio community, only those members acting individually or collectively in the student’s educational interest are allowed access to student education records. These members include the president; the academic dean; faculty members of the Academic Affairs and Student Review Committees; the registrar; the director of admissions, financial aid director and faculty members of the Scholarship Selection Committee; the director of field education; the student’s advisor; a staff member acting solely as an agent of one of the individuals aforementioned; and other faculty, administrative, clerical, and professional employees of the seminary within the limitation of their need to know. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Academic Affairs
Revised 7-27-15