MTSA shall comply with all provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 (as amended) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g, 34 CFR Part 99) pertaining to the release of student education records. MTSA shall disclose to current students annually of their rights under the FERPA Act.
MTSA Internal Constituents
Student information, not identified as “Directory information”, shall only be available to MTSA employees with a legitimate educational interest to carry out job related functions. The Registrar shall maintain a list of current employees with electronic access to student records to fulfill their job requirements. MTSA’s President, Executive Vice President, or Program Administrator may grant temporary authorization for electronic access. Any access, other than electronic, into a student’s record, should be appropriately logged.
Student Rights under FERPA
- Students have the right to inspect and review their educational record within 45 calendar days of making a request to the school’s Registrar. The student will submit a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The Registrar will then forward the request to the Program Administrator who will facilitate a meeting of the educational record review. A record of the request for access will be kept in the student education record.
- Students have the right to request that the school correct records they believe to be inaccurate or misleading by submitting a written request for amendment to either MTSA’s President, Executive Vice President, or Program Administrator within 7 calendar days of discovery. The student must identify the part of the record that they want changed and specify why it should be changed. If the school decides an amendment to the record is not warranted, MTSA will notify the student in writing of the decision stating they have a right to a formal hearing. “After the hearing, if the school decides not to amend the record, the… eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information” (99.31).
- Students have the right to provide written consent before MTSA discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student’s education records to third parties, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. MTSA discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to (34CFR § 99.31):
- School officials with legitimate educational interest;
- Other schools to which a student is transferring;
- Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;
- Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
- Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school;
- Accrediting organizations;
- To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
- Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies.
Legitimate educational interest is access to educational records, by appropriate MTSA Administrators, faculty and staff members and other outside service providers, to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the School.
No official academic or clinical information concerning a student shall be released until all MTSA forms and records are updated and in proper form for release. Prior to the release of information, all currently enrolled students shall have no outstanding debt with MTSA. A health-related entity financially supporting a student during enrollment at MTSA may request/require periodic academic and/or clinical reports. MTSA shall release the information to such entities only after receiving a signed and dated written release from the student specifying the entity to which information is to be released. The releases must be filed with the Registrar's Office, which is under the supervision of the Executive Vice President of the School.
Directory Information
Except as herein provided, all directory information may be released to appear in public documents and/or publications or may otherwise be disclosed without student consent; unless a written notice barring disclosure is filed in the Registrar's Office.
“Directory Information” at MTSA shall include the following student information:
- name
- home address
- local address
- telephone listing (home and cell phone)
- email address
- major field of study
- dates of attendance
- the institution(s) attended and from which degree(s) were earned
- clinical schedule
- degrees awarded and/or honors received
- student identification photographs
- any photographs or digital audio/video recordings taken as part of the educational program or at any School-related functions
- date and place of birth
MTSA Clinical Affiliates
As completion of affiliations is a graduation requirement, students are required to sign a pre-release consent form. The following information shall have limited release (primarily to affiliate health care institutions where students may participate in clinical rotations), at the discretion of MTSA:
- evidence of health insurance
- evidence of liability insurance
- recommendations/references
- copies of health history including vaccinations
- academic record
- clinical record
- emergency information form
- background check
- drug screen results
External Publication of Information
The MTSA Administration will be the official clearing house for all publications targeted for external use (primarily used for marketing purposes, news release information, professional journal articles, Airways Newsletter, etc.) This Office is responsible for all communications to the media, for release of information regarding staff, faculty and students in attempt to provide a uniform, coordinated and professional posture in the community served. The Administrative representative has the right to prohibit newspersons from interviewing students, faculty and/or staff. It is the objective of this policy to provide accurate, timely and quality publications and media release information.
If a student believes there is a violation of their rights under FERPA they are encouraged to contact the compliance office within 180 calendar days at:
Family Policy Compliance Office
US Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5920
1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327)
https://www.ed.gov/category/keyword/family-policy-compliance-office-fpco