Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Student Educational Records
The storage media in which information is found does not matter.
Student Educational RecordsEducational records are defined as those records, files, documents and other materials that are maintained by Edmonds Community College and contain information directly related to a student. Records are those kept in any form including, electronic format, by paper, microfilm, and microfiche.
FERPA does not require the college to create or maintain certain types of records, but those that the college does create or maintain are subject to FERPA regulations. There are state regulations and campus policies regarding the creation and retention of student and college records. Examples include:
- Student Transcripts
Permanent record - Financial Aid Records
Retain for 6 years - Faculty Grading Records
Retain for 1 year
Some student and college records DO NOT fall under the FERPA guidelines. These include:
- Personal notes maintained by an individual and not accessible to anyone else.
- Security records kept for law enforcement purposes
- Personnel records of employees (Note: student workstudy records are educational records as they relate to a student's financial aid award)
- Medical and counseling records
- Records created after a student leaves, e.g., alumni records
Educational records should never be thrown in the trash or recycled without being shredded or appropriately destroyed if not in paper format.
Additional information about Student Educational Records can be found in:
- The FERPA handbook for Higher Education Professionals
Located in Enrollment Services Office - General Records Retention Schedules
And Records Management-Washington State
Located in Enrollment Services Office - College Regulation C 1.9.100 R103
Located on the U Drive - College Policy C6.8.100
Located on the U Drive
