Student Rights
Privacy Rights of Students (FERPA)
Privacy rights of Western Wyoming Community College students are in compliance with amended Section 438 of the General Education Provision Act, the Buckley Amendment.
Students who are attending or have attended Western Wyoming Community College and with respect to whom Western Wyoming Community College maintains education records or personally identifiable information are the exclusive claimants to the rights listed below. Parents who declare a student as a dependent, as defined in Section 1512 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, are also included; but in such cases, the particular student also retains his or her rights. Applicants for admission to Western Wyoming Community College are not included until they have officially enrolled. In the case of violations of law and policy and threat to safety of the student or others, FERPA rights may be suspended.
Western Wyoming Community College respects and actively seeks to protect the privacy rights of its students and their parents in regard to education records and personally identifiable information formulated and/or maintained by the College. These rights are generally defined as:
- Right to inspect and review educational records within 45 days of the day the request is received. Submit your request in writing to Mustang Central. Please be sure to identify all records you wish to review. Only records originating at Western Wyoming Community College will be copied for the student. We will not copy transcripts from other schools, or other information, originating elsewhere.
- Right to seek to amend educational records. If you think that something in your file is inaccurate, you may make a written request to have that record changed. Supporting documentation must be provided. We will notify the student in writing when the decision is made whether the record will be amended.
- Right to have some control over the disclosure of information from educational records except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. Western officials with legitimate educational interests may view a student’s records. This includes student or Board of Trustees members of disciplinary or grievance committees.
- Right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Western Wyoming Community College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20202-5920
Directory Information
Directory Information is information contained in an education record of a student which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy, if disclosed. Following guidelines, provided by the FERPA Compliance Office, Western Wyoming Community College has identified the following information as directory information and, in response to public inquiry, may be disclosed in conformance with state law, at the college’s discretion, without prior consent of the student:
Student’s full name
Telephone number
Local and permanent address
Email address
Major field of study
Dates of attendance
Current enrollment status (Class standing & Full-time or part-time status)
Participation in officially recognized sports and activities
Height and weight of student athletes
Photos and videos used in campus publications
Degree(s) conferred (including dates of conferral)
Awards and honors
Class lists used within online courses
Students may restrict access and request a Privacy Flag regarding their directory information by providing Mustang Central with written and signed notification, via the “Student Records Directory Information Change” form, during the first 14 calendar days of Fall or Spring semester or within the first 4 calendar days of Summer term. All releases are based in the privacy code attached to the student. Under no circumstances are social security numbers or other identifying student number released without consent. Students may remove their Privacy Flag at any time by submitting a signed request to Mustang Central.
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