Annual FERPA Notification

Tue Aug 25 09:00:00 UTC 2026

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students
enrolled in credit-bearing courses at SUNY Plattsburgh ("eligible
students") with certain rights with respect to their education records.
These rights are:

   1. The right to inspect and review the student's education
   records within 45 days after the day SUNY Plattsburgh receives a request
   for access.

   Eligible students who wish to inspect their education records should
   submit to the Registrar's Office a written request that identifies the
   records they wish to inspect. The Registrar's Office will make arrangements
   for access and notify the eligible student of the time and place where the
   records may be inspected.
   2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education
   records the eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or
   otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

   Eligible students who wish to ask SUNY Plattsburgh to amend their
   education record should write to the Registrar's Office, clearly identify
   the part of the record they want changed and specify why it should be
   changed. If the university decides not to amend the record as requested
   by the eligible student, the university will notify the eligible student of
   the decision and of their right to a hearing regarding the request for
   amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be
   provided to the eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.
   3. The right to provide written consent before the university discloses
   personally identifiable information (PII) from the student's education
   records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without
   consent.

   SUNY Plattsburgh discloses education records without a student’s written
   consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with
   legitimate educational interests. SUNY Plattsburgh defines a *school
   official* as a person employed by or doing volunteer work for the State
   University of New York at Plattsburgh and/or SUNY System Administration in
   an administrative, supervisory, legal, academic, research, or support staff
   position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health center
   staff); a person or entity with whom the university has contracted (such as
   College Auxiliary Services, an attorney, collection agent, or auditor); a
   member of the University Council or Board of Trustees; a student serving on
   an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee. A
   school official may include a volunteer or contractor outside of SUNY
   Plattsburgh who performs an institutional service or function for which the
   school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct
   control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of Personally
   Identifiable Information (PII) from education records, such as an attorney,
   auditor, collection agent, College Auxiliary Services personnel, or a
   student volunteering to assist another school official in performing his or
   her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the
   official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or
   her responsibilities for the university and/or SUNY System
Administration. The University
   may also release certain information known as *Directory Information* to
   third parties without prior consent unless a student has placed
   a FERPA Confidentiality Hold on their record.  Under FERPA, *Directory
   Information *is information that is generally considered to not be
   harmful or an invasion of privacy if released.  The University defines the
   following categories of information as *Directory Information*: Student's
   full name; e-mail address; local and home addresses; local and home
   telephone numbers; date of birth; major field of study; name of academic
   advisor(s); class level; dates of attendance; degree(s), honor(s) and
   award(s) received; most recent previous public or private school attended
   by student; participation in officially recognized activities and sports;
   weight and height of members of athletic teams; and photos of
   students. Students who wish to place a confidentiality hold should contact
   the Registrar's Office at (518) 564-2100 for more information. FERPA
   includes a provision for health and safety emergencies - Law § 99.36,
   specifically states that a school may disclose PII without student consent
   *if* there is an articulable and significant threat to the health or
   safety of the student or others, and the disclosure is to parties who need
   to know in order to respond. New York State Education Law §6438-d or Beau’s
   Law
   <https://www.plattsburgh.edu/about/offices-divisions/administration-finance/policies-procedures/campus-handbook/section-ix-legal-compliance/notification-of-parent-guardian-emergency-contact-for-alcohol-and-controlled-substance-violations-beaus-law-policy.html>
   –Consistent with FERPA's health and safety exception – institutions are
   required to publicly display their policy for contacting a student’s
   parent(s), guardian(s), or emergency contact(s) of a violation by a student
   under the age of twenty-one for the use or possession of alcohol or a
   controlled substance.

   4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education
   concerning alleged failures by SUNY Plattsburgh to comply with the
   requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that
   administers FERPA are:

Student Privacy Policy Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC  20202-8520

SUNY Plattsburgh’s FERPA Policy may be found at
https://www.plattsburgh.edu/about/offices-divisions/administration-finance/management-services/campus-handbook/section-ix-legal-compliance/ferpa-policy.html

-- 
JESSICA LASHWAY '98
Registrar
3rd Floor Kehoe
101 Broad Street
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
(o) 518-564-2100 <+1-518-564-2100>
plattsburgh.edu <https://www.plattsburgh.edu/>
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