additional information .
As an accredited member of Middle States Commission on Higher Education ( MSCHE ), Williamson adheres to its complaint procedure , which may be found at https :// www . msche . org / complaints /.
General information regarding the Pennsylvania Department of Education complaint process can be found on its website under Complaint Procedures ( https :// www . education . pa . gov / Postsecondary-Adult / CollegeCareer / Pages / Students-Complaints . aspx ) or by contacting the Division of Higher Education , Access , and Equity , Pennsylvania Department of Education-Postsecondary and Adult Education at 333 Market Street , 12th Floor , Harrisburg , PA 17126-0333 ; Phone : 717-783-8228 ; Fax : 717-722- 3622 ; or email at RA-HigherEducation @ pa . gov .
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ( FERPA )
FERPA is the federal law that governs the rights of students and institutional responsibilities with respect to student records . If you have any questions regarding any of the information contained herein , please refer to the college ’ s FERPA Fact Sheet available on the college ’ s website ( www . williamson . edu ) or contact the college ’ s Registrar .
What is FERPA ?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 , commonly referred to as FERPA or the Buckley amendment , is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of a student ’ s educational record . FERPA applies to all educational agencies or institutions that receive federal funding for any program administered by the Secretary of Education . FERPA also applies to private entities that contract to perform services for the college that it would otherwise undertake to perform on its own ; in such cases , the private entity must observe the same FERPA protections applicable to the University . FERPA grants adult students ( 18 and older ) the following rights :
• The right to inspect and review their educational records
• The right to seek the amendment of their educational records
• The right to consent to the disclosure of their educational records
• The right to obtain a copy of their school ’ s Student Records Policy
• The right to file a complaint with the FERPA Office in Washington , D . C .
FERPA Basics
• With only a few exceptions , student educational records are considered confidential and may not be released without the written consent of the student
• Faculty or staff members have a responsibility to protect educational records in their possession . Additionally , faculty or
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