FERPA
Catawba College complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). This Act was designated to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for the correction on inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students also have the right to file complaints with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office (FERPA) concerning alleged failures by the institution to comply with the Act.
Local policy explains in detail the procedures to be used by the institution for compliance with the provisions of the Act. Copies of the policy can be found in the Office of the Provost and the Registrar's Office. The policy will also be printed in the student handbook distributed each year to all students.
Questions concerning the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act may be referred to the Provost or the Registrar's office.
The Registrar’s Office will evaluate each request for the release of a transcript or other academic records of a deceased student on the individual merits of that request and reserves the right to deny the request in whole or to release only part of the academic records that are requested. The Registrar’s Office does not release academic records of deceased students to the news media or for research purposes.
The closest living next-of-kin may submit a written request along with the following certified documents in English:
- Birth certificate of the requestor showing the relationship to the deceased, and
- Death certificate of former student or alumnus