Students' Rights and Policies

As a college student, you have a right to know about laws and acts that affect you. You can read more about our Students' Rights and Policies below.

Students' Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Once a student reaches 18 years of age or attends a postsecondary institution, he or she becomes an "eligible student," and all rights formerly given to parents under FERPA transfer to the student.

Students at Mt. San Antonio College are notified annually of their rights under FERPA. You can read more about FERPA on the U.S. Department of Education website.

Below is a summary of the Mt. San Antonio College policy related to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), P.L. 93-380 (also referred to as the Buckley Amendment) and [Chapter 1297, Statutes of 1976, State of California.]:

1. Type of information and material contained within the student’s educational record;
2. the official responsible for the maintenance of each type of record;
3. the procedure for student review and inspection of the educational record;
4. the procedure for challenging the contents of the educational record;
5. the charges to the student for reproducing copies of the record if requested;
6. the categories of information which the College has designated as Directory Information and to whom this information will be released unless the student objects; and
7. the rights of a student to file a complaint.

Access to Educational Records

All former and present students have the right to review and inspect their educational records in the Office of Admissions and Records, provided they make a written request fifteen (15) days in advance. Such a review will be under the direct supervision of a classified or certificated employee in the Admissions and Records Office. Expressly exempted (not included) from the right of review and inspection are the following materials:

1. Financial records of the parents of the student(s).
2. Confidential letters and statements of recommendation maintained by the College on or before January 1, 1975, provided that such letters or statements are not used for purposes other than those for which they were specifically intended.
3. Records of instructional, supervisory, counseling, and administrative personnel which are in the sole possession of such personnel and are not accessible or revealed to any other person except a substitute.
4. Records of employees of Mt. San Antonio College, made and maintained in the normal course of business which relate exclusively to such person in that person’s capacity as an employee, are not available for use for any other purpose.
5. Records of students made and maintained by the Student Health Services, the College nurse, the College physician, and the College therapist, which are used in the treatment of students and are not available to anyone other than persons providing such treatment. However, such a record may be personally reviewed by a physician or other appropriate professional of the student’s choice.

Release of Educational Records Information

1. Any release of a student’s educational records, with the exception listed below, must be made with the student’s written consent.
2. The College may release copies of or otherwise divulge material in the student’s educational records only to the official agencies, groups, officials, or individuals specifically mentioned below:
   • College staff members; provided that such employees have educational interest to inspect such a record.
   • Representatives of the Comptroller General of the United States, the Secretary of Education, and administrative head of an educational agency, state education officials, and the United States Office of Civil Rights, where such information is necessary to audit a program.
   • Accrediting organizations in order to carry out their accrediting functions.
   • Organizations conducting studies on behalf of the institution.
   • Officials of other schools or school systems in which the student seeks or intend to enroll subject to the rights of the students.
   • Agencies or organizations in connection with a student's application for financial aid.
   • Organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, educational agencies or institutions for the purpose of developing, validating, and administering predictive tests, administering student aid programs, and improving instruction, if such studies are conducted in such a manner as will not permit the personal identification of students of their parents by persons other than representatives of such organizations and such information will be destroyed when no longer needed for the purpose for which it is compiled.
   • Appropriate persons in connection with an emergency if the knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health and safety of the student or other persons.
   • Courts or other agencies in compliance with a subpoena or judicial order. A reasonable effort will be made to notify the student in advance of the compliance by the College.
3. Directory Information:
   • "Directory Information" means a student's name, community of residence, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous public or private school attended by the student.
   • Any student desiring to withhold "Directory Information" may file a written request with the Dean, Enrollment Management, within fifteen (15) days of the opening day of each semester or session that the student does not such information released.
   • The College reserves the right to limit or deny the release of specific categories of directory information based upon a determination of the best interests of the student(s).

Students may file a complaint with the United States Department of Education regarding alleged institutional FERPA violations.

Family Policy Compliance Office

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20202-5920

 

The 1996 Solomon Amendment

The 1996 Solomon Amendment is federal law that requires institutions that receive federal funding to provide (upon request) directory information, plus address, phone number, age, and class-level to military personnel so that these personnel can recruit students.

Transfer of Information to Third Parties

Educational records or personal information transferred to other institutions or agencies will not be transferred to a third party without the written consent of the student (AP 5040).

Student Right-to Know Rates

In compliance with the Student-Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-542), it is the policy of the Mt. San Antonio Community College District and Mt. San Antonio College to make available its completion and transfer rates to all current and prospective students. For this calculation, a fall cohort of all certificate, degree, and transfer-seeking first-time, full-time students are tracked over a three- year period. These rates do not represent the success rates of the entire student population at Mt. San Antonio College, nor do they account for student outcomes occurring after this three-year tracking period. A Completer is a student who attained a certificate or degree or became “transfer-prepared” during a three-year period. Students who are “transfer-prepared” have completed 60 transferable units with a GPA of 2.0 or better. Transfer students are those who transferred to another postsecondary institution (UC, CSU or another California Community College) prior to attaining a degree, certificate, or becoming “transfer-prepared” during a five-semester period. For up-to-date rates please see http://srtk.cccco.edu/index.asp.