The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students 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 of the day the University receives a request for access. Students should submit to the University Registrar written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The University Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the University Registrar, the Registrar shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the University to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
FERPA was not intended to provide a process to be used to question substantive judgments that are correctly recorded. The rights of challenge are not intended to allow students to contest, for example, a grade in a course because they felt a higher grade should have been assigned.
If the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his/ her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is defined as a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Upon request, the University may disclose education records in certain other circumstances:

• to comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena;
• to appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency;
• to officials of another school, upon request, in which a student seeks or intends to enroll;
• in connection with a student's request for or receipt of financial aid, as necessary to determine the eligibility, amount, or conditions of the financial aid, or to enforce the terms and conditions of the aid;
• to certain officials of the U.S. Department of Education, the Comptroller General, to state and local educational authorities, in connection with certain state or federally supported education programs;
• to accrediting organizations to carry out their functions;
• to organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the University;
• the results of an institutional disciplinary proceeding against the alleged of a crime of violence may be released to the alleged victim of that crime with respect to that crime.

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20202-4605.

5. The University designates the following as public or "Directory Information": The student's name, permanent and local addresses, email addresses, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major fields of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, most recent previous school attended, participation in officially recognized organizations, activities, and sports, class schedule/roster, full- or part-time status, weight and height of members of athletic teams, photographs and digital imaging.

6. Students may restrict the release of "Directory Information," except to school officials with legitimate education interests and others as indicated in point #3 above. To do so, a student must make the request in writing to the Office of the Registrar, Heritage Christian University, PO Box HCU, Florence, AL 35630. Once filed, this request becomes a permanent part of the student's record until the student instructs the University, in writing, to have the request removed.

For purposes of compliance with FERPA, the University considers all students independent.

GRIEVANCE PROCESS

If a student has a grievance, he or she may observe the following procedure:
· The student needs to go to the person or persons against whom he or she has a grievance, as the Bible teaches (Matt. 18).
· If not satisfied, the student may then talk to the Dean of Men or the Dean of Women.
· If still not appeased, he or she may take the grievance in writing to the Dean of Students.
· The student may next request to go before a Hearing Committee consisting of a member of the faculty or staff, the Dean of the University, a representative from the Student Government Association, and either the Dean of Students, the Dean of Men, or the Dean of Women.
· Finally, the student may take the grievance before the President of the University. His decision is final.