The academic policies at Saybrook University are written to support your adult education within our transformational learning community. The Saybrook University Catalog also outlines other services, policies, and procedures relevant to all students.
This catalog is current as of the day of publication. Revisions and updates of the catalog appear on the website, which should be consulted as the most up-to-date resource.
Student Right to Privacy (FERPA)
The amended Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 and the rules and regulations of the Department of Education, “Privacy Rights of Parents and Students,” provide students with certain rights regarding privacy of, and access to, their “educational records.” The full body of this policy can be found on the FERPA site. Saybrook intends to comply fully with this important law to protect the rights of students to confidentiality, accuracy and access.
Saybrook’s Annual Notice to Students appears below. The primary rights involve:
- The right to inspect and review the student’s education records. Students should submit a written request to the Registrar that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar will notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. A student may ask to amend a record that he or she believes is inaccurate. A written request must be made to the Registrar. The request should include all information which identifies the part of the record the student wants amended and why the student believes the record to be inaccurate. Saybrook will notify the student of its decision in writing. Students will be advised of their right to a hearing in the event that Saybrook decides not to amend the specified record. Additional information regarding hearing procedures will be provided to the student when so notified.
- 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 of student records without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if he or she needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
- A school official is a person in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement personnel and health staff); a person, or company with whom Saybrook has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. Saybrook discloses education records without consent, upon request, to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures to comply with the requirements of FERPA. [The office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.]
- The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, with which Saybrook intends to comply fully, was designed 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 correction of 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.
The items listed below are designated as “Directory Information” and may be released at the discretion of Saybrook. If a student wishes to withhold the release of his or her ID photo or prevent disclosure of the following information, the student should submit a non-disclosure form to the Academic Services Coordinator. This form remains in effect until the Academic Services Coordinator is notified by the student to alter the status.
- Name
- Email address
- Degree program
- Bio Statement
- Dates of attendance
- Date of graduation