Student Rights and Responsibilities

West Central Technical College promotes a climate of academic integrity, critical inquiry, strong work ethic, intellectual freedom, and freedom of individual thought and expression consistent with the rights of others.  The College protects the rights of its educational mission, vision, and purpose.  Students have the right to the following:

1. To be in an atmosphere that is conducive to learning and to attend WCTC educational programs, courses, offerings and activities on campus or any activity sponsored by WCTC off campus in accordance with WCTC policies and procedures.

2. To obtain the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities in order to acquire skill competencies and obtain employment by participating in programs, courses, offerings, and activities in accordance with WCTC policies and procedures.

3. To develop intellectual, personal and social values.

4. To due process procedures.

5. To participate in institutional decision making in accordance with WCTC policies and procedures.

6. To participate in approved student organizations in accordance to WCTC policies and procedures.

7. To privacy as outlined in the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Notification of Rights Under FERPA
For Post-secondary Institutions

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their educational records.  These rights include:

The right to inspect and review the student's records within 45 days of the day the college receives a request for access.

Students should submit to the Registrar, Vice President of Student Affairs, Director of Student Affairs or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect.  The college official 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 college official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

The right to request the amendment of the student's educational records that the student believes is inaccurate.

Students may ask the college to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate.  They should write the Registrar who is responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate.  If the college decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the Registrar will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or 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.

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's educational 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 a person employed by the college in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the college 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.  A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Optional, upon request, the college discloses educational records without consent to the officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.  (NOTE:  FERPA requires an institution to make a reasonable attempt to notify the student of the records request unless the institution states in it's annual notification that it intends to forward records on request.)

Any student has the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the college 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, SW
Washington, DC  20202-4605

99.37 FERPA regulations require notification of directory information content:

Directory information includes name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in degrees and awards received.

If you have any questions, please contact the Registrar at 770-537-5720.

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