Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act FERPA

Annual Notification

Students will be notified of their FERPA rights annually by publication of this information on the Richmont website and each semester via the Richmont E-Newsletter. Copies are also available from the Records Office.

Access to Educational Records

Students may inspect and review their educational records upon request to the Richmont Records Office.

Students should submit to the Records Office a written request that identifies as precisely as possible the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Records Office staff will make the needed arrangements for access as promptly as possible and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. Access must be given in 45 days or less from the receipt of the request. When a record contains information about more than one student, the student may inspect and review only the records that relate to him or her.

Limitations of Rights to Access

Richmont reserves the right to refuse to permit a student to inspect the following records:

1. 1. Letters and statements of recommendation for which the student has waived the right of access
2. 2. Records connected with an application to attend Richmont or a component of Richmont if that application was denied
3. 3. Records that are excluded from the FERPA definition of education records

Copies of Records and Transcripts

Richmont reserves the right to deny transcripts in the following situations:

• The student has an unpaid financial obligation to Richmont.
• The student’s federal loan payments are not current.

Disclosure of Academic Records

Richmont will disclose information from a student’s education records only with the student’s written consent. Records may be disclosed without consent when the disclosure is:

• To University officials who have a legitimate education interest in the records
  • A University official is any person employed by Richmont in an administrative, research, or support staff position
  • A person employed or under contract to Richmont to perform a special task, such as an attorney or audit

• To officials of another school, upon request, in which the student seeks or intends to enroll
• To certain officials of the U.S. Department of Education, the Comptroller General, and state and local educational authorities, in connection with certain state or federally supported education programs
• 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 state and local officials or authorities if required by a state law requiring disclosure that was adopted before November 19, 1974
• To organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of Richmont
• To accrediting organizations to carry out their functions
• To parents of an eligible student who claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
• To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena
• To appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency
• To individuals requesting directory information so designated by Richmont
• The result of any disciplinary proceeding conducted by Richmont against an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence to the alleged victim of that crime

Directory Information

Richmont designates the following items as directory information: student name, month and day of birth, address, telephone number, e-mail address, degree sought and certifications, part-time or full-time status, degrees and awards received, and photographs. The University may disclose any of these items without prior written consent, unless notified by the student in writing to the contrary. Such notification must be received within three school days of the official date of registration to ensure that directory information will not be included in University publications.

Correction of Educational Records

Students have the right to ask to have records corrected that they believe are inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of their privacy rights. Procedures for correction are available from the Records Office. Students should address questions about this policy to the Records Office.

Transcript Requests

Official transcripts will be released by Richmont only upon receipt of a request from the student through the Parchment transcript service. Parchment requires that the student create an account and provide consent for the release of the student’s academic information. Requesting an official transcript via the Parchment website is the only method of request.

Richmont will mail official transcripts or send electronic transcripts via a secure portal to the recipient indicated through the website. If mailed, the transcript will be in a sealed envelope with the Registrar’s signature across the back. If the seal is broken, the transcript is no longer official. Transcripts will not be given to a student’s representative unless specifically indicated on the request with a signature of the student.

Regular processing time for transcripts is three to five business days. The cost for transcripts is approximately $12.00 for each electronic transcript requested, and approximately $14.50 for mailed transcripts. These requests will not be processed until payment is received. Should expedited service be required, an additional $10 fee may be assessed, and transcripts will be prepared within 24 hours and sent via USPS. If overnight delivery is required, an additional fee of approximately $40 will be assessed (amount based on current rates). Payment of transcript fee(s) are made by credit card.

Official transcripts may not be issued for the following reasons:

• Financial holds from the Business Office
• No signature on the request
• Insufficient, inaccurate, or illegible identification information
• Insufficient payment, expired or declined credit card, or payment using non-U.S. currency

Students may access unofficial transcripts through the CAMS student portal. Unofficial transcripts are also provided to current students upon request without charge for academic advising and personal use. The unofficial transcript is presented directly to the student on plain white paper and may be duplicated. This transcript may not be suitable to obtain employment, transfer to another education institution, or verify degree.

Should a student’s transcript or academic record be requested from Richmont by a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena, Richmont is required to issue the transcript after making a reasonable effort to contact the student. However, if the subpoena specifically orders Richmont not to notify the student or if it is a federal grand jury subpoena, the transcript or academic record will be issued without notification to the student.

Important note: Richmont cannot accept responsibility for failed delivery if the address provided is either incomplete or incorrect, nor can Richmont accept responsibility for timely delivery by USPS, FedEx, or any other mail carrier.