Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act of 1974, as amended      

Pacific Oaks College abides by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. Students have the right to inspect and review information contained in their education records, to challenge the contents of their education records, to have a meeting if they consider the outcome of the challenge to be unsatisfactory, and to submit explanatory statements for inclusion in their files if they feel the decisions of the meeting are unacceptable. Pacific Oaks Registrar coordinates the inspection and review procedures for student education records, which include admissions, personal, academic, and financial files, and academic, cooperative education, and placement records. The Provost oversees the review of records pertaining to social judicial matters.

Students wishing to review their education records must make written requests to the Registrar listing the item(s) of interest. Records covered by the Act will be made available within 45 days of the request. Students may have copies of their records, at their own expense, with certain exceptions (e.g., a copy of a transcript upon which a financial hold has been placed or copies of transcripts from other schools). Education records do not include records of instructional, administrative, and educational personnel which are the sole possession of the maker and are not accessible or revealed to any individual (except temporary substitutes). In addition, students may not see financial information submitted by their parents, any confidential letters or recommendations to which they have waived their rights of inspection and review, or education records containing information about more than one student. In the latter case, a student will be permitted access only to that part of the record pertaining to him or her.

Students who believe that their education records contain information that is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of their privacy or other rights may discuss their problems informally with the Registrar, either in person or in writing. If the Registrar agrees with a student's requests, the appropriate records will be amended. If not, the student will be informed and may request a formal meeting. This request must be made in writing to the Registrar who will inform the student of the date, place, and time of the meeting will take place. The student may present evidence relevant to the issues raised and may be assisted or represented at the meeting by one or more persons of the student's choice, including attorneys, at the student's expense. Decisions made at this meeting  are final and based solely on the evidence presented. The decision will be delivered to all parties concerned in writing. If the decision is in favor of the student, the education records will be corrected. If the decision is not satisfactory to the student, he or she may place with the education records statements commenting on the information in the records or statements setting forth any reasons for disagreeing with the decisions. These statements will be placed in the student's education records, maintained as part of the records, and released whenever the records in question are disclosed. A student who believes that the decisions of this adjudication process were unfair or not in keeping with the Act, may make a written request for assistance to the President. Students who still believe that their rights have been abridged may file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.

No one outside Pacific Oaks may have access to, nor will Pacific Oaks disclose, any information from a student's educational record without the written consent of the student. Exceptions are Pacific Oaks personnel, officials of other institutions in which the student seeks to enroll, persons or organizations providing the student's financial aid, accrediting agencies carrying out their accreditation functions, persons in compliance with a judicial order, and persons in an emergency in order to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons. Within the Pacific Oaks community, only members acting in the student's educational interest, individually or collectively, are allowed access to student education records. These members include personnel from the Offices of the Provost, the Chief Financial Officer, Registrar, Financial Aid, Admissions, and Academic Advising, as well as academic personnel within the limitations of their need to know.

At the discretion of Pacific Oaks officials, the following directory information will be provided: student's name, major field of study, dates of attendance, and degrees and awards received. A student wishing to withhold this directory information must complete the Privacy Request Form at Pacific Oaks College Registrar's Office. This must be done within the first ten working days of enrollment of a semester/term. The privacy request will be valid for one calendar year.