FERPA

In accordance with institutional policy and the U.S. Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), Western Nevada College vigorously protects the privacy of student educational records. FERPA was enacted to protect the privacy of educational records and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data.

No one shall have access to, nor will WNC disclose any non-directory information from a students educational records without the written consent of the student except to:

1. School officials including college staff, student employees, volunteers, contractors, consultants, etc. performing an assigned college function,
2. Officials of other institutions in which the student seeks to enroll,
3. Authorized representatives from federal and state agencies,
4. Accrediting agencies carrying out their accreditation functions,
5. Military recruiters as specified in the Soloman Amendment,
6. A student serving on an official committee such as a disciplinary or grievance committee,
7. Persons in compliance with a judicial order,
8. Officials providing student financial aid,
9. The audit firm retained by the Nevada System of Higher Education,
10. The data warehouse for NSHE or designated institutional research personnel,
11. A person or company with whom the institution has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using institutional employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent), and l) Persons in an emergency to protect the health/and/or safety of students, or other persons.

WNC does not release information to parents of students regardless of dependence status without prior written consent of the student. A student is defined as an individual who has applied to WNC and who is or has been in attendance at WNC.

The institution does not release the records of individual students, such as grades and class schedules, without prior written consent of the student.

As permitted under federal law, an exception to the above practice is the release of directory information considered to be public in nature and not general deemed to be an invasion of privacy.

At Western Nevada College, the following categories are defined as directory information: student name, address including city and state, telephone number, Email address, full-time/part-time status, graduation date, major/field of study, degrees, honors and awards received, dates of attendance and whether currently enrolled, most recent educational agency or institutions attended, weight and height of members of athletic teams, and photographs from college sanctioned events.

Students have the right to request non-disclosure of directory information. If they do not restrict release of this information, the information may be released or disclosed. WNC assumes that failure to specifically request the withholding of directory information indicates individual approval for disclosure. Directory information may be provided for commercial purposes to businesses affiliated with the institution, honor societies, the alumni association and foundation, or other individuals for purposes that may be beneficial to students. WNC exercises discretion in responding to requests for directory information and may or may not provide such information when requested, depending on the intended purpose of the request. The institution does not sell or rent student information for a fee.

It is important for students to consider carefully the potential consequences of restricting the release of directory information. If a student restricts release for non-commercial purpose, the institution will be unable to place the students name in publications such as honors and graduation programs; to confirm graduation and dates of attendance to potential employers, to verify enrollment with organizations such as insurance companies; or to send notifications about specialized scholarships without the express written authorization of the student.

If, after due consideration, a student wishes to restrict the release of directory information, he/she may request this through myWNC or submit a Request for Confidential Status of Directory Information form and submit to Admissions and Records. A request for non-disclosure submitted to WNC or any NSHE institution will apply to all NSHE institutions. This directive will apply permanently to a students record, even after graduation, until the student reverses it by submitting a written authorization to Admissions and Records or changing the restriction in myWNC. 

FERPA provides a student with the following rights:

1) The right to inspect and review information in his/her education records within 45 days of the day the institution receives a request for access.

WNC is not required to provide copies of such records to students

2) The right to seek to amend education records that the student believes to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the students privacy rights under FERPA.

If a student disagrees with some information in his/her educational records, he/she may challenge that information. If the situation is not resolved to the students satisfaction, the student may request a hearing. Contact Admissions and Records for additional information.

3) The right to provide written consent before the institution discloses personally identifiable information from the students educational records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

Request for Non-Disclosure of Directory Information

WNC Protects Student Privacy

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects student privacy.  Personally identifiable information is not released without student consent and signature. To review or pick up academic records in person, a valid government or WNC issued photo ID that includes signature is mandatory. The colleges registration system requires students to create a password to access their WNC account. The password is considered the equivalent of a signature.