Student Records Policies - Admissions and Records

Social Security Number and Student ID Number

Social Security Numbers are collected by Ohlone College for state and federal reporting purposes. Upon admissions to Ohlone College, each student is assigned a unique seven-digit Student ID Number that will be used by the College to assign academic data to student records. Students are asked to use the College-generated student ID number when requesting information from College offices. Instructors will also use this number when processing grades.

FERPA and Ed Code

Regulations relating to student records are contained in federal law (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974) and California law (California Education Code). Copies of these laws and the policies and procedures of the Ohlone Community College District are available for perusal in the Office of Admissions and Records; the Library; and the Office of the Vice President, Student Services.

Student Records

Regulations relating to student records are contained infederal law (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974) and California law (California Education Code). Copies of these laws and the policies and procedures of the Ohlone Community College District are available for perusal in the Office of Admissions and Records; the Library; and the Office of the Vice President, Student Development.

College Records

Academic records are maintained in the Office of Admissions and Records under the custody of the Director of Admissions and Records. Other records containing information regarding students are maintained as appropriate to the needs of the students by Financial Aid, Disabled Services, Veterans Services, Health Sciences Division, and Campus Security.

Directory Information

Directory information as defined by law includes one or more of the following: student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, class schedule, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous public or private school attended by the student.

Under federal law, the College may release directory information to the public. In addition, colleges may be required to provide certain student information to the military for recruiting purposes, including, but not limited to, student name, address, and telephone number. Any student who does not wish such information to be released must so notify the Registrar in writing. Upon receipt of this notification, the student's wishes concerning release of information will be honored.

However, the College will still make available to the public names of students who are graduating, the names of students who are placed on the President’s List or who receive honors, participants in athletic events, and students who receive scholarships and other awards, unless the student requests in writing to the Registrar that his or her name be withheld from any such list.

Release of Records Information

All official records of the College are held as confidential and no record of information regarding a student will be released without prior written authorization from the student. Waiver forms are available on the Admissions and Records website and from the Information Center in Building 1 on the Fremont campus. Federal and state laws make exceptions, giving certain persons the right of access to records without prior written consent, provided there is a just need to see the records.

Those exceptions are:

1. College officials, including instructors and counselors.
2. Authorized representatives of the Comptroller General of the United States and heads of education agencies.
3. In conjunction with a student’s application for, or receipt of, financial aid.
4. Officials of other colleges in which the student plans to enroll, provided that the student receives a copy of his or her record, if desired.
5. Subpoena of records, provided that the student is notified when such records are subpoenaed.
6. Release of Directory Information (see Directory Information for details).

A record of access of all persons in categories 2, 3, 4, and 5 is maintained in the student’s record. Students who wish to have copies of their records sent to individuals or institutions must request this service in writing from the Office of Admissions and Records. There may be a fee for this service.

K-12 Parent/Guardian Information and FERPA

“The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children’s education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records. When a student turns 18 years old or enters a postsecondary institution at any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student.”

Students who are enrolled at Ohlone College are covered by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). According to this legislation, college personnel cannot release a student’s records or speak with parents and/or guardians about any student’s academic records without the student completing the “Release of Information” form. The exception to this is if the student is claimed as a dependent by either parent for tax purposes. Ohlone College reserves the right to require documents verifying student’s status as a dependent.

Student Access to Records

Any student may request to review the contents of his or her academic file by completing a form in the Office of Admissions and Records on the Fremont campus during normal window hours. Any student may challenge the contents and accuracy of the records by requesting, in writing, a review of the records with the Director of Admissions and Records. All such requests for review will be honored within fifteen working days.

Students do not have access to:

• Information provided by a student’s parents relating to applications for financial aid or scholarships;
• Physicians’, psychiatrists’, or psychologists’ reports;
• Information maintained by Campus Security;
• Instructors’ personal records regarding a student.