Notification of Student Rights (FERPA)

Per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), students at Harvey Mudd College are guaranteed certain rights in regard to the privacy of information from their education records. An individual is considered a student on the first day of the first term they are enrolled. Student rights under FERPA are as follows:

The right to inspect and review the student’s education records.

Students should submit a written request to the Registrar identifying the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar or, at the direction of the Registrar, another appropriate College staff member will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. Applicants for admission who wish to review or to release to a third party their application documents (excepting letters of recommendation) should submit a written request to the Office of Admission identifying the records they wish to inspect (or have released to a designated third party).

The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading or an invasion of privacy.

Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed and specify why it is inaccurate, misleading or an invasion of privacy. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the College will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Hearings will be conducted by the appropriate College hearing body. Students also have a right to have their personal written statement submitted and retained by the record-keeper for as long as the objectionable record is retained. Should the objectionable record be disclosed, the recordkeeper must also disclose the student’s statement. Grades are not covered by this right-to-request amendment.

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education 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 defined as a person employed by the College, one of the other Claremont Colleges, or The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS) in an administrative, supervisory, academic (including faculty) or support staff position (including Campus Safety and Student Health Center 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 person 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 education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the College discloses education records without consent to officials of another school at which a student has informed the College that they intend to enroll. Some scholarship donors will require that students authorize disclosure to them of information pertaining to the student’s academic progress. Acceptance of these scholarship funds from such donors will be considered as granting consent to the College to make these disclosures.

The right to request that the College not disclose directory information. At its discretion, Harvey Mudd College may confirm or disclose “directory information” to the general public. The College defines “directory information” in accordance with FERPA as follows:

  • Name
  • Photo
  • Harvey Mudd ID number
  • Campus mailing address
  • Major field of study
  • Dates of attendance and classification
  • Degrees and/or awards received
  • Previous academic institutions attended
  • Date of birth
  • Campus email address
  • Hometown

Under certain circumstances, home and cell telephone numbers may be released. The CMS Athletic Department may also release information about a student in compliance with normal practices for “team rosters,” including height and weight. Per the Solomon Amendment, the College releases recruiting information to military recruiters. Recruiting information includes directory information that has not been restricted and may include year in school, place of birth and telephone number. Students may request that their directory information not be released by signing a nondisclosure form within two weeks of the start of any semester. All written requests for nondisclosure of directory information by current students will be honored until revoked by the students in writing. The College accepts requests for non-disclosure from alumni and honors such requests until revoked by the former student in writing. Harvey Mudd College assumes that failure on the part of any student to specifically request the withholding of directory information indicates individual approval for disclosure.

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. Complaints should be directed in writing to the following address:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20202-5920

Please visit the FERPA page on the U.S. Department of Education’s website for more information.