FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) provides for the confidentiality of student records. Brookdale Community College reserves the right to release, or not release, directory Information at the discretion of appropriate officials. Directory Information may include a student’s name, address, telephone number, field of study, participation in activities, weight and height of athletic team members, dates of attendance, degrees, awards, most recent educational institution attended, e-mail address, class schedule, class roster and photographs.

Please note, in compliance with the Solomon Amendment and William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (2021) we are required to provide directory information to military recruiters, to now also include your email address.

Students who wish to have directory information withheld must notify the Registrar in writing within seven days of the first day of instruction and request that such information not be released without consent.


Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)

Brookdale Community College adheres to and annually informs students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. This act was designated to protect the privacy of educational records. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), students have certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:

1) The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the Registrar, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

2) The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the College to amend the record 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 or misleading. 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. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3) 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 a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel), or a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent). For collection purposes, the College currently contracts with Joseph Morgano Esq., Allied Account Services, Financial Recoveries, Recovery Solutions and the NJ Division of Revenue SOIL Unit. The College reserves the right to add, delete, or change collection agencies as needed, a person serving on the Board of Trustees, or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or 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 to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the College may disclose educational records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

4) 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. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605