Annual Notice to Students
Notification of Rights under FERPA
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso adheres to and annually informs students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as amended. This act, with which the institution intends to fully comply, was designed to protect the privacy of student records. Under FERPA, eligible students have certain rights with respect to their student records. According to FERPA, an eligible student is at least 18 years old OR attends a post-secondary institution, regardless of age.
These rights include:
- The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access. Students should submit requests to access to his/her Education Records. The Registrar’s Office 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’s Office to whom the request was submitted, the Office of the Registrar will determine the office or personnel to forward the request.
- The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. A student who believes that his or her education records are inaccurate or misleading, or that the records violate his or her privacy rights, may informally discuss amendment of the record with the Records Custodian concerned with the particular record. If agreement is reached with respect to the student's request, the appropriate records will be amended.
[Note: The substantive judgment of a faculty member regarding a Student’s work, expressed in grades or evaluations, is not within the purview of the right to seek amendment of Education Records under this section. This section does not include procedures for Students challenging individual grades. Grade appeal and grievance procedures are set forth in the individual Student handbooks for each School and the TTUHSC El Paso Institutional Student Handbook: Code of Professional and Academic Conduct].
- 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 University Officials determined by TTUHSC El Paso to have a Legitimate Educational Interest in the Agents acting on behalf of TTUHSC El Paso (e.g., Clearinghouses, degree/enrollment verifiers, etc.). Officials of another School in which a Student seeks or intends to enroll.
- The right to request that directory information not be disclosed to the public. "Directory Information" means information in a student's education record that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. The following information is designated by TTUHSC El Paso as Directory Information: Student’s name, address, previous institution(s) attended, major field of study, dates of attendance, enrollment status (e.g., undergraduate or graduate, part-time or full-time), classification, degree(s) conferred, date(s) of degree(s) (including degrees from previous institutions), honors and awards (including scholarships), participation in officially recognized activities. Dates of Attendance” means the period of time during which a Student attends or attended TTUHSC El Paso, such as an academic year, a spring semester, or a first quarter. The term does not include specific daily records of a Student’s attendance at TTUHSC El
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. A student has the right to file a complaint within 180 days of the alleged violation with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by TTUHSC El Paso 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, S.W.
Washington, DC 20202-4605