The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA") affords students certain rights with respect to their education records.

These rights are outlined below:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day that Northwood University receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar's Office a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar’s Office will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask Northwood University to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the Registrar's Office, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If Northwood University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, Northwood University 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 Northwood University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, or support staff position (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person or company with whom Northwood University has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a person 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 in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
4. The right to refuse to permit Northwood University to designate certain personally identifiable information about the student as directory information which is not subject to the above restrictions on disclosure. Northwood University may within its discretion release some or all directory information as it determines is appropriate. Northwood University has designated the following information about a student as directory information: name, address, telephone listing, e-mail address, date and place of birth, major field of study, year in school, class schedules, class rosters, enrollment status, participation in officially recognized activities and athletics, weight and height of members of athletic teams, photographs, dates of attendance, diplomas received, awards received, and the name of the last previous school attended by the student, and other similar information which would not generally be considered harmful to a student, or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. If a student does not wish to have the student's information designated as directory information and disclosed, the student must request and complete a Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information from the Registrar's Office and submit the completed form to the Registrar's Office within two weeks from the beginning of each term. Please note that a request to block the designation of information as directory information may apply to all categories listed above and to all requests for directory information from within and outside the Northwood University community. This notification will remain in effect until the student informs the Registrar's Office in writing to remove the block to designation and disclosure.
5. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Northwood University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:

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