Annual Notice

Southeast Community College has developed policies and procedures in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA rights transfer to the student when they reach the age of 18 or when they attend a school beyond the high school level.

You have the following rights as an SCC student:

• To inspect and review your educational records;
• To seek correction to your educational records if you believe they are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of privacy rights
• To consent to disclosures of the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) contained within your educational records (except for where the regulations allow disclosure without prior consent)

All requests for student records, amendment of student records, information and/or questions relating to the release of records and disclosure of PII must be in writing and directed to the campus Registration and Records Office.

FERPA rules allow disclosure of PII from a student education record without prior consent in certain cases. In addition to the circumstances noted below, a disclosure may also be made when the disclosure meets other permissible purposes as identified in 34 CFR 99.

• The disclosure is to other school officials who have legitimate educational interest in the records. This may include teachers, staff members, contractors, consultants, volunteers or other parties who perform services/functions on behalf of SCC.
• The disclosure is to officials of another school, school system or college where the student is enrolled or seeks enrollment. The disclosure must be for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer. This would include information released to a high school in the case of a dually-enrolled student (such as SCC’s SENCAP or TSA programs)
• Government agencies for purposes of a school audit, evaluation, or compliance with federal programs
• The disclosure is of directory information, which is information contained in a student’s education record that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed.

Directory information consisting of the items listed below may be released without the student’s consent:

• Student name
• Major field of study
• Dates of attendance
• Enrollment status
• Most recent previous school attended
• Degrees and awards received
• Honors and awards received, including Dean’s List and other academic honors
• Participation in officially recognized co-curricular activities (e.g. music, sports)
• Weight and height of athletic team members
• Parking permit number and auto license number
• Photograph/Video*

Photographers/videographers employed or contracted by SCC regularly take photographs/video of people, either individually or in a group, to illustrate or describe various aspects of the College and campus life. These photographs/video will be taken at public venues such as athletic events and concerts, or they may be taken in organized campus photo/video shoots where the subjects will have given verbal consent to be photographed/videotaped. Individuals who are photographed/videotaped while attending a public event or who verbally agree to participate in a photo/video shoot will be understood to have authorized SCC to use their likeness in print and electronic materials to promote the College. The College will retain the usage rights to the photographs/video in perpetuity.

To avoid having Directory Information released, students must submit a written request to the campus Registration and Records Office within 10 classroom/business days, not including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, after initial enrollment in the College. After the initial 10-day period, any new request for withholding of directory information shall require a 10-classroom day (not including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) written notice to the campus Registration & Records Office to become effective.

If you believe the school has failed to comply with regulatory requirements and the complaint was not satisfactorily resolved with the school, you have the right to file a complaint with the Department of Education.

For additional information regarding privacy rights, please see the Department of Education’s FERPA website.

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus security and Crime Statistics Act, SCC publishes an Annual Security Report (ASR) by October 1. This report includes statistics for the previous three (3) years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus, at certain off- campus buildings, and adjacent public property. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters.

A copy of this report is available online or upon request to any Campus Dean of Students.

In accordance with the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Regulations, Southeast Community College annually notifies students and employees of the standards of conduct that prohibit unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol on its property. Additionally, SCC provides a description of the health risks associated with the use of illicit drugs and the abuse of alcohol, the applicable legal sanctions under local, state, or federal law, the availability of applicable counseling, treatment, or rehabilitation or re-entry programs. SCC provides a clear statement and description of the disciplinary sanctions the institution will impose on students and employees for violation of College drug and alcohol free environment policies. See pages 7-11 of the Student Information section of the College Catalog and online.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) prohibits discrimination based on sex*, which includes sexual and relationship violence at any federally funded education program or activity. When the College receives a report of sexual and relationship violence or discrimination, it will respond in a prompt and equitable manner, consider and process every report based on facts and prohibit retaliation against anyone for raising complaints or participating in a process related to Title IX.

For more information about SCC’s Access, Equity & Diversity Office, visit the Diversity webpage.

For any questions regarding Title IX, please contact: Robert Sanford, Title IX Coordinator, at 402-323-3418 or rsanford@southeast.edu.

If you have experienced any incidents of sexual misconduct, harassment, or violence, whether on- or off-campus, please know that you have rights, you have options, and support is available for you. This document is intended as an overview of various policies, procedures, resources, and supports. See more information regarding your rights and options.

*The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights enforces Title IX's prohibition on discrimination on the basis of sex to also include discrimination based on gender identity.

The Student Right-to-Know Act, passed by Congress in 1990, requires institutions eligible for title IV funding, under the Higher Education act of 1965, to calculate completion or graduation rates of certificate or degree-seeking, full-time students entering that institution, and to disclose these rates to current and prospective students. These general disclosures include:

1. General Institutional Information
2. Financial Aid Assistance
3. Educational Programs
4. Student Outcomes
5. Health and Safety
6. Athletics

 

Please visit

Our Consumer Information webpage for more in-depth information on each of the above topics.

To read more about the Student Right-to-Know Act, please visit the National Center for Education Statistics website.