Parent Grades

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS

A Special Note to Parents or Guardians Concerning a Students Educational Record, Rights, and Privacy

Once a student enrolls at a post-secondary educational institution, regardless of age, the rights for privacy pass from the parents to the student. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (commonly referred to as the "Buckley Amendment" or "FERPA") is designed to protect the confidentiality of the records that educational institutions maintain on the students and to give students access to their records to assure the accuracy of their contents. This Act gives students certain rights with respect to these educational records.

These rights include the right to inspect or review their education records, the right to request amendment of their education records if the student believes they are inaccurate or misleading, the right to consent to the disclosure of personally identifiable information in their education records, and the right to contact the Family Policy Compliance Office with a complaint concerning the College's compliance.

FERPA permits the release of "directory information" without authorization by the student unless the student notifies the Registrar's Office, in writing and within the first two weeks of a semester, of a specific request that the College does not release such information.

GORDON COLLEGE DIRECTORY INFORMATION:
Gordon College has designated the following information as Directory Information: student's name; month/day and place of birth; major field of study; full-or part-time status; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; dates of attendance; degrees; honors and awards received; most recent previous educational agency or institution attended; and photograph, video or web image of the individual, or campus scenes including the individual in College publications, promotional materials or on the website. The weights and heights of members of athletic teams may also be released. 

Gordon's privacy policy also allows access by members of the Gordon community to current and permanent addresses, telephone listings, email addresses, class schedules and listings on course rosters. All other personal data is restricted to only Gordon faculty, staff and student workers, pursuant to the College's responsibilities, or to contractual agents of the College, such as an attorney, auditor, the National Student Clearinghouse or a collection agent.

STUDENT GRADES
Grades are protected as educational records under FERPA. In compliance with the law, this "non-directory" information requires the student's written consent prior to its release by a school official to any source outside the college (including parents or guardians). Grades are due from faculty on the Monday following the last final examination (or on a Tuesday if the Monday is an official holiday). Students may check their grades through my.gordon.edu after grades are processed and they are encouraged to print out a copy of their unofficial transcript each term for their parents or guardians. Grades are not sent to the student by mail. Note: Canvas grades are not the official record of the College.

FERPA does allow institutions to disclose non-directory information to the parents of dependent students as an exception on a case-by-case basis at the College's discretion. Parents are encouraged, however, to consult with their sons and daughters about academic progress.