Westminster accords to all students all the rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) as amended. The policy is available in the Registrar’s Office, and is summarized below. In addition, announcements concerning this are distributed to students at each registration.
General information, which the Seminary may give out at its discretion, includes the student’s name, spouse’s name, address, telephone number, program and year of study, dates of attendance, degree(s) awarded, most recent school attended, citizenship, and church affiliation. If a student wishes any of this information withheld, he or she may write to the Registrar within two weeks after the first day of classes for the fall or spring semester and the request will be honored during the academic year in which the letter was received. A student may authorize release of certain additional information by writing to the Registrar.
Other information from the student’s educational record is confidential and available only for appropriate use by faculty, administrative officers, and personnel in the offices of the Registrar, Director of Admissions, and Dean of Students, as well as by persons from accrediting agencies, persons with a judicial order, and persons requesting information in an emergency to protect the health or safety of students or others. Under FERPA, these persons are permitted access to particular information as needed.
By writing a request to the Registrar, a student may review his or her record to the extent provided by FERPA. Westminster is not required to permit students to inspect confidential letters and recommendations received prior to January 1, 1975. If a student has signed a waiver, information from a recommendation is not available to him or her. Application materials, once submitted, become the property of Westminster. Under no circumstances will a student be permitted to copy or have returned to him or her any recommendation.
Transcripts received from other schools will not be returned to a student.
