Student Rights and Responsibilities

If You Have a Problem

Students with general complaints should see the campus Vice President or Director of Student Affairs for guidance in resolving problems. Student Rights and Responsibilities regarding procedures for appealing grades or code of conduct penalties can be found online at www.pima.edu.

Religious Observances

Pima Community College accommodates the religious observances and practices of students unless it will result in undue hardship to College programs. Arrangements should be made with the instructor at least two weeks in advance.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA is the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 that requires students to provide written permission for release of their grades and other information. This act was designed to protect the privacy of educational records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their educational records, and to provide guidelines for correcting inaccurate or misleading data through informal or formal hearings.

The student’s academic record (grades, registration, progress, in class information) will not be released to a parent or guardian or third party without a signed permission release form from the student. For additional information go to our FERPA page, https://pima.edu/student-resources/student-policies-complaints/ferpa/index.html

FERPA and Emergencies

FERPA permits PCC officials to disclose education records without student consent in an emergency, including personally identifiable information from those records, to protect the health and safety of students or other individuals. At such times, records and information may be released to appropriate parties such as law enforcement or public health officials, and trained medical personnel. This exception to FERPA’s general consent rule is limited to the period of the emergency and generally does not allow for a blanket release of personally identifiable information from a student’s education records.

FERPA and Disciplinary Records

While student disciplinary records are protected as education records under FERPA, there are certain circumstances in which disciplinary records may be disclosed without the student’s consent. PCC may disclose to an alleged victim of any crime of violence or non-forcible sex offense the final results of a disciplinary proceeding conducted by PCC against the alleged perpetrator of that crime, regardless of whether the institution concluded a violation was committed. PCC may disclose to anyone - not just the victim - the final results of a disciplinary proceeding, if it determines that the student is an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or non-forcible sex offense, and with respect to the allegation made against him or her, the student has committed a violation of PCC rules or policies.

FERPA and Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)

FERPA permits PCC to comply with information requests from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau (ICE) in order to comply with the requirements of SEVIS. Officials who have specific questions about this and other matters involving international students should contact the U.S. Department of Education’s Family Policy Compliance Office.

FERPA and Transfer of Education Records

FERPA permits PCC officials to disclose any and all education records, including disciplinary records, to another institution at which the student seeks or intends to enroll. While student consent is not required for transferring education records, PCC’s annual FERPA notification should indicate that such disclosures are made. In the absence of information about disclosures in the annual FERPA notification, PCC officials must make a reasonable attempt to notify the student about the disclosure, unless the student initiates the disclosure.

FERPA and Directory Information

The College may disclose directory information without prior written consent, unless notified by the student in writing by the first official class meeting date of each semester.

Directory information includes:

• Student name
• Major field of study
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Dates of attendance
• Degrees and awards received
• Most recent educational institution attended
• Enrollment status (i.e. full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, less than half-time, withdrawn, graduated or deceased)
• College-issued email address (e.g. jdoe@mail.pima.edu)

FERPA Contact

520-206-4700

Family Policy Compliance Office

U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave. S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-5920
202-260-3887