CCGA EMAIL ACCOUNTS
The CCGA Email Account is the official correspondence used by the Office of the Registrar. This account meets industry standards for privacy and security to insure that academic information and communications can be conveyed to students in a manner that meets federal and state laws.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS
Students will be asked to furnish their social security number for identification purposes and to assist in tracking incoming documents. A Social Security number is required when students apply for financial aid, for educational tax benefits, and for employment. It may also be required for other purposes. This information may be disclosed only under certain circumstances, including the following:
To other institutional officials.
To representatives of federal, state and local educational authorities.
In connection with financial aid.
To collection agents in connection with university-related business.
Pursuant to an order from a court of law.
Other circumstances as required by state or federal law.
CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT RECORDS
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) afford students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:
The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access. Students should submit to the registrar, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the College official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes is inaccurate. Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. They should write the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the College 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.
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 the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); or a student 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.
The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College of Coastal Georgia to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202-5920.
As of January 3, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education's FERPA regulations expanded the circumstances under which your education records and personally identifiable information (PII) contained in such records including your Social Security Number, grades, or other private information may be accessed without your consent. First, the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities (Federal and State Authorities) may allow access to your records and PII without your consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program. The evaluation may relate to any program that is principally engaged in the provision of education, such as early childhood education and job training, as well as any program that is administered by an education agency or institution. Second, Federal and State Authorities may allow access to your education records and PII without your consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain cases even when we object to or do not request such research. Federal and State Authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security promises from the entities that they authorize to receive your PII, but the Authorities need not maintain direct control over such entities. In addition, in connection with Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, State Authorities may collect, compile permanently retain, and share without your consent PII from your education records, and they may track your participation in education and other programs by linking such PII to other personal information about you that they obtain from other Federal or State data sources, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice, military service, and migrant student records systems.
DIRECTORY INFORMATION
Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a student's prior written consent. If you do not want CCGA to disclose directory information without your prior written consent, you must notify the College in writing. CCGA has designated the following information as directory information: student's name; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; address; telephone; college email address; degrees, honors, and awards received; major field of study; dates of attendance; student classification (e.g., freshmen).