College Website, Publications and Event Requirements: Consumer Information
This section of the College Website, Publication and Event Requirements covers issues related to publications.
Citation
20 U.S.C. §1094(c)(3)(A) and 34 C.F.R. § 600.9
Frequency
Continuous
Location
Website
Description
The federal Higher Education Act prohibits colleges from misrepresenting educational programs, financial charges, or employability of its graduates. SBCTC handles the complaint review process for Washington state public community and technical college students.
Colleges should post the complaint process and link to the SBCTC Consumer Protection Student Complaint Process form on their websites.
Example
Citation
RCW 28B.50.789: Online course descriptions—Required materials' cost information—Reports.
Frequency
During registration.
Location
Online course description or provide a link to the college's bookstore website or another website.
Description
No later than the first full quarter after a college has implemented ctcLink, the college must provide:
- The cost of any required textbook or other course material
- Whether the course uses open educational resources
- Whether a course uses low-cost required instructional materials. For the purposes of this subsection, "low-cost" means the required instructional materials equal $50 or less.
This information must be displayed in the online course description or by providing a link that connects to the bookstore's website or another website.
If the faculty member has not yet been assigned to a course, that course's textbooks' and course materials' costs do not have to be displayed. Once the faculty member is assigned, the costs need to be displayed as soon as feasible.
Citation
Public Law 93-380, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)
Frequency
Annual
Location
Up to the college. Examples of locations include: website, student handbook, schedules, catalog.
Description
FERPA establishes that the education records of students attending or having attended the college are confidential and can be released only with written permission from the student. FERPA also authorizes the college to release so-called “directory information” without that prior written permission.
Each college defines “directory information” in its own way. The list of what qualifies as directory information must be changed in accordance with each college’s policies.
From the Department of Education:
§99.7 What must an educational agency or institution include in its annual notification?
(a)(1) Each educational agency or institution shall annually notify parents of students currently in attendance, or eligible students currently in attendance, of their rights under the Act and this part.
(2) The notice must inform parents or eligible students that they have the right to—
(i) Inspect and review the student's education records;
(ii) Seek amendment of the student's education records that the parent or eligible student believes to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student's privacy rights;
(iii) Consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that the Act and §99.31 authorize disclosure without consent; and
(iv) File with the Department a complaint under §§99.63 and 99.64 concerning alleged failures by the educational agency or institution to comply with the requirements of the Act and this part.
(3) The notice must include all of the following:
(i) The procedure for exercising the right to inspect and review education records.
(ii) The procedure for requesting amendment of records under §99.20.
(iii) If the educational agency or institution has a policy of disclosing education records under §99.31(a)(1), a specification of criteria for determining who constitutes a school official and what constitutes a legitimate educational interest.
(b) An educational agency or institution may provide this notice by any means that are reasonably likely to inform the parents or eligible students of their rights.
(1) An educational agency or institution shall effectively notify parents or eligible students who are disabled.
(2) An agency or institution of elementary or secondary education shall effectively notify parents who have a primary or home language other than English.
Example
Walla Walla Community College Confidentiality of Student Records (FERPA)
