FERPA

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA; also known as the “Buckley Amendment”) and provisions of the California Education Code set out requirements designed to govern the access to, and release of, educational records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students also have the right to file complaints with the FERPA Office at the United States Department of Education concerning alleged failures by The Master’s Seminary to comply with provisions of FERPA.

In accordance with the regulations of FERPA, as amended, The Master’s Seminary has adopted policies and procedures concerning the implementation of FERPA on campus. The policy is available here. The Department of Education offers a copy of the FERPA regulations online.

Certain information designated as “Directory Information” may be disclosed without the consent or knowledge of the student unless the student has notified The Master’s Seminary in advance that such information is not to be released. “Directory Information” at The Master’s Seminary is defined as:

• Student name
• TMS e-mail address
• Date of birth (verification only)
• Dates of attendance at the seminary
• Degrees and honors received
• Program enrollment status
• Year in the program
• Program discipline (if applicable)
• Participation in officially recognized activities
• Photographs
• The most recent educational agency or institution attended

The purpose of establishing this definition of Directory Information is to notify the student of the types of personally identifiable information included with this definition of “Directory Information” and to allow the student to prevent the disclosure of this information should they wish to do so.

The student may request that their information remain confidential by filling out the TMS FERPA Release Form through the Registrar’s Office.

Students requesting that their records remain confidential should be aware that no information will be given out to anyone, including immediate family members and potential employers, regarding any information about the student. Students with confidentiality cannot obtain information concerning their own records unless they inquire in person or by writing a request which includes their signature.

Students who have requested that their information remain confidential and who withdraw or graduate from the seminary should be aware that their information will remain confidential and will not be released without the signature and expressed consent of that student.

The seminary does not permit access to, or the release of, personally identifiable information or educational records, to any individual without the written consent of the student, with the following exceptions:

• To administrators, faculty, or staff of the university and the Seminary, having legitimate educational concerns.
• To medical personnel when the health of the student or others would be endangered by the withholding of information.
• To financial aid personnel in connection with an application for such aid.
• To the governmental officials designated by law, or in compliance with a judicial order.

Note: Students who wish to release their education records to another named party will need to sign an information release through the Registrar’s Office.

Below is the release of information form you can complete to make changes to your student record restrictions. Please make sure you read the form carefully and be specific.

If you have any questions, please email registrar@tms.edu.

TMS FERPA Release of Information Form