Student Records

Edison State College respects each student’s right to privacy and releases, provides access to, and maintains a student’s record in accordance with all applicable state and federal regulations.

Custodians of Student Records

Edison State College has designated the Registrar as the official custodian of general student records. The Director of Financial Aid has been designated as the official custodian of student financial aid records. The information contained in a student’s record becomes the property of Edison State and is not released without the written permission of the student.

Policies Governing Student Records/(FERPA)

Directory Information

Under the terms of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Edison State has established the following as directory information:

1. Student’s name.
2. Student’s local address and telephone number.
3. Student’s permanent address and telephone number.
4. Current term hours enrolled and expected date of completion in enrolled courses of study.
5. Major of study.
6. Date(s) of enrollment.
7. Degree(s) and honors earned and dates.
8. Participation in officially recognized activities or sports.
9. Enrollment status (e.g., full time or part-time student status). 
10. Previous colleges attended.
11. Campus e-mail address.

Although the above directory information may be available for release to the general public, Edison State does not routinely release such information to third parties. Under FERPA, students have the right to inform Edison State that any or all of the student’s directory information is not to be released. Edison State honors the student’s request to restrict the release of “Directory Information” as stated previously. To withhold information, a student must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing prior to the end of the add/drop period each semester. Status of disclosure at the last registration period is binding and all records are noted: “Restricted Information, FERPA. No information is to be released without the written consent of the student.”

Edison State College has designated the National Student Clearinghouse and Higher One Inc. as agents of the college, authorized to release student information in the performance of their contracted duties.

Notification of Access and Review of Student Records (Public Law 93-380 Buckley Amendment)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights are:

1. The right to inspect and review their education record within 45 days of Edison State receiving a request for access. The student should submit to the District Registrar or other appropriate Edison State official a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The Edison State official arranges for access and notifies the student of the time and place where the student may inspect the records. In the case where a request is presented to an Edison State official who does not maintain the requested records, the Edison State official advises the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
2. The right to request the amendment of their education records if the student believes the record is inaccurate or misleading. The student should submit to the Registrar or other appropriate Edison State official a written request clearly identifying the part of the record the student wants changed, and specifying why it is inaccurate or misleading. The Edison State official notifies the student if it is decided not to amend the record as requested by the student. The Edison State official advises the student of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment and provides additional information regarding the hearing procedures to the student.
3. The right to request the non-disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in their education record, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. Students should contact the Office of the Registrar for more information. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is the disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by Edison State in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel), a person or company with whom Edison State has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent), a person serving on the District Board of Trustees, or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing their duties. A school official has legitimate educational interests if the official needs to review an education record to fulfill their professional responsibility. Upon request, Edison State discloses education records without consent to officials of school(s) to which the student seeks or intends to enroll.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Edison State to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

Solomon Amendment

Under a 1997 rule adopted by the United States Department of Defense, the College, if requested, must provide to the U.S. military the student’s name, address, telephone number, date of birth, level of education, current major and degrees received.

Notification of Social Security Number Collection and Usage

In compliance with Florida Statute 119.071(5), Edison State College collects and uses student social security numbers (SSNs) only for the following purposes in performance of the College’s duties and responsibilities. To protect student identity, Edison State College will protect all social security numbers from unauthorized access, never release social security numbers to unauthorized parties, and assign each student/employee a unique identification number (Banner ID#). This unique ID number is used for all associated employment and educational purposes at Edison State.

1. Office of the Registrar

Federal legislation relating to the Hope Tax Credit requires all post secondary institutions to report student SSNs to the Internal Revenue Service. This IRS requirement makes it necessary for colleges to collect the SSN of every student. A student may refuse to disclose his or her SSN to the College, but the IRS is then authorized to fine the student in the amount of $50.00. (Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (Pub. L. No. 105-34, 111 Stat. 788).

In addition to the federal reporting requirements, the public school system in Florida uses SSNs as a student identifier (Florida Statutes 1008.386; Florida Public Records, FS 119.071(5)(a)2.a.(II). In a seamless K-20 system, it is beneficial for post secondary institutions to have access to the same information for purposes of tracking and assisting students in the smooth transition from one education level to the next. All SSNs are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and are never released to unauthorized parties.

2. Financial Aid Office

The Office of Financial Aid requires students to submit their social security numbers on various forms in order to correctly identify applicants, match each applicant’s financial aid record with the student record, and help coordinate state aid programs with federal and institutional aid programs. (Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, Sections 441-448, 483 and 484(p), 20 USC 1091 (p), 20 USC 1078-2(f); Code of Federal Regulations, 34 CFR 668.32(i) and 668.36; 38 USC 3471).

3. Human Resources Office/Payroll Office
   
   The SSN is used for legitimate employment business purposes in compliance with:
   
   
   1. The Application and Employment Packet: completing and processing the Federal I-9 (Department of Homeland Security)
   2. Completing and processing payroll documents: Federal W4, W2 and W9 for 1099 reporting (Internal Revenue Service); Federal social security taxes (FICA); processing and distributing Federal W2 (Internal Revenue Service); direct deposit files
   3. Completing and processing quarterly unemployment reports (FL Dept of Revenue)
   4. Completing and processing Florida Retirement Contribution reports (FL Dept of Revenue)
   5. Workers Comp Claims (FCCRMC and Department of Labor)
   6. Completing and processing federal and state employee and educational reports
   7. Completing and processing 401a, 403b and 457b contribution reports
   8. Completing and processing group health, life and dental coverage enrollment
   9. Completing and processing various supplemental insurance deduction reports
   10. Providing your Social Security number is a condition of employment at Edison State College.

4. Library

Student, faculty, and staff social security numbers may be used in the libraries’ patron database for online login authentication, patron verification and the elimination of duplicate records. (Florida Public Records, FS 119.071(5)(a)6.b).

5. Upward Bound Program

The Upward Bound Program is a youth outreach (intervention) project funded by a discretionary grant from the U.S. Departments of Education. As such, each project is required to exclusively serve eligible participants that are citizens or nationals of the United States; or, are permanent residents of the United States. In order to verify a participant’s project eligibility, social security numbers are required and also later used when submitting information for the annual performance reports due to the U.S. Departments of Education. (Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, Sections 402, 483, and 484(p), 20 USC 1091 (p); Code of Federal Regulations, 34 CFR 668.32(i) and 668.36).

Enrollment Verifications

Students needing official verification of their enrollment should submit a completed Enrollment Verification Request to the Office of the Registrar at least one week before the verification is needed. Enrollment Verification Requests should include the specific information needed, including actual dates of attendance, full-time/part-time status, residency status, etc. Enrollment Verification requests are only processed for the current or previous semesters. Future semester enrollment verifications are only processed after the last day to drop with a refund for that semester. Enrollment Verification requests are not processed for any student or alumnus with an obligation to Edison State such as unpaid fees, overdue loans, library books, audiovisual equipment, or whose admission records are not complete. Students are encouraged to contact National Clearinghouse at (703) 742-4200 for official enrollment verifications.

Final Grade Reports

Final grades are available to students after the end of each semester through Edison State’s student online services or through the FACTS Web site. Edison State does not mail final grade reports.

Grade Corrections

A request for a grade correction must be made during the semester immediately following the semester in which the incorrect grade was assigned. The instructor who taught the class and the appropriate academic dean must approve the grade correction. No grade will be changed after a degree is awarded.

Academic Second Chance

The Academic Second Chance policy allows students to request that transfer or Edison State coursework that is five calendar years or older be excluded from GPA calculations and determining graduation eligibility. To be eligible, students must complete all admissions requirements and be admitted to a degree or certificate program. Academic Second Chance is a one-time non-reversible opportunity.

The student must submit a completed Academic Second Chance petition to the Office of the Registrar on the Lee Campus, or to the Campus Dean at Charlotte, Collier and Hendry/Glades. The student must complete a minimum of twelve semester hours while maintaining a GPA of 2.00 or higher for the petition to be considered. ESL/ENS/EAP and college preparatory courses are not included when calculating the twelve semester hour minimum and the 2.0 GPA.  Courses included in a previously awarded ESC degree program are ineligible for petition under this policy.

The following statement is added to the student’s transcript when the petition is approved: “Academic Second Chance policy has been applied.” All grades and courses remain on the transcript.

The Academic Second Chance policy is applied only once and it cannot be reversed. Students planning to transfer to another college or university are cautioned that the receiving institution may use all grades earned when computing a GPA for admissions eligibility or for other purposes. Academic Second Chance has no effect on the student’s financial aid award history. Students may request Academic Second Chance for a term or terms, but not individual courses within a term. Academic Second Chance has no effect on the calculation of course attempts related to the multiple course attempts surcharge.

Petitions

The Petitions process is designed to review, based on a student’s written request, Edison State College policies or procedures related to:

1. Admissions eligibility to the College;
2. Admissions eligibility to an Edison State College Baccalaureate Program; Substitution/waiver of a course required for a degree or certificate program;
3. Readmission from academic suspension or dismissal;
4. Exception to the Maximum Attempts Policy;
5. Exception to the Third Attempt Surcharge; or
6. Exception to registration polices or deadlines.

Students begin the process by completing an official petition form available in the Office of the Registrar, Office of Counseling and Advising, or the Campus Dean’s Office. Completed petitions must be submitted to the same office by the end of the semester immediately following the semester in which the event occurred. Petitions that are more than one academic year old are not considered.

Many petitions, especially those regarding admissions processes are handled directly in the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar makes a determination based on the information collected by his/her office or provided by the student, and may request a meeting with the student for further information or clarification. If necessary, additional college administrators responsible for the area of the petition may be involved in the decision. The Office of the Registrar will inform the student of the decision by e-mail. Petitions without third party supporting documentation will not be considered.

Appeal of an Academic Petition

A student has a right to appeal a decision made on an academic petition. A student wishing to appeal a decision must complete an appeal form, and return it to the Office of the Registrar or the Campus Dean or President’s Office. The appeal is forwarded to the appropriate campus or academic dean or the Campus President’s Office, if the appropriate campus or academic dean or the Campus President had not previously reviewed the petition. The appeal is forwarded to the Office of the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs if the appropriate campus or academic dean or the Campus President made the original decision. A copy of the original petition is automatically part of the subsequent appeal. An appeal is not simply a review of the original petition decision but a request to reverse the original decision. The student must supply new, relevant, previously undisclosed information, or present an argument as to why the original petition decision should be reversed. For an appeal to be successful, new information must be critical to the case, and new consideration or arguments should prove the student’s case conclusively. The reviewing office may request a meeting or additional information for clarification. The Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs has responsibility for making the final academic decision for Edison State College. Appeal forms are available in the Office of the Registrar or Campus Dean’s office.

Release of Student Information

Edison State College may, without the written consent of the student, release information from the student’s education record to a court of competent jurisdiction in compliance with a court order of that court or to the attorney of record pursuant to a lawfully issued subpoena, provided that in advance of compliance with the court order or subpoena Edison State notified the student. A student who objects to the release of his or her records must file a motion to invalidate the court order or subpoena, and provide Edison State with copies of the relevant legal documents. All releases of student information are made in compliance with state and federal regulations.

Student Holds

Holds are placed on a student’s account, records, transcript, grades, diploma, or registration if the student does not fulfill all financial or other obligations to the College. Satisfaction of the obligation is required prior to the release of the hold by the appropriate College office.

Transcripts

Students needing an official Edison State College transcript should submit a completed Transcript Request Form to the Office of the Registrar at least one week before the official transcript is needed. Official transcripts may also be requested via Edison State’s student online services. Transcript requests are not processed for any student or alumnus with an obligation to Edison State College such as unpaid fees, overdue loans, library books, audiovisual equipment, or whose admission records are not complete. The completed transcript request should contain the student’s name (at the time they attended Edison State), student identification number, date of birth, the name and address of where the transcript is to be sent, and the student’s signature. There is a $5 charge for an official transcript. Unofficial transcripts may be obtained via Edison State’s student online services.