Hearing Procedures

Goucher College FERPA Guidelines

  1. The College shall hold the hearing within a reasonable time after it has received the request for the hearing from the eligible student. A form to request a hearing can be found at this page.
  2. The College shall give the eligible student notice of the date, time and place reasonably in advance of the hearing.
  3. The hearing shall be conducted by an individual, appointed by the Academic Dean [suggested], who does not have a direct interest in the outcome of the hearing. The hearing officer may be an official or employee of the College.
  4. The eligible student shall have a full and fair opportunity to present evidence relevant to the allegation that the record is inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of the privacy rights of the student. The student may, at his or her own expense, be assisted or represented by one or more individuals of his or her own choice, including an attorney.
  5. The hearing officer shall make his or her decision in writing within a reasonable period of time after the hearing.
  6. The decision must be based solely on the evidence presented at the hearing and must include a summary of the evidence and the reasons for the decision.
  7. If, as a result of the hearing, the hearing officer decides that the information is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the privacy rights of the student, it shall:
    1. Amend the record accordingly; and
    2. Inform the student of the amendment in writing.
  8. If the hearing officer decides that the information in the education record is not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the privacy rights of the student, it shall inform the eligible student of the right to place a statement in the record commenting on the contested information or stating why he or she disagrees with the decision of the College, or both.
  9. The College will maintain the statement in the education records of a student for as long as the contested record is maintained and disclose the statement whenever it discloses the contested portion of the record.