Policies

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 is a federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records and affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. FERPA governs the disclosure of educational records maintained by YVC and the access to those records. All educational institutions and educational agencies that receive funding from any program administered by the U.S. Secretary of Education must adhere to FERPA.

Student privacy rights under FERPA

FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within a reasonable time frame from when YVC receives the request. A student can submit to the Registrar, a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA
3. 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. YVC discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the college to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

Release of student record information is generally not done at Yakima Valley College without the expressed written consent of the student. To allow records to be released to a desired party, please fill out the FERPA Release form. The release is valid for the length of time designated on the form of up to one year.

Exceptions

There are some exceptions to release of information. For example, directory information is information contained in a student’s educational record that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed, and can be released without consent.

A student can block the release of their directory information by updating their privacy restrictions under “Profile” on their ctcLink student homepage. This will make the student’s directory information confidential.

Some of the effects of a student’s directory information being confidential are:

• Student’s name will not appear in the commencement program.
• Verification of enrollment, graduation, or degrees awarded will not be provided to third parties, including potential employers, insurance companies, and financial institutions.
• No information will be released to any person, including the student, on the telephone or via email.

Blocking the release of directory information is permanent until removed at the student’s request.

The FERPA Block applies to all elements of directory information on your record. Yakima Valley College does not apply a block differently to the various directory information data elements.

Parent Privacy Rights Under FERPA

YVC recognizes the legitimate interest of parents and guardians to consult with the professional staff about the academic and personal well-being of their sons and daughters. YVC also has to consider the educational rights of our students. Therefore, parents of YVC students will not be furnished grade reports or transcripts without written permission from the student. This includes students whose parents can establish proof of dependency. Likewise, the spouse of a married student, regardless of the student’s age, will be given such information only with the written consent of the student by completing the FERPA Release Authorization form. For exceptions to this rule, please contact the Registrar and Director for Enrollment Services at 509.574.4702.

Faculty/Staff privacy responsibilities under FERPA

All YVC faculty/staff must comply with FERPA. An online tutorial is available on the YVC website for training. The tutorial must be completed before access to the Student Information System will be allowed. For additional information on FERPA, please refer to the FERPA Faculty-Staff Handbook.

Faculty/staff should also require a student consent FERPA Letter of Recommendation Release when writing a letter of recommendation.

Frequently asked FERPA Questions & Answers

When do my FERPA rights begin?

A FERPA related college educational record begins for a student when they enroll at YVC. An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution at any age.

What are educational records?

Educational records include any record maintained by YVC that contains information that is personally identifiable to a student. Educational records include (but are not limited to): grades, class schedules, class lists, and student financial records.

Who may have access to personally identifiable education records?

YVC may disclose records without consent when certain requirements are met. Primarily, school officials with legitimate educational interests have access to educational records in order to perform their official, educational related duties. Example of people who may have access, depending on their official duties, and only within the context of those duties, include college faculty and staff, agents of the college, students employed by the college or who serve on official college committees, and representatives of agencies under contract with the college. A school official typically has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill their professional responsibilities for YVC.

What is directory information?

Directory information is information contained in a student’s educational record that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. YVC considers the following directory information:

• Name
• Major field of study
• Eligibility for and participation in officially recognized activities, organizations, and sports
• Weight and height statistics for members of athletic teams
• Enrollment status (number of credits enrolled)
• Dates of attendance (quarters in attendance)
• Honor roll
• Photos
• Degrees and awards received
• Most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student

What is not directory information?

YVC considers all information not covered under directory information as non-directory information. Non-directory information includes (but is not limited to): social security number, student ID number, address, email address, phone number, date of birth, grades, term and cumulative GPAs, student schedules, academic history, and academic standing.

Can I request my directory information not be released?

Yes. To place a block on your information you will need to update your privacy restrictions in your ctcLink account:

• Go to your Student Homepage and select the Profile tile.
• The Personal Details page will display. Select Privacy Restrictions.
• Under Privacy Restrictions, expand FERPA Block section by selecting the arrow.
• The Edit Restriction page will display. Select the Restricted check box, then click Save in the upper-right corner.
• The Restrict All Data section displays as Restricted with a red icon in the upper right corner of the FERPA Block section. Select Confirm.

To remove a FERPA block, please reach out to Registration at 509-574-4700.

Where can I find out more information about FERPA?

More information can be found in the YVC Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook. You can also visit the Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) for more information.

Petitions

Yakima Valley College (YVC) lists all student policy and procedures in the YVC Course Catalog. Through the course of a student’s academic studies unexpected events occur that preclude a student from completing a quarter. Under certain circumstances, student are allowed to appeal the policy or procedure with a petition.

Petitions are granted only based on facts and evidence. Students are responsible for providing all documentation required for the petition to be approved. If a student states a reason for the petition, that reason must be backed up with official documentation such as a doctor’s note, court documents, etc. Failure to include documentation will result in the petition being denied.

Academic Reinstatement Petition

Students that have been placed on academic suspension/dismissal may Petition for Academic Reinstatement. The petition should be completely filled out and any supporting documentation included. Student’s that filed for academic suspension previously and are now academically dismissed are not eligible to petition.

Academic Renewal Petition

Students must meet all guidelines as stated in the YVC Course Catalog. Students wishing to Petition for Academic Renewal are strongly encouraged to speak with their advisor and financial aid for all ramifications. Petitions for academic renewal will be denied if the student has a degree/certificate posted using any grade in which the petition would affect.

Graduation Petition

A student must submit the Graduation Petition along with their Graduation Application. All petitions will be reviewed by the Registrar and may need further approval by the Dean of the department in which the degree/certificate is awarded. Any petition for graduation that does not meet the minimum credits for the degree/certificate will be denied.

Withdrawal Exception Petition

This Withdrawal Exception Petition is used to get all tuition from a quarter refunded and withdraw from all classes for the same quarter. Partial refunds are not accepted. Students must meet one of the criteria listed on the petition to qualify and the condition must be supported by official documentation. Forgetting to drop a class from the waitlist, disagreeing with an instructor, incarceration, or the death of a person outside the immediate family are not acceptable reasons to petition and any petition for those reasons will be denied. All petitions must be submitted by the last day of the current quarter being petitioned. If the petition is approved, student will be withdrawn from all classes and transcript will reflect “W” for withdrawal.

Drop/Withdraw classes

Students sometimes need to drop/withdraw from a class after the quarter has started. Students may drop a class online through the first week of the quarter. Starting the second week of the quarter, all class drops/withdraws must be done in person at the Office of Registration & Records.

A class is considered dropped when it is done during the first two weeks of the quarter. The dropped class will not show up on the student’s transcript. Beginning the third week of the quarter, students may only withdraw from a class. A grade of ‘W’ will be placed on the student’s transcript for that class.

The specific drop/withdraw dates are listed on the Important Dates Calendar. Students should also consult with Financial Aid before dropping/withdrawing from a class as their financial aid status may be effected. Non-attendance in a class does not guarantee a student will be dropped. It is the student’s responsibility to drop themselves from all classes and students will be billed for all classes in which they are enrolled.

Refund Policy

If you find that you must withdraw, you must complete and process the drop form available in the Registration Office. Refunds cannot be arranged by telephone. Refunds are given according to the following schedule:

1. 100% through the first week of the quarter or if the class is cancelled.
2. 50% from the sixth through the twentieth day. Summer only- 50% from the fifth day through the fourteenth day. No refunds thereafter.

There is a four-to-six week processing time on all refunds. Remember, it is your responsibility to officially withdraw through the Registration & Records Office to receive a refund. Students receiving student financial aid should expect their refund to be applied to the funding source. Refund processing usually begins the third week of the quarter.

Please contact the Cashier’s Office at 509.574.4660 for specific information concerning a refund.

High Demand Course Repeat Rule

General Rule

The Yakima Valley College High Demand Course Repeat Rule was developed to provide students with fair access to high demand classes. It allows students to repeat courses only once in high demand courses, if the grade earned in the course the first time does not meet standards required to continue in the student’s program of study. Accordingly, in high demand circumstances, a course can be taken twice (once initially and once repeated). All letter grades earned (A through F) as well as I, V, or W grades will be reported on a student’s transcript. This Course Repeat Rule applies to courses with “Wait Lists” and identified by the departments as “High Demand.” YVC departments reserve the right to establish program course repeat rules which may be more stringent than this college-wide High Demand Course Repeat Rule.

Violations

Students will not receive credit for courses taken in violation of this College High Demand Course Repeat Rule. Grades received in violation of this rule will not be used in GPA computations and will not appear on the student’s transcript. A student transferring to another college should check that school’s course repeat policy. It may differ from this repeat rule.

GPA Applications

All courses taken and all grades earned in compliance with the guidelines of this policy will appear on the student’s transcript. The higher grade forgives the lower grade and replaces it in GPA computations. The lower grade(s) will remain on the transcript but will not be used to compute the YVC cumulative GPA.

Exemptions

1. The YVC High Demand Course Repeat Rule does not apply to the following courses:
2. Foreign Language classes
3. Studio Art, Metalsmithing, Design, and Painting classes
4. Non-High Demand Courses (as defined by departments)
5. Courses designed to be repeated. Examples include:
   • Performance courses (e.g. Music, Choir, Band, Physical Education)
   • Seminar courses where content changes quarter to quarter
   • Math Center and Writing Center courses
   • Other courses designed for multiple quarter enrollment

Waivers

In extraordinary circumstances and upon receipt of an acceptable plan of study, the Faculty member teaching the class, area Dean, or Vice President of Instruction and Student Services may provide written authorization to the Office of Admissions and Records to waive this rule for a student.

Course Prerequisites

Course prerequisites are requirements that students must meet before they can enroll in a particular course. Courses with prerequisites are identified by a “Prerequisite” notation in the YVC catalog. A student must earn a grade of C (2.0) or better in prerequisite courses, unless otherwise noted, or unless the student received the department chair’s written approval of the class or program.

Students are required to complete the prerequisites for a course before they can enroll in that class. As students register for classes, the system will check their student records for prerequisite requirements. If these requirements are found in the record, the student will be registered into the class, but if they are not found, the system will not allow registration for that course.

Find specific course requirements in the college catalog courses section. For information about departmental policies regarding prerequisites, contact the appropriate dean’s office.