Release of Information

Athens Technical College will disclose information from educational records only with the written consent of students. The college may release educational records without written consent of students when disclosure is to college officials who have legitimate educational interests in the records. A college official is:

• A person employed by the college in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position, including health and medical staff.
• A person appointed to the technical college's Board of Directors.
• A person employed by or under contract to the college (such as an attorney or auditor) to perform a special task.
• A person employed by college security.
• A student serving on official committees such as disciplinary or grievance committees or who is assisting technical college officials in performing their tasks.

College officials have legitimate educational interests if they are:

• Performing tasks specified in their position descriptions or contract agreements.
• Performing tasks related to students' educations.
• Performing tasks related to the discipline of students.
• Providing services or benefits relating to students or their families such as health care, counseling, job placement, or financial aid.
• Maintaining the safety and security of the campus.

The college may release educational records without written consent of students when disclosure is:

• To officials of other schools, upon request, in which students seek or intend to enroll. Students shall receive notification of the disclosure unless they initiated the disclosure.
• To authorized representatives of the Comptroller General of the United States, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, authorized representatives of the Attorney General for law enforcement purposes, or state and local educational authorities (subject to the conditions set forth in 34 C.F.R. §99.35).
• To officials of the college, Technical College System of Georgia, or lending institutions in connection with financial aid for which students submitted applications or for which they received if the information is necessary for such purposes as to:
  • Determine eligibility for the aid.
  • Determine the amount of the aid.
  • Determine the conditions for the aid.
  • Enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
• To state and local officials or authorities pursuant to the state statute adopted prior to November 19, 1974, that specifically requires the reporting or disclosure of such information if the allowed reporting or disclosure concerns the juvenile justice system and the system's ability to effectively serve students whose records the college releases. The college may also release or report information to state and local officials or authorities pursuant to a state statute adopted after 1974 which concerns the juvenile justice system and the system's ability to effectively serve, prior to adjudication, students whose records the college releases. Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent the state from further limiting the number or type of state or local officials who will continue to have access to student records.
• To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, educational agencies or institutions for the purpose of developing, validating, or administering predictive tests, administering student aid programs, and improving instruction. The college will release information only if organizations conduct such studies in ways that will not permit the personal identification of students and their parents by persons other than representatives of such organizations, and the organizations will destroy such information when they no longer need the information for the original stated purposes or projects.
• To accrediting organizations in order to carry out their accrediting functions.
• To parents of dependent students as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. Parents must provide copies of their most recent federal income tax returns establishing the dependency of the students. The college shall give full rights under the act to either parent unless the institution receives evidence that a court order, state statute, or legally binding document relating to such matters as divorce, separation, or custody specifically revokes those rights.
• To appropriate parties to protect the health and safety of the student or other individuals in emergencies with the understanding that the college will release only that information that is essential to the emergency.
• To comply with judicial orders or lawfully issued subpoenas provided the college makes a reasonable effort to notify students of the orders or subpoenas in advance of compliance. The college cannot notify students if it receives federal grand jury subpoenas or any other subpoenas that state that the college should not notify students. The custodian of the records shall consult the director of legal services at the Technical College System of Georgia prior to the release of the record.
• To alleged victims of any crime of violence as Section 16 of Title 18 of the United States Code defines that term or a non-forcible sex offense regarding the final results of any disciplinary proceedings conducted by the technical college against alleged perpetrators of those crimes or offenses with respect to those crimes or offenses. The custodian of the records shall consult the director of legal services at the Technical College System of Georgia prior to the release of the record.
• To Veterans Administration Officials pursuant to 38 USC §3690.
• To the court those records that are necessary to defend the college when students initiate legal action against the college and/or the Technical College System of Georgia.
• To any parent or legal guardian of students under the age of 21, if the college determines that there is a violation of any federal, state, or local law or any rule or policy of the technical college governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance if the institution determines that students committed disciplinary violations with respect to such use or possession.
• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA"), a federal law, requires that TCSG and its technical colleges, with certain exceptions, obtain a student's written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from that student's education records. However, TCSG or its technical colleges, may disclose appropriately designated "directory information" without written consent unless the student has advised TCSG or the technical college to the contrary. Public directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without the student's prior written consent. If a student does not want TCSG or the technical college to disclose directory information from his or her student education records without prior written consent, the student must notify TCSG or the technical college where he or she is enrolled, in writing, by the first day of the semester at the registrar's office at his or her technical college. A student need only file this notification once during his or her enrollment. However, if there is a break in enrollment or transfer to another TCSG technical college, a new notification must be filed. Even if a student elects to prohibit the release of directory information, TCSG or the technical college may still implement policies requiring the student to wear or present a student ID badge. The custodian of the records will determine whether a legitimate educational interest exists on a case-by-case basis. When the custodian has any questions regarding the request, the custodian should withhold disclosure unless the custodian obtains consent from the student or obtains the concurrence of a supervisor or other appropriate official to release the record.

The Technical College System of Georgia and its technical colleges define "public directory information" as follows:

• Full name of student
• City of residence
• County of residence
• Major and field(s) of study
• Enrollment Status (full time, part-time, etc.)
• Degrees and awards and date received
• Dates of attendance
• Participation in official sports and activities
• Height and weight of athletic team members

The Technical college System of Georgia and its technical colleges define “non-public directory information” as follow:

• Address
• Email address
• Telephone Number

Non-public directory information is not available to the public but is available to any college official. If the student has indicated to restrict their data, then college officials can only access the information when it is needed for educational purposes.

Additionally, certain state and federal laws require the release of certain student information without prior notification to the student.