Access to Records

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Students shall have access to their educational records except for:

  • Financial records of their parents
  • Confidential letters and recommendations placed in the education record prior to January 1, 1975
    • If not being used for the purpose specified
    • In situations where the student has signed a waiver of right to access to confidential recommendations in regard to admission to the college, employment applications, and receipt of an honor or honorary recognition.

Whitman College shall not permit access to, or the release of, educational records or personally identifiable information contained therein, other than directory information of students, without their written consent, to any party other than the following:

  • other school officials, including teachers, within the educational institution who have been determined to have legitimate educational interests;
  • in connection with a student’s application for, or receipt of, financial aid;
  • 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, if such studies are conducted in such manner as will not permit the personal identification of students by persons other than representatives of such organizations (such information will be destroyed when no longer needed for the purpose for which it is conducted);
  • accrediting organizations, in order to carry out their accrediting functions;
  • in compliance with judicial order, or pursuant to any lawfully issued subpoena, upon condition that the student is notified of all such orders or subpoenas in advance of the compliance therewith by the educational institution; and
  • appropriate persons in connection with an emergency, if the knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of a student or other persons.

Parents of a minor dependent student may have access to the student’s record upon demonstration that the student is dependent. Dependency is generally demonstrated by providing a copy of the parents’ tax return, reflecting the student as a dependent, to the Registrar.

Whitman College has designated the following categories as directory information: the student’s name, home address, college address, telephone listing, email listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height (of members of athletic teams), dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, academic honors, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student, and photographs. The college shall allow a reasonable period of time for a student to inform the college that any or all of the information designated should not be released without the student’s prior consent.