Student Records

Directory Information

Rose-Hulman may disclose directory information unless the student has made a written request to withhold the information. Directory information, as defined at Rose-Hulman, is as follows:

• Name of student
• Local telephone number
• Local email address
• Local address
• Home address
• Date and place of birth
• Photograph
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight/Height of members of athletic teams
• Dates of attendance
• Anticipated graduation date
• Declared major
• Degrees and awards received
• Most recent previous educational institution attended

FERPA Notification

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. (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.) For FERPA compliance purposes, Rose-Hulman defines a student as an individual who is currently attending or has attended the Institute and for whom the Institute maintains education records. An individual is considered to be a student on the first day of the first term they are enrolled, regardless of instructional delivery method.

These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day the Rose-Hulman receives a request for access. A student should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, [or other appropriate official,] a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the school official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

A student who wishes to ask Rose-Hulman to amend a record should notify the Registrar, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed and specify why it should be changed.

If Rose-Hulman decides not to amend the record as requested, student will be notified in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing. 

3. The right to provide written consent before Rose-Hulman discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

Rose-Hulman discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official typically includes a person employed by Rose-Hulman in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of Rose-Hulman who performs an institutional service of function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct  control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent or a student volunteering to assist another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official typically has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for Rose-Hulman.

Upon request, the school also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Rose-Hulman to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Complaint Procedure

Students at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology have the right to express concerns if they believe they have been treated unfairly, subjected to harassment, or been the victim of discrimination. Students can address these concerns through either an informal or formal process. 

In most instances, complaints can be resolved through an informal process beginning with talking with the staff, faculty, or student with whom the issue originated. If discussing the matter with the individual does not resolve the situation, the student can contact the resources listed below to help achieve a solution. 

If a solution cannot be achieved informally, or if the student is not satisfied with the solution, a formal complaint may be filed. 

Formal Complaints and Grievances

A formal complaint must be submitted in writing/email, signed by the student (electronic signature is acceptable), and submitted to the Dean of Student’s attention in the Office of Student Affairs. The Dean of Students or designee will investigate the complaint, take appropriate action and respond to the student within 30 days. A record of the student complaint will be placed in the student's file and noted on the Student Complaint Log kept in the Office of Student Affairs.

Complaints should be expressed as soon as possible after the event occurs; some procedures at Rose-Hulman have specific deadlines for filing grievances or complaints. In Indiana, the statute of limitations is 2 years, so complaints filed after this time will not be considered. 

Suggestions

Here are some tips that may help you in the process of resolving your complaint: 

Whoever is investigating your complaint will want to hear all sides of the story before making a recommendation and may ask you to meet with the person against whom your complaint is directed. 

Your confidentiality will be protected within reason, but officials of the Institute may require access to your educational record in order to help resolve the situation. 

You have the right to retain legal counsel if you so choose. If you choose to utilize legal counsel, please understand that communication may need to go through Rose-Hulman’s counsel. 

Honesty

It is very important for you to be completely honest throughout the process of filing a complaint; knowingly furnishing false information to a committee, hearing board, or any Institute official is a violation of the Student Code of Ethics. 

Filing Complaints if Issues Cannot be Resolved Internally

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is an institutional participant in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA). A list of current, authorized SARA member states is available at www.nc-sara.org/ . As a participating institution, Rose-Hulman adheres to a common set of standards for offering postsecondary distance education among member states, districts, and territories. The Agreement establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. Rose-Hulman can be found on the NC-SARA website under the SARA member state of Indiana.

If a complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting Rose-Hulman’s internal grievance procedures, you may file a complaint about Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. If you are a distance education student, you may file a complaint with your state's higher/postsecondary education agency, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, or NCSARA. You may also contact our accrediting agencies, The Higher Learning Commission or ABET ( comms@abet.org). If you are utilizing military Tuition Assistance, a My Career Advancement Account Scholarship, or a Military Spouse Career Advancement Account Scholarship, you may submit a Department of Defense Postsecondary Education Complaint.

These complaint processes are reviewed and updated annually when the Student Handbook is updated.