Privacy of Students’ Personal Information

In accordance with its policy and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), CSN protects the privacy of students’ personal information and academic records. Except under limited circumstances, CSN does not release students’ academic records without written consent of the student.

Directory Information
As permitted by FERPA, an exception to non-disclosure is the release of “directory” information considered to be public in nature and not an invasion of privacy. At CSN, the following are defined as “directory” information: name; address; telephone number; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; weight and height of members of athletic teams; email address; degrees, honors, and awards received; major field of study; college; dates of attendance; date of graduation; undergraduate and graduate status; most recent educational agency or institutions attended; and enrollment status (full-time or part-time). Another exception under FERPA is that CSN may share education records, without the student’s consent, with the following parties or under the following conditions: college officials with legitimate educational interest; other schools to which a student is transferring; specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes; appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student; organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of CSN; accrediting organizations; to comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena, provided CSN makes a reasonable attempt to notify the student in advance of compliance; appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and state and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific state law.
Request the non-disclosure of “directory” information
Students have the right to request non-disclosure of “directory” information. CSN uses “directory” information for non-commercial, educational purposes, such as to mail notices to students about changes in policies, services, or opportunities. It is important to consider carefully the potential consequences of restricting the release of your “directory” information. If a student restricts release for non-commercial educational purposes, the institution will be unable to place the student’s name in publications such as honors and graduation programs; to confirm graduation and dates of attendance to potential employers; to verify enrollment with organizations such as insurance companies; or to send notifications about specialized scholarships without the express written authorization of the student. “Directory” information may also be provided for commercial purposes to businesses affiliated with CSN, honor societies, CSN’s alumni association and Foundation, or other organizations for purposes beneficial to students. CSN exercises discretion in responding to requests for directory information from third parties and may or may not provide such information, depending on the intended purpose of the request and other criteria. CSN does not sell or rent student information for a fee.

If you wish to restrict the release of your directory information, logon to your MyCSN web page and scroll down to the “Personal Information” area. Select “Privacy Settings” from the pull-down menu. The Privacy Settings will list all options; select whichever option you prefer. This directive will apply permanently to your record unless you choose to reverse it in MyCSN.