Academic Fresh Start

State law (Educ. Code, Sec. 51.931) allows students with academic credits earned 10 or more years prior to the starting date of the semester in which they seek admission to any public institution of higher education to have those credits or grades not considered in the admission decision. If admitted under this Academic Fresh Start provision, the student may not receive any course credit for courses undertaken 10 or more years prior to enrollment.

Privacy Rights of Students

Annual Notice to Students

Annually, Blinn College informs students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This act was designed to protect the privacy of educational records, to establish the rights of students to inspect and review their educational records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students also have the right to file complaints concerning the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) with the U. S. Office of Education concerning alleged failures by the institution to comply with the Act. Complaints should be filed with the Vice President Student Services.

Questions concerning the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act may be referred to the Office of Admissions and Records.

Disclosure of Student Records

In general, no personal information from a student's educational records will be disclosed without written consent from the student. Two exceptions may, however, be made:

(1) directory information will be released unless the student requests that it not be released, as explained in the paragraph below

(2) records may be disclosed to parents of students who are dependents as defined by Internal Revenue code 1954, Section 152.

Public Notice Designating Directory Information

Blinn College hereby designates the following categories of student information as public or " Directory Information". Such information may be disclosed by the institution:

Category I: Name, classification, major field of study, home address, local residence, local telephone number.

Category II: Previous institutions attended, dates of attendance, awards, honors (including Dean's and President's Lists), degree(s) conferred [including dates], past and present participation in officially recognized sports and activities, physical factors [height and weight of athletes], date and place of birth.

Currently enrolled students may withhold disclosure of either or both categories of information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. To withhold disclosures, written notification must be received in the Office of Admission and Records on the Brenham Campus or Bryan Campus within twelve (12) calendar days from the first day of registration for each long term or four (4) days for summer terms. Forms requesting the withholding of Directory Information are available in the offices listed above. Blinn College assumes that failure on the part of any student to specifically request withholding of "Directory Information" indicates individual approval for disclosure.

Page Last Updated: May 12, 2005