April 29, 1999

Other

Public Hearing Notice

Notice is hearby given that a public hearing will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 11, in 309 HUB. The purpose of the hearing is to allow all interested persons an opportunity to present their views, either orally or in writing, on the proposed rule revisions to Chapter 478-140 WAC, “Rules and Regulations for the University of Washington Governing Disclosure of Student Records.”

The proposed revisions to the rules governing the disclosure of student records are necessary to ensure that the policies and practices of the University of Washington are in compliance with mandated modifications to the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 USC 1232g. The modifications to Chapter 478-140 WAC include those mandated by:

1. The Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act which permits institutions to notify victims of violent crimes of the results of disciplinary proceedings and allows institutions to disclose information from a student’s record if the parent or student has provided written consent;

2. The Higher Education Act Amendments of 1992 and the Campus Sexual Assault Victims Bill of Rights Act which exempt records created by police departments from being considered education records, define a disciplinary proceeding as an educational record, and require institutions to notify victims of sexual offenses of results of disciplinary proceedings.

3. The Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994 (IASA) which requires the dissemination of additional information to students and access to education records by students and parents; implements notification requirements prior to release of certain records in legal action; allows disclosure, without prior consent or notification, to certain state, local and school officials and when complying with certain subpoenas; and

4. The Higher Education Act Amendments of 1998 which includes survivors of nonforcible sex offenses as those who may be informed of the outcomes of student disciplinary hearings, allows the disclosure of the final results of disciplinary proceedings involving crimes of violence, and allows the release to parents of students who are under the age of 21 information about alcohol- or drug-related disciplinary violations.

Advance copies of the proposed WAC rule revisions may be obtained by contacting Rebecca Goodwin Deardorff, administrative procedures officer in the Administrative Procedures Office, 4014 University Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105-6203; campus mail: Box 355509; or by phone at 543-9199. Copies also will be available at the public hearing.

Persons wishing to provide written comment may submit their remarks to Ms. Deardorff at the above address, by e-mail to adminpro@u.washington.edu, or by fax to 54300786, by May 11.

To request disability accommodations for this hearing, contact the UW Disability Services Office at least 10 days in advance of the event at: 543-6450/voice; 543-6452/TTY, 685-7264/fax, or e-mail at dso@u.washington.edu. no