Student Records
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
FERPA was designed to protect the privacy of students’ educational records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their educational records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data. CEI may release directory information as allowed by law.
FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of eighteen (18) or attends a school beyond the high school level (e.g., a college or university). Students to whom the rights have transferred are “eligible students.”
Eligible students have the right to inspect and review their education records maintained by the school.
Eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records that they believe to be inaccurate or misleading.
Generally, schools must have written permission from the eligible student in order to release any information from the student’s education record. A Release of Information Form must be submitted to the Student Affairs office with a valid ID.
FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):
- School 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 the school
- Accrediting organizations
- To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena
- Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies
- State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific state law
- Schools may disclose, without consent, directory information. Eligible students may request that the school not disclose directory information about them
Directory Information is defined as the following:
- Student’s name
- Student’s phone number
- Student’s photograph
- Most recent previous educational agency or institution attended
- Freshman/sophomore standing
- Candidacy for degrees/certificates and anticipated date of graduation
- Student’s address
- Student’s email address
- Enrollment status
- Full-time/part-time status
- Dates of attendance
- Major
- Degrees conferred and dates
- Awards and honors received
A school official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, counseling, faculty, or support staff position; a person or company with whom the College has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using college employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, external evaluator, medical service provider, law enforcement or security personnel, or collection agent); a person serving on the CEI Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.
A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to access/review an education record in order to fulfill his or her responsibilities for the College. Any school official who needs information about a student in the course of performing instructional, supervisory, advisory, or administrative duties for the College has a legitimate educational interest. The information must not be used for personal or other purposes extraneous to the official’s areas of responsibility. Having access to education records does not constitute authority to share this information with anyone who does not have legitimate educational interest.
Any student may submit a Non-Release of Information form, in-person with a valid ID, to Student Affairs to prevent the release of directory information. The Dean of Student Affairs may review any exceptions. Any student may also submit a written request to review his/ her records to the Registrar’s Office. Records covered by FERPA will be made available to the student within forty-five (45) days. In general, the College is not required to provide copies of the education records requested unless failure to do so would effectively prevent the eligible student from exercising the right to inspect and review the records. The College may charge a reasonable fee for preparing copies for the student. A college representative may be present during the review of the records and may provide information regarding the interpretation of such records to the student. Students may not inspect financial information submitted by parents or guardians, confidential letters associated with admission, and records to which they have waived their inspection rights. The College will not release records that are not owned by the College.
Any student has the right to file a complaint under FERPA with the U.S. Department of Education Family Policy Compliance Office concerning alleged failures by the institution to comply with the Act. Complaints must be sent in writing, with all pertinent information, to the following address:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5920
For questions concerning FERPA, please contact the Registrar’s Office at 208-524-3000.
Sensitive information such as driver’s license, Social Security numbers, etc., should not be sent through email unless the email is encrypted. Other acceptable means of transmitting sensitive information would include regular mail, fax, or in person.
Name, Address, or Phone Number Change
In order to change a name on an official student record, a student must provide proof of name change. The following are required for proof of name change:
- Social Security card, listing legal name AND
- Driver’s License or Government issued picture identification card showing the new name
- Original documentation must be presented to an Admissions Clerk in the Student Affairs Office. Originals will be copied and returned.
Name/address/phone number change information will go to the Business Office Financial Specialist.
Academic Calendar
CEI operates on the semester system. The academic year includes two sixteen (16) week semesters (Fall and Spring) and one eight (8) week Summer term.
View the calendar at cei.edu/about-us/calendar, or on Calendar 2021 - 2022
In addition to full semester-length courses, CEI offers shortened courses, such as four (4) week or eight (8) week courses. Day, evening, weekend, and online courses are available in order to meet the needs of students who have work or family responsibilities.
Credits (Hours)
A credit, sometimes referred to as a semester credit or a semester hour, is related to time spent in class, study, preparation, lab, or field experience. One (1) semester credit hour normally requires forty-five (45) hours of student work which includes:
- Minimum of fifty (50) minutes in class each week for one (1) semester (which assumes twice this amount of time in study and preparation outside the classroom)
- Two (2) to three (3) hours in lab each week for one (1) semester
- The equivalent combination of one (1) and two (2)
Credit for workshops and shortened courses is granted on the basis of one (1) semester credit for every fortyfive (45) hours, or more, of scholarly activity.
Course Numbering
The following numbering system is used for all credit courses offered by CEI:
- Zero Level (000-099): Course content is considered below college-freshman level. These courses are not applicable for graduation.
- One Hundred Level (100-199): Course content taught at the college-freshman level.
- Two Hundred Level (200-299): Course content taught at the college-sophomore level.
Delivery Method of Classes
Classroom/Lecture/Lecture Lab (CLA/LEC/LCLAB)
The majority of CEI courses are offered on a face to face basis, which take place in a designated location such as a classroom. Students in a classroom or lecture structure are expected to meet with the instructor during the scheduled course time and at the scheduled locations. Students may use technology appropriate to the course content and as needed to access web-based course materials.
Hybrid (HYB)
Hybrid courses have fewer in-person course meetings than a course taught with the classroom/lecture structure. A portion of the course is delivered online and a portion is delivered on-site in a classroom.
Online (OLI)
An online course is a course that is taught entirely over the internet. No on-site class meeting or on-site testing is required. Online courses allow students to log on and complete work within a certain time frame and according to deadlines set by the instructor. Materials are designed to facilitate online interaction with the instructor and students. Students should verify that they have the necessary equipment (computer and high speed connectivity) and skills (software applications and selfdiscipline) to be successful in online courses.
Independent Study (IND)
An independent study course is a course of organized instruction or research in which the instructional delivery is determined by a student and his/her instructor. These courses require the student to work independently to complete the course.
Interactive Web Conference (IWC)
An interactive web-conference course is offered synchronously using web-conferencing software. Class sessions are scheduled and virtually attended by students at specific dates and times. Students may use any computer but must have access to reliable internet, a headphones/speaker, microphone, and web camera. All course content will be administered digitally and can be accessed from the learning management system. Online proctored tests may be required and will be defined during the registration process.
Hybrid-Interactive Web Conference (HYBIWC)
An Hybrid-IWC course is a combination of faceto- face and synchronous, online web-conferencing class instruction. Class sessions are scheduled and attended by students at specific dates and times both in-person and virtually (between 25% and 75%). For the web conference portions, students are required to have reliable internet, computer/device, webcam and microphone. Online proctored tests may be required and will be defined during the registration process.
FalconFlex /IWC
FalconFlex is a course design model that combines face-to-face (LEC) and interactive web conference learning (IWC) in a flexible course. A hyflex/interactive web-conference course is offered synchronously using web-conferencing software. Class sessions are scheduled and virtually attended by students at regular meeting times via web conference software. Students must have access to a computer, reliable internet, headphones/ speaker, microphone, and web camera. All course materials (excluding lectures) will be available digitally and can be accessed from the learning management system. Online proctored tests may be required and will be defined during the registration process.
FalconFlex/LEC
FalconFlex is a course design model that combines face-to-face (LEC) and interactive web conference learning (IWC) in a flexible course. A Falconflex/LEC course meets face-to-face at regular meeting times and in a physical classroom or lab space, with a component for web conference students to also attend synchronously via interactive web conference. All course materials (excluding lectures) will be available digitally and can be accessed from the learning management system. Online proctored tests may be required and will be defined during the registration process.
Less common course structures that are available through CEI are Assessment (ASM), Clinical (CLI), Distance Lecture (DLEC), Internship (INT), Practicum (PRA), and Supervised Work Experience (SWE).
Please see academic advisor or admission counselor for more details.
Credit Enrollment Limits
Degree-seeking students who want to register in more than twenty-one (21) credits during a Fall or Spring semester, or more than ten (10) credits in the Summer semester will need the approval of their academic advisor and the Registrar. Non-degree seeking students may register for no more than ten (10) credits for Fall, Spring, and Summer, and will need the approval of a Registrar, Dean, or the Director of Early College.
Students receiving financial aid should also keep in mind financial aid regulations when deciding on the number of credits in which they should enroll.
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