Procedure 5.6.6: Confidentiality and Security of Student Information for Education and Career Development Services

Effective Date: Tue, Aug 12, 2008

The HCC Enrollment Management Office complies with the Confidentiality and Security of Student Information Policy by implementing the following operational procedures. The Enrollment Management Office also complies with the campus-wide Procedure for Confidentiality and Security of Student Information

Accessing Student Information

  1. The following records in Education and Career Development Center (ECDC) Services are accessible only to appropriate faculty and staff:
    1. Academic counseling records are accessible to ECDC staff and appropriate faculty advisors, academic department chairs and support staff
    2. Career Services records
    3. Co-op records
    4. Counseling/ADA records
    5. Job Placement records
    6. Placement testing records

Collecting Student Information

  1. Counseling/ADA information is received directly from the student.
  2. Career services produce information through inventories and assessments administered in the office; students sign a release statement to share this information with faculty; results are posted on the student’s academic record, through AIG system.
  3. Placement testing results are placed in the student’s electronic and hardcopy files accessible only to appropriate faculty advisors and support staff; students are provide a copy of test results.

Distributing Student Information

  1. Email communication cannot include the following student information: birthdates, social security numbers or confidential information. All e-mail correspondence to and from Haywood Community College email addresses are subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law (G. S. 132.1- G. S. 132.10), which may result in monitoring and disclosure to third parties, including law enforcement.
  2. ADA accommodations requirements for students are sent to appropriate faculty and support staff as needed (teachers instructing students or the Teaching and Learning Center staff); a copy is provided to the student; the student has to request the accommodations by meeting with each of their instructors.
  3. Placement test scores are provided to faculty advisors and appropriate support staff and are posted on the student’s electronic academic file.
  4. Career assessment results are provided to faculty and support staff as needed and are posted on the student electronic academic file.

Processing Student Information

  1. Student folder labels include the Student Name and the Student Colleague ID number. There is no reference of the student’s social security number on the outside of the student file. Hard copy of academic records are scanned into AIG Document Imaging Solution and security and confidentiality protocol for digital records follow the campus wide procedure for security and confidentiality of student information.
  2. Counseling/ADA records: hardcopies are placed in a folder in a locked file cabinet in the secure vault; records are scanned and placed on a secure network accessible only by the Counseling/ADA office through the AIG system.

Protecting Student Information

  1. Offices/front desk—academic files are returned to the vault at the end of each day, or after use during the day; counseling/ADA files are kept in locked cabinet in the secure vault. Files are not left unattended in any office/front desk area.
  2. Vault—Fire resistant, access only by appropriate HCC personnel
  3. Back-up of all digital records is performed daily
  4. Student Information is restricted and housed in networks accessible only by appropriate personnel; student information is not stored on desktop hard drives.

Storing Student Information

  1. All hard copies of student academic records are kept in a fire-resistant vault located in Student Development Services. At the end of each business day, all files and student documents (i.e. transcripts, applications, etc.) are returned to the vault for security purposes.
  2. All digital records are stored on a server in the 200 Building Technology Office
  3. Security and confidentiality protocol for digital records follow the campus wide procedure for security and confidentiality of student information.

Using Student Information

  1. As part of the NC Community College System, HCC implemented Colleague operating system in 2006. As part of that system, student ID’s are generated for use instead of the social security number or birth date. The student ID is used in all communications regarding students, such as reports, internally. The social security and birth dates are used only on official transcripts, which have to be verified at the receiving institution, as the student ID only applies to HCC student records.
  2. Access is provided to HCC personnel based on need to know.

Transmitting Student Information

  1. Counseling/ADA information is kept in the Counselor’s cabinet in the secure vault with no access by any other personnel. Internal memos sent to faculty list only the required accommodations and any information necessary to meet those accommodations; medical/mental health records are not released to faculty or other staff.
  2. Career, Co-op and job placement information is shared only with faculty and academic support staff as needed.

Disposing of Student Information

  1. All documents containing student information, once scanned, is shredded at the end of each business day.
  2. After purging hard copies of selected records in the vault or locked cabinets, per purge schedule, documents are shredded before disposal.

Business Continuity

  1. ECDC has on file a process for continuation of business in case of interruption
  2. This process is articulated in HCC’s Business Continuity Plan.

Responsibility for Security and Confidentiality of Student Information and Records

  1. The Coordinator of ECDC is responsible for the security and confidentiality of student information and records with regard to the Education and Career Development Center Offices.
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