SUNY Westchester Community College

Release of Student Disciplinary Records

The Office of Student Life maintains students’ disciplinary records, which are considered part of a student’s educational record and are thus protected under the Federal Education Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA).

ACCESS & REVIEW

Students have the right to physically review their own disciplinary history, in the presence of a designated college official and during regular business hours. Students are not entitled to review records that contain personal identifiable information of others. Therefore, if a request is approved records will be redacted (e.g. crossed-out or blanked-out) in compliance with FERPA and general protections of privacy.

When requesting to inspect or receive copies of one’s own disciplinary record that are held by Student Life, an individual (i.e. a current student or former student) must submit their request either:

  1. In-person at the Office of Student Life (STC 222) by presenting a valid photo ID.
  2. By sending an email to [email protected]from their official WCC email address
  3. By sending an email to [email protected]from a non-WCC email address that includes the following information:
    1. Legal Name
    2. MyWCC ID Number
    3. Birthday (MM/DD/YYYY)
    4. Scanned Copy of Driver’s License or other government issued identification

Student Life may comply with the request within a reasonable amount of time, not to exceed 45 days after receipt of the request. Students will be notified of the date, time, and location of their appointment and are required to present appropriate identification before reviewing their record. At no time will original records be removed from the office. Student Life will not accept requests over the phone and will only communicate with students through their SUNY WCC email address.

REQUEST FOR STUDENTS TRANSFERRING TO OTHER COLLEGES

Students looking to transfer to another college may be required to submit information about their disciplinary/conduct record from their current institution.  These forms are supplied by the institution a student is planning to transfer into.  In some cases, these forms will also request confirmation of grade point average or other academic information.  These forms have many different names, depending on the institution they come from.  Names can include but are not limited to:  (a) College Report; (b) Dean’s Certification; (c) Dean’s Release; (d) the Common Application’s Transfer College Report; or (e) Transfer Recommendation.

At Westchester Community College, these forms are completed by the Registrar’s Office.  Students should make sure they complete ALL required parts of the form(s) before they submit them to the Registrar’s Office.  Incomplete forms may not be accepted and/or may result in delayed processing.

DISCIPLINARY CLEARENCE & BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR THIRD-PARTIES

Before a third-party entity (e.g., employers, government agencies, private contractors, parents, attorneys, etc.) can request someone else’s disciplinary records, that student or former student must submit a Student Disciplinary Record Release Request Form. The completed form must include the name of the party to whom the records can be released.  Scanned, faxed, or emailed copies are not permitted and will not be accepted.

Once the student or former student submitted that form, the party requesting the records should email the following information to [email protected]:

  • Name of requesting person, agency or organization
  • Requester’s address, email and phone number
  • Student’s full name, date of birth and SUNY WCC ID Number (000 Number)
  • A specific description of what information is needed along with instructions for return.

The Office of Student Life will reach out to the third party to confirm their identity via Zoom or in person before sending the information.

Please allow the Office of Student Life up to ten (10) business days after confirming identity to complete a request.

Any record with personal identifiable information of others will be redacted (e.g. crossed-out or blanked-out) in compliance with FERPA and general protections of privacy.

Further Information

For more information about students’ educational records, including information about granting a specified third-party access to information or documentation in a student’s educational record, please visit: /apply-enroll/registrars-office/

  • Also, please add a button on the page that says, “Student Disciplinary Record Release Request Form” that allows users to download the second attachment from the ASANA submission that was titled, “Student Disciplinary Record Release Request Form.” Adam can resend this document if needed.