Office of Community Standards

The Office of Community Standards holds students accountable for behavior that deviates from what’s outlined in our Student Code of Conduct.

As parents, guardians, and/or family members, you can support your student by:

  • Communicating and establishing clear and realistic expectations.
  • Encouraging your student to familiarize themselves with the Student Code of Conduct.
  • Allowing your student to ask questions if contacted by the Office of Community Standards.
  • Understanding FERPA as it relates to the conduct process and the participation of parties other than the student.

FERPA: What You Should Know

Students are responsible for their education. While parents should be involved in their student’s emergence as adults, college is a transitional time.

We encourage students to discuss their academic performance with their parents, however Purchase College is prohibited by federal and state laws from doing so unless explicit consent is granted by the student to do so. Talk to your student about academic expectations and plan out the sharing of college progress and achievements.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 (Buckley Amendment)

The college’s policies governing student educational records conform to and are in full compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, also known as the Buckley Amendment and referred to hereafter as FERPA. These policies are a declaration of existing practice and assure students’ rights of privacy, while providing them with access to their own records. It affords students the following rights:

  • The right to see the information that the institution is keeping on the student.
  • The right to seek amendment to those records and in certain cases append a statement to the record.
  • The right to consent to disclosure of his/her records.
  • The right to limit disclosure of some “directory information.”
  • The right to file a complaint with the FERPA office in Washington.

Read the entire FERPA policy here.

Students can give permission to a parent or guest to view some of their online records by using the College’s online Proxy Access. Students should be aware that they are waiving their FERPA rights for each one of their records that they grant permission to view. Students have the right to remove access from anyone to whom they have granted permission at any time.

Students can choose from the following records only:

  • Grades
  • Class Schedule
  • Semester Bill
  • Account Summary
  • Financial Aid Award Letter
  • Payment Center
  • Payment Plans

The online access is limited to the above records for online access only. It does not grant a parent or guardian any additional rights to discuss grades, attendance, or disciplinary issues without the permission of the student.

Students can setup Proxy Access through their MyHeliotrope account.

Instructions for Proxy Access for parents can be found here.