Student Records
Student Records Policy
Coahoma Community College is committed to protecting privacy and ensuring the security, confidentiality, and integrity of student records. This policy, aligned with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and guidelines from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (AACRAO), outlines the College's procedures for managing student records. This policy is published in the College Catalog (2019-2021, pages 69-73) and is accessible online and through the CANVAS Learning Management System (LMS).
Types of Student Records and Storage
Student records, the property of the College, are managed under the supervision of the Director of Admissions and Records, Instructional Deans, Program Coordinators, and Faculty. Upon a student's written request, the Director of Admissions and Records will honor requests to withhold the release of official academic records or information contained therein. Record types include schedules, grades, transcripts (institutional and transfer), financial aid records, advising and counseling records, and grievances.
Transcripts are released only at the student's request, in compliance with FERPA, or pursuant to court orders. Transcript requests are processed via a Transcript Release Form (Example Transcript Request Form). Completed forms are securely disposed of after processing.
The myCCC portal facilitates the application process, course registration, grade access (midterm and final), work-study applications, and access to unofficial transcripts. Access requires a unique student username and password.
Security, Confidentiality, and Integrity of Student Records
The Office of Admissions and Records, under the Director of Admissions and Records/Registrar, manages initial and permanent student records. Permanent academic records are stored in the Admissions and Records Office on the main campus.
To enhance security, the College converted student and personnel social security numbers to personal identification numbers in 2008. Records for students enrolled before 1990 are stored in a Space Saver fire-proof filing system within the Office of Admissions and Records (Fire-Proof Vault Verification). Hard copies of student records are retained indefinitely.
Financial Aid records are secured electronically using PaperVision, a secure scanning system accessible only to authorized Financial Aid personnel. Paper documents are scanned and uploaded to PaperVision. Hard copies are placed faced down in secure baskets and kept in locked, fire-proof file cabinets within locked Financial Aid offices. Access is restricted to authorized personnel. Financial Aid records are retained for four years and then securely shredded.
Security of Electronic, Paper, and Other Record Storage
Jenzabar's access controls regulate electronic record access. Each user (faculty, staff, and student) has a unique username and password with assigned access rights based on their role. Staff with access to student records may maintain paper records in locked file cabinets within locked offices. Computer access requires username and password authentication.
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plan for Student Records
Coahoma Community College maintains a comprehensive disaster recovery and business continuity plan to ensure the preservation and accessibility of student records in the event of a catastrophic event.
- Electronic Records: The College uses Veeam backup software to create electronic backups of all servers and storage within the main campus data center. These backups are retained for 30 days and are mirrored to the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services data center in Jackson, Mississippi, providing offsite redundancy.
- Physical Records: Physical records are stored in fire-proof filing systems and vaults, as detailed above, offering protection against fire and other physical damage. The college will work with a disaster recovery specialist to retrieve and restore any damaged physical records.
- Data Restoration: In the event of data loss due to a catastrophic event, the College will utilize the offsite backups to restore electronic records. A detailed recovery plan is in place to ensure timely restoration of critical systems and data.
- Communication: In the event of a catastrophic event, the College will communicate with students regarding access to records and any necessary procedures. This communication will be facilitated through the College website, email, and other appropriate channels.
Network Security
The campus network is protected by a firewall, an anti-virus appliance, and anti-virus software on all computers. Software updates are regularly deployed to all network-connected devices.