Now that your student is part of the Dual Enrollment Program and an official student of City College of San Francisco, there are a few matters of which you must be made aware. Your student has officially enrolled in an institution of higher education, and as a result, your student is now protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974.
What does this mean?
When a student reaches the age of 18 or begins attending a post secondary institution, regardless of age, FERPA rights are transferred from the parent/guardian to the student. Students must act on their own behalf. Parents, guardians, relatives, or friends of CCSF students are not permitted to enroll, drop, or add classes on behalf of the student. The same applies to requesting transcripts or grade verifications.
Below you will find answers to the most commonly asked questions received from parents/guardians.
As a parent/guardian, do I have access to my son or daughter's academic records?
Under Section 49061 of the Education Code, parents/guardians of community college students do not have a right to access their children's student records, regardless of whether the student is under the age of 18. In accordance with this regulation, students' college records will be released to parents/guardians only with the written consent of the student.
As a parent/guardian, can I contact my son's/daughter's instructor regarding course content, assignments and/or grading policy?
Your student is enrolled in a college course and it is important to understand that instructors prefer to work directly with students, as opposed to the type of parent/guardian interactions you are accustomed to at the high school level. Under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) instructors are not required to discuss student performance or other student-related issues with parents/guardians.
Since the community college environment addresses the learning needs of adults, there are some concerns to consider when enrolling in courses at CCSF such as:
The possibility of controversial content of courses, the maturity level of minor students that enables them to learn the content and perform at an equivalent level to the adults in the classroom, the ability for minors to perform out-of-class assignments that may require travel or admission to adult environments such as R-rated movies.
Faculty establish a syllabus for each course, which include the course content or objectives, assignments, a general guide to the pacing of the course and information about how grades will be determined. Once a student receives the syllabus for the course from the instructor and the student decides to remain enrolled in the course, the syllabus becomes the contract between the student and teacher.
As a parent/guardian, can I request a grade progress report from my son's/daughter's instructor?
Under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) instructors are not required to discuss student performance or other student related issues with parents/guardians, including progress or grades.
