Records Privacy

FERPA Notice
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their educational records. Please find our policy outlined in the Institutional Profile/Institutional Policies section of the most current catalog.

Student Records Policy
Student records are confidential but are open for inspection by the student. Records may also be inspected by parents of financially dependent students. Transcripts must be requested from the registrar’s office in writing; other records must be requested, in writing, from the appropriate dean. Please refer to the Institutional Profile/Institutional Policies section of the most current catalog for more information regarding student records.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Statement
Objective
McPherson College is not a covered entity as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). However, the college does maintain health care and related plans that are subject to HIPAA requirements. Thus, the college has made a decision that HIPAA privacy and security provisions will apply to protected health information (PHI) maintained by the college.

When HIPAA Regulations Will Be Voluntarily Followed
HIPAA regulations will be followed in administrative activities undertaken by assigned personnel when they involve PHI in any of the following circumstances:

• Health information privacy.
• Health information security.
• Health information electronic transmission.

Enforcement
Although McPherson College is not a covered organization, it nevertheless takes handling of PHI very seriously, which is why it had voluntarily adopted this policy. McPherson College will consider any breaches in the privacy and confidentiality of the handling of PHI to be serious, and disciplinary action could be applied, up to and including termination.

McPherson College has designated a PHI compliance officer (PHICO). The director of human resources is the designated PHI compliance officer and may be reached at (620) 242-0454.

Questions regarding policy provisions should be addressed to the PHICO. This policy is supplemented by new operating procedures issued by the PHICO and will be effective immediately. College records that are governed by this policy will be maintained for a period of no less than six years, and when the maximum retention period has passed, the records will be subject to the college’s policy for completed record destruction.