Privacy Policies and Regulations

In the United States, there is no one law guaranteeing the right to privacy. Laws related to privacy tend to be category-specific, such as health care (HIPAA) and higher education (FERPA).

Every state also has laws addressing privacy, and more laws are coming on the books every day. California has the most stringent of state laws addressing privacy and consumer protection.

Until a national privacy law is put into law, the following policies, regulations, and guidelines are what guide privacy at TCC.

TCC Privacy Regulations

TCC strives to be transparent in its adherence to FERPA and in use of personal information.

• Student Records (Policy Code FJ): TCC's official policy defines a student's directory information and how/when student information is released.
• Information Security (Policy Code CS): TCC's official policy outlines the College's information security program and its security reporting.
• Data Policy Standards (PDF)Listen: TCC defines its standards for managing and using institutional data, including data requests and data sharing with other institutions.
• Website Privacy Policy: Find out what information TCC tracks from website visitors and how it's used.
• FERPA at TCC: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law which protects your student records.
• Annual FERPA Notice: An annual FERPA noticed is shared each year with our students.

Federal Privacy Regulations

There are several federal laws which affect privacy and consumer protection.

• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): FERPA is a federal law for higher education that regulates how your student records are protected.
• Department of Education's Privacy Program: The Department of Education's privacy program aims to protect the privacy rights of students, teachers, and administrators.
• Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA): GLBA is a federal law for financial institutions that regulates how financial institutions (such as banks, brokerage houses, and insurance companies) safeguard your private information.

State Privacy Regulations

Texas has additional laws to cover what federal laws may not adequately address.

• Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA): The TDPSA is a comprehensive privacy law that takes effect on July 1, 2024. Certain provisions regarding submitting requests via authorized agents will take effect on January 1, 2025.
• Student Privacy Act: The Student Privacy Act is an education-focused law that protects your personally identifiable information (PII) when it's used in connection with other websites and online services for a school purpose.
• Texas Cybercrime Act: The Texas Cybercrime Act is a cybersecurity-focused law that established cybersecurity requirements for all state agencies in Texas.
• Identity Theft Law: Texas Penal Code 32.51 defines identity theft and fraudulent use of personal information.

Other Privacy Laws

TCC is not generally covered under the jurisdiction of either GDPR or CPRA. However, these laws are considered the most stringent in protecting individuals and are the standards for good consumer protection.

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): GDPR is a regulation that focuses on data protection and privacy in the European Union and the European Economic Area.
• California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA): CPRA is a California law that protects the digital privacy of California residents.

Updated August 29, 2023