Privacy & Confidentiality/Know Your Rights

Consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), LWTech does not disclose a student's personal information, including immigration status, to any outside agency -- including government officials or law enforcement -- without the students' prior written consent. The only case in which personal information is provided to outside agencies without student consent is when the college is presented with a subpoena or other legally binding requirement (such as a court order). In these cases, the college will notify the student that we have received a lawfully issued request for information.

What is FERPA?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of students' educational records regardless of immigration status. This means that LWTech is not required to release student personal information to outside agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. For more information about FERPA and student records confidentiality, please visit the LWTech Policies and Procedures webpage.

Know Your Rights

The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) provides multiple resources to educate immigrants on their rights. The NILC Know Your Rights document is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Korean.

The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) also provides a number of resources to help immigrants understand their rights when interacting with various law enforcement officials and officers. Many of these resources are also available in English and Spanish.

A helpful "Know Your Rights" form is available on the Washington Attorney General Office public website: Know Your Rights: Civil Immigration Enforcement in Washington | Washington State.

LWTech Policies & Commitments

At LWTech we are fully committed to providing a safe, secure and welcoming environment that protects the privacy and rights of all members of our community. More specifically:

• Our campus security officers do not question people about their immigration status.
• We do not make admissions decisions about students based on their immigration status, and we do not request immigration documentation except as needed to determine the eligibility for resident tuition rates.
• We do not volunteer information about student enrollees and do not disclose protected information from their student education records except as required in response to a lawfully issued subpoena or court order. Student's education records, including any information regarding their immigration status, are protected by federal privacy laws.
• While we tolerate and protect freedom of speech, sometimes even offensive speech, we do not tolerate unlawful harassment, threats, or hate crimes as defined under our student conduct code or applicable law.
• We welcome and affirm the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as the right of all students to be free from unlawful interference with the attainment of their educational goals.
• LWTech commits to protecting the safety, security, and well-being of its students and staff, regardless of their immigration status, within the limits of the law.
• LWTech strives to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation or beliefs, or disabilities.
• LWTech is committed to supporting all students, including undocumented students.
• While we do not have the power to prohibit federal officers from entering our campus, we sincerely hope they will respect and support our mission to educate and transform the lives of all of our students.

Request a Private Student Profile

Your records at LWTech are protected by LWTech a federal law called the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Most of your data is automatically confidential, which means we can’t release it to someone without your written consent or a valid court order. Some information is known as  “directory information” and can be made public without the your permission because it is considered harmless and not an invasion of privacy. This is how colleges can print names in a graduation program or publish the Dean’s and President’s list online. In Washington, the Community & Technical College System defines directory information as: name, colleges where you are or were enrolled, field of study, full-time or part-time status, dates you attended, sports participation, degrees or certificates earned, and honors earned.

As a student, you can request that LWTech does not release any of the above directory information, making your record completely private. You can make this request through your student profile on LionsLink!

*Note: by making your record confidential, this action prevents release of information to anyone – including people a student might want to have it; for example, National Student Loan Clearinghouse, or potential employer. You need to sign a release form if you want us to share information with a specific entity.