Confidentiality of Students' Records

Student Rights   A student's rights under the Act and Rules may be summarized as follows:

1. To inspect and review the content of the student's education records;
2. To obtain copies of those records, upon payment of $.15 per page, where the failure to provide copies would effectively prevent the student from exercising the right to inspect and review the education records;
3. To receive a response from the University to reasonable requests for explanation of those records;
4. To obtain an opportunity for a hearing to challenge the content of those records;
5. To receive confidential treatment by the University of education records; neither such records, nor personally identifiable information contained therein, except for directory information, shall be released without student permission to anyone other than those parties specifically authorized by the Act;
6. To refuse to permit the designation as directory information of any or all of the categories of personally identifiable information with respect to that student;
7. To file complaints with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office of the Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of the Act and Rules;
8. To exercise all rights on the student's own behalf, regardless of the student's status as a dependent upon parents. Parents of dependent students may, however, obtain access to the student's records without the student's permission. For purposes of access to records, the University presumes until otherwise notified that undergraduate students are dependents and that graduate students are not dependents.

Policies and Procedures   The University has adopted policies and procedures to protect the privacy rights of past and present students. The policy and procedures describe:

1. The types of education records maintained by the University;
2. The titles and addresses of the University officials responsible for those records;
3. The procedures controlling the inspection and review of education records;
4. The procedures controlling the correction of education records, including a request to amend and to have a hearing;
5. The individuals and organizations who have access to a student's education record without the student's prior written consent; and
6. The procedures controlling the recording of each request for, and each disclosure of, personally identifiable information from the education records of a student.

Copies of the University's policy and procedures are available to students upon request at the registrar's office.

Directory Information   The University may disclose personally identifiable information designated as directory information from a student's education records without a student's prior written consent, unless the student informs the university registrar in writing and within fourteen days after the publication of this notice, that specified categories of directory information are not to be released without the student's prior written consent. This certification does not preclude the verification of degrees awarded.

Directory information includes the student's name; home and school address; home and school telephone number; place of birth; age; country of citizenship; major field of study; school of enrollment; full-time/part-time status; year in school; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; dates of attendance; degrees, honors, scholarships, and awards received; and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended. In addition, directory information includes the names of students' parents or guardians and the weight and height of members of athletic teams.

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