Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. An eligible student is defined under FERPA as student who is the age of 18 or older or who attends a postsecondary institution. These rights include:

  1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day the University receives a request for access.
  2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
  3. The right to provide written consent before the University discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
  4. The right to prevent disclosure of Directory Information. If you wish to withhold the disclosure of all of the items of Directory Information, complete the Directory Information Opt-Out Form and submit to the Registrar. This form must be received by the Registrar prior to the close of the add/drop period in any given session to ensure that directory information is not released.
  5. The right to be annually reminded about their rights under FERPA.
  6. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office of Education that administers FERPA is:

    Student Privacy Policy Office

    U.S. Department of Education

    400 Maryland Avenue, SW

    Washington, DC 20202

FERPA grants the University authority to release directory information to any person on request, without consent of the student, unless a student requests in writing that directory information be kept private. The University has designated the following as directory information:

  • Name
  • Date of Graduation
  • Degrees and Honors Received
  • Photos
  • Major Field of Study
  • Dates of Attendance

A copy of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act may be requested from the Office of the Registrar or viewed on the following website https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html. Students should contact the Office of the Registrar should they have questions regarding their rights under FERPA.