Federal policy setting forth requirements regarding the privacy of student records.
FERPA governs:
- release of educational records maintained by an educational institution
- access to these records
Any information provided by the student to the College for use in the educational process, such as:
- personal information
- enrollment records
- grades
- disciplinary records
- financial aid records
These records may be available in various ways:
- a document in the student's record
- a computer printout in your office
- a class list on your desktop
- a computer display screen
- notes you have taken during an advisement session
- Any and all school officials
- Maintaining confidentiality of student records is everyone's responsibility whether you are faculty, staff or student.
- a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position;
- a person serving on an institutional governing body
- a person employed by or under contract to the institution to perform a special task, such as an attorney or an auditor;
- a person or organization acting as an official agent of the institution and performing a business function or service on behalf of the institution (the function or service must be one that the institution normally would perform itself);
- a student serving on a committee; or
- a student assisting another school official in fulfilling his or her professional responsibilities (e.g. work study)
- School Officials - Although a person may be designated a "school official," he or she does not have the inherent rights to any and all education record information. The school official must demonstrate to the records keeper a legitimate educational interest (as opposed to a personal or private interest), and such a determination must be made on a case-by-case basis.
- The student
- The parent or guardian of a dependant student , as defined by the IRS.
- A person in response to a lawfully issued subpoena or court order.
- Any third party - only directory information or with the written and signed consent of the student.
In accordance with FERPA, a school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his/her professional responsibility.
Educational interest does not constitute authority to disclose information to a third party without the student's written permission.
A Student's:
- Name
- Address
- Telephone Number
- Date and Place of Birth
- Major Field of Study
- Classification
- Study Load
- Dates of Attendance
- Degrees and Awards Received
- Most Recent Previous Educational Agency or Institution Attended
- Participation in Officially Recognized Activities and Sports
- Weight and Height of Members of the Athletic Teams
No information may be given out about the student. To the communities outside of the College, the student does not exist here at the institution. By blocking one's directory information, all requests for disclosure MUST be with the written consent of the student. The student's name CANNOT be listed in any material or media distributed or sponsored by the College. This includes references to the student's name or picture. As an example for the extent to which this must be taken, a student who blocks his or her directory information may not be listed in any program information (athletics, dance, drama, music) or even in the Commencement Program at graduation.
The Registrar's Office has updated information on who has blocked their directory information. Please check with this office prior to any disclosures. A student may change his/her directory block status with the Registrar's Office at any time.
- To other Huntingdon College Employees - permitted only to School Officials and only if they have a legitimate educational interest.
- To the student - upon request. If a student wished to review or investigate his/her file due to his/her concern for misinformation, the student must follow proper procedures.
- To parents of a student - upon request. You must establish dependency, as defined by thef the IRS, before releasing information. If the student is independent of the parents, you must receive a written release from the student to supply the parent(s) with information, unless the parent(s) can provide appropriate documentation of the student's dependency.
- To a third party (not working with the College as a school official)
- Directory Information may be released, unless the student has blocked directory information. If this is the cases, you MUST have the written and filed consent of the student.
- If the information requested is something other than directory information, you must also have a written release on file from the student.
- DO review Huntingdon College's FERPA policy before responding to a request for educational records. If you have questions or concerns, contact the Registrar's Office.
- DON'T release directory information on a student without checking to see whether the student has requested his/her information be blocked.
- DO obtain written permission from the student before sharing educational records information, including grades and grade point averages.
- DO follow the confidentiality provisions of FERPA by not sharing educational records information with your colleagues unless a legitimate educational interest exists.
- DO keep only those records pertaining to a student that are necessary for the fulfillment of your teaching or advising responsibilities. If these records are kept in your file for your own use and are not shared with anyone else (other than a substitute), they are not considered educational records and will not be subject to the release provisions of FERPA.
- DON'T put purely personal notes (ex. from a committe meeting recommending students for a particular program) in a student's file, as they will become accessible to the student. Such records can be kept confidential only if they are kept in the sole possession of the maker and are not accessible or revealed to any other person. Official committee minutes are likely to be considered accessible.
- DON'T display student scores or grades publicly in association with names, social security numbers (or any portion of a SSN) or other identifiers. If scores are posted, use a code known only to you and the student.
- DON'T leave grades, tests or assignments in a stack for students to pick up in a public place where a student's name can be associated with a grade.
- DON'T circulate a printed class list with students' names, social security numbers or grades as an attendance roster.
- DON'T provide anyone with a list of students enrolled in your classes. Refer them to the Registrar's Office.
- DON'T provide anyone with student schedules or assist anyone other than university employees (working in the capacity of educational or safety interests) in finding a student on campus.
- DO refer all subpoenas or other legal process requests for educational records to the College's legal counsel.
- DON'T release information about a student's disciplinary matter without conferring with the Dean of Students.
- DO err on the side of caution if you are unsure about a situation, and contact the Registrar's Office for guidance.
For questions or specific concerns about FERPA, please contact the
Registrar's Office.