The family educational rights and privacy act of 1974 ferpa The family educational rights and privacy act of 1974 Rocky Vista University - Office of the Registrar

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 What is FERPA? Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 Federal regulation that protects the privacy and access to educational information

Ferpa provides students with: 1 The right to inspect and review information in their educational records 2 The ability to request a correction to their record 3 The control of the disclosure of personally identifiable information from these records 4 The opportunity to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education

What is educational information? Records that are directly related to a student and are maintained by an institution Educational Information can be divided into two categories: Category 1 Category 2 Directory Information Academic and Financial Information

Category 1: DIRECTORY INFORMATION HOWEVER, STUDENTS CAN PREVENT THE RELEASE OF THIS INFORMATION BY NOTIFYING THE REGISTRAR’S OFFICE. The following information can be released without prior student consent: Awards Received Degree Program Phone Number Date and Place of Birth E-mail Address Photograph Dates of Attendance Mailing Address Previous Institution(s) Attended Degree Conferred Name Official Extra-curricular Participation

Category 2: academic and Financial Information Includes, but is not limited to, the following: Academic Standing Grade Point Average ADA Records Grades Advising Records Individual Class Schedule Class Rank National Board Exam Scores Complete Class Roster Scholarship(s) Disciplinary Records Social Security Number Exams/Quizzes/Papers Student ID Federal Financial Aid (loans/grants) Transcripts

Who can access student records? School Official Legitimate Educational Interest Access to Student Records

Who is a ‘school official’? Faculty Member University President Board Member Dean/ Associate Dean Registrar Counselor Admissions Officer Finance Representative Bursar/Cashier HR Professional IT Personnel Administrative Assistant Librarian Security Director *consultants & auditors can be school officials on a temporary basis while performing an institutional function

What does ‘legitimate educational interest’ mean? A school official has a legitimate educational interest if HE/SHE is: performing a task that is specified in his or her position description or contract agreement performing a task related to a student's education or to discipline a student providing a service or benefit related to the student or student's family maintaining the safety and security of campus.

 Should Susie be given access to this information?  Pop quiz! Susie is an advisor who will be meeting with a current student to discuss remaining degree requirements. Susie states that she needs access to the student’s record to see which classes still need to be completed by the student.  Should Susie be given access to this information?  Yes or no?

With great power comes great responsibility.

Access granted…now what? Be aware of your surroundings Keep educational records locked Refrain from discussing educational records in public Places (hallways, classrooms, reception areas) Example: walking down the hallway you may not realize who is behind you or how far your voice projects Do not leave records unattended Always lock your computer before leaving your office (windows key + L) If sending personal information via email, always use a password Example: Dr. Pepper locks his computer before leaving his office because he is in the middle of posting final grades.

Access granted…now what? Curiosity is not legitimate educational interest Shred documents with educational information Avoid sharing personal educational records with friends and colleagues unless it pertains to a task at hand Example: Teacher 1 to teacher 2: Johnny failed my quiz on Thursday, did he fail yours as well? Documents containing personal and educational information should be shredded, not thrown in the trash Example: After reviewing the examsoft report from exam #2, Dr. Campbell placed the pages in the locked shred bin in his pod.

It is okay to discuss this information at this time. True or false? Dr. Bee is teaching Neuroscience this semester and Johnny is failing his course. On the way to class Dr. Bee is stopped by the dean in the hallway to discuss Johnny’s grades. It is okay to discuss this information at this time. FALSE IT IS NEVER OKAY TO DISCUSS EDUCATIONAL RECORDS IN PUBLIC AREAS

Key points to remember ABOUT ferpa Stop discussing private information in public locations Lock your computer before walking away Avoid “’curiousity’ questions and conversations Shred documents with private information fErpa COULD BE VIEWED AS A COUSIN TO HIPAA NOT OFFICIALY, BUT AS A REFERENCE FOR COMPARISON It IS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE TO ADVISE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED OR COMFORTABLE RELEASING PRIVATE INFORMATION you CAN ALWAYS REFER QUESTIONS/INQUIRIES/CONCERNS TO THE REGISTRAR. ALWAYS. Use COMMON SENSE: UNLESS LEGITIMATE EDUCATIONAL INTEREST EXISTS, IF YOU ARE NOT TALKING TO THE STUDENT DON’T TALK ABOUT THE STUDENT.

LOCK THE COMPUTER  Short answer Mary is an administrative assistant for the OPP department. Currently Mary is reviewing online fellowship applications (including grades) for the upcoming semester. Mary decides to take lunch and walks away from her computer. What should Mary have done before walking away from her computer? LOCK THE COMPUTER 

WHEN IN DOUBT…ASK THE REGISTRAR QUESTIONS?