The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), also known as the "Buckley Amendment," is a federal law that gives protection to student educational records. In the context of FERPA, education records are those records, files, documents or other materials which contain information directly related to a student or former student and that are maintained by any employee or an agent of the university. Employment records relating to current or former students who are employees are also considered educational records under FERPA.
Additional information about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is available in the Office of the Registrar and at www.ed.gov/offices/om/fpco/ferpa
Material on students pertaining to their status as students held by any unit or department and which is intended for University use, or use by third parties outside the University system. If the records involve or affect the status of the student, the records are official and the student shall have access to them.
At the University of Indianapolis, we strictly maintain confidentiality of student records. All student academic information is considered confidential. Only directory information (such as the student name, address, phone number, e-mail, et al.) is available to the public. Directory information is only released to government agencies and other organizations such as student loan guarantors. Beyond these limited organizations, student authorization is required to obtain any information, including directory information.(For a complete list of directory information, see 2009-2011 Academic Catalog Confidentiality of Student Records section.)
The University of Indianapolis also allows freshmen students to fill out a FERPA authorization form stating that they are dependent students. If a student signs the document and indicates that s/he is a dependent, we will mail the student's freshman-year grades ONLY to the parents/guardians. After the freshman year, grades are no longer released to parents, and only the student has access to his or her grades.
Yes. Students wanting to restrict release of their information may do so by completing the Request for Nondisclosure of Directory Information form found in the Student Handbook. (Obviously the restriction is effective from that date forward.) The e-mail address would continue to be available to administrators on campus who have a need–to–know – – such as an instructor who needs to communicate with students.
No. You should never post grades of students under any circumstances. This is confidential information and it is your responsibility as an instructor to protect that confidentiality. UIndy students have access to midterm (undergraduate, full-term courses) and final grades via UIndy Self-Service.
Papers: The majority of student academic information is confidential. It should be handled with care. Graded papers or tests should not be left unattended on a desk in plain view in a public area nor should students sort through them in order to retrieve their own work.
Grade Sheets: These and other reports should be handled in a confidential manner and the information contained on them must not be shared with third parties.
Yes. Records that are kept in the advisor's sole possession, are used only as a personal memory aid, and are not accessible or revealed to any other person, are not considered education records under FERPA.
Advisement Meetings: An advisement meeting of a group of students in academic difficulty would be a violation of FERPA, since it would invade the privacy of all of the students to each other.
No. Unless a faculty member has written permission from the student to do so, s/he must not discuss specific grade or evaluation issues with anyone but the student. A faculty member may, in general terms relate the requirements of the course, performance standards of the class, and other syllabus information.
With proper identification, a current or former student has the right to inspect and review official records, files, and data pertaining to him/her as a student. The university keeps files for undergraduate students for 10 years after the student's last year of attendance.
For more information on FERPA, visit:
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html
Remember . . . When in doubt, don't give it out!
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