What you should know about FERPA

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What you should know aboutFERPA
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

• Office of the University Registrar
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• 209 Student Services Building
• Knoxville, Tennessee 37996
• Last updated 3-13-07

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What is FERPA and for what purpose does it exist?
Family Educational Rights Privacy Act of
1974, as Amended (Federal Law)
Commonly known as the Privacy Act or the Buckley
Amendment Designed to protect the privacy of edu
cational records, establish rights of students to
inspect their records and provide guidelines for
correcting inaccurate data.
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Does FERPA apply to all students?

• Yes. All students (regardless of age)
  attending, or who previously attended,
  postsecondary institutions have FERPA rights.
  
• Attending students includes admitted students,
  students in residence, continuing education
  students, students auditing only, and distance
  education students. FERPA does not apply to
  applicants who have not been admitted to the
  institution.

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Who is responsible for seeing that FERPA is
upheld?

• All members of the University community
  (faculty, staff and students) who have access to
  records are responsible for guarding the
  confidentiality of student records.

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What does FERPA guarantee students?

• FERPA gives students the right to inspect and
  review their own records
  
• to request amendments to their record
• to have some control over the release of
  personally identifiable information from their
  records and,
  
• to file a complaint with the Department of
  Education concerning an alleged failure to comply
  with FERPA regulations.
  

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How are students made aware of FERPA?

• Notification at the University of Tennessee is
  done at Freshmen Orientation, through Hilltopics,
  Graduate and Undergraduate Catalogs, and the
  Office of the University Registrars web page
• http//registrar.tennessee.edu/records/priv
  acy.shtml

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What is Directory Information?

• "Directory Information" is information not
  generally considered harmful or an invasion of
  privacy if disclosed. The University of Tennessee
  considers the following information to be
  "Directory Information"
• Name, semester and permanent addresses, e-mail
  address, telephone listing, date and place of
  birth
  
• Full or part-time status
• College, major, degrees and dates awarded
• Dates of attendance, most recent previously
  attended institution
  
• Participation in officially recognized activities
  sports
  
• "Directory Information" does not include student
  identification numbers or social security
  numbers, grades, term and cumulative GPAs,
  student schedules, academic histories, academic
  standing.

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What is meant by Disclosure of Information?

• The University is not allowed to share
  information (other than Directory Information)
  without a students written consent.
  

9
Can a student limit release of directory
information?

• Yes. Students wishing limited disclosure may
  submit a request, available at
  http//registrar.tennessee.edu or contact
  Student Data Resources, 218 Student Services
  Building, [phone].

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How do I know if a student has asked that no
information be released?

• Look for the word Privacy printed at the top
  of the academic history, transcript, degree audit
  report, and on student information screens
  accessible by departmental personnel in colleges
  and administrative offices.

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Attention Faculty

• DO NOT
• Use student IDs or social security numbers in a
  public posting of grades
  
• Link the names of students with their IDs in any
  public manner
  
• Leave graded tests or papers for others to view
• Circulate a printed class roll with student names
  and IDs or grades as an attendance roster
  
• Post individual student record information on a
  public website
  

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Attention Faculty (continued)

• DO NOT
• Discuss the progress/grades of any student with
  anyone other than the student (including
  parents/guardians) without written consent of the
  student
• Provide anyone with lists of students enrolled in
  your classes for any commercial purpose
  
• Provide anyone with a student schedule or
  academic history or assist anyone other than UT
  employees in finding a student on campus
  
• Leave computer screens on with student information

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Which requests should you forward to the Office
of the University Registrar?

• Requests for transcripts - only the Office of the
  University Registrar can generate an official
  transcript
  
• Certification requests - verification of
  enrollment for lenders, health insurance, good
  student car insurance discount forms
  
• Questions regarding the academic record of any
  student

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When In Doubt?

• DONT release information!
• Always check with the
• Office of the University Registrar
• 209 Student Services Building
• Knoxville, TN 37996
• [phone]