FERPA for Faculty

WHAT FACULTY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT (FERPA)

What student information is protected under FERPA?

Grades
Test scores
ID numbers or social security numbers
Financial records
Disciplinary records
Class schedule
Contact and family information

Students have the right to limit the disclosure of all their personally identifiable information. They must fill out the appropriate paperwork and file with the Office of the Registrar.

NON-GRADE RELATED SCENARIOS TO AVOID

Circulating a printed class list with student name and student ID number (or grades) as an attendance roster.
Discussing the progress of any student with anyone other than the student without the consent of the student (e.g. parents, employers, other students) or anyone without an educational “need to know” interest.
Providing anyone with lists of students enrolled in your classes for any commercial purpose.
Providing anyone with student schedules or assist anyone other than university employees in finding a student on campus.
Giving out directory information about a student who has requested confidentiality.
Re-disclosing confidential information to a third party without authorization.
Including personally identifiable information about student A in student B’s record without student A’s permission.
Including FERPA protected information in a letter of reference without the student’s written consent (this includes the student’s GPA or grade in your class).
It is the end of the semester and you throw out all your class information in the trash. Always shred all class materials, notes, rosters, etc., with student information on them.
Be mindful of the “reply all” or BCC when FERPA protected information is included, such as warning a student they are in danger of failing your class.

GRADE RELATED SCENARIOS TO AVOID

Never leave graded tests in a stack for students to pick up by sorting through the papers of all students. You may leave them with an assistant and place each of them in a sealed envelope with the student’s name on it.
Never require students to use social security numbers, student ID numbers, birthdays, phone numbers, or derivatives of those numbers.
Never link the name of a student with that student’s ID number in any public manner.
Never post the grades, even if coded, in alphabetic order or any other recognizable order.
Never mail grades to students unless consent is received and a self-addressed envelope is supplied by the student.
Use email as a last resort. While emailing grades is permissible under FERPA, the Department of Education has ruled that an institution will be held responsible for a violation if any unauthorized individual sees the grade via your electronic transmission.
If you are giving out protected FERPA information over the phone, make sure the person you are speaking to is your student. Ask questions only the student could answer, such as the name of the course, an example of an assignment from the course, or questions from the final exam.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Statements made by a person making a recommendation that are made from that person’s personal observation or knowledge do not require a written release from the student. If personally identifiable information obtained from a student’s educational record (including employment as a graduate assistant or work study) is included in the letter of recommendation, such as grades, gpa, etc., the writer of the recommendation is required to get a written, signed consent from the student outlining the information that is acceptable to release. This consent must also state the purpose of the release and to whom the information will be shared.

Faculty and staff may obtain a consent form from the Office of the Registrar.

Students have the right to limit the disclosure of all their personally identifiable information. They must fill out the appropriate paperwork and file with the Office of the Registrar.