The Office of the Registrar and the Office of General Counsel would like to share a few important FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) reminders with faculty and staff. It is incumbent upon all employees of the university to protect student information.
- Student data: Please be certain to protect data, reports and rosters containing student information. Do not share student data reports/lists generated for you with others. Also do not assume it’s safe to store such information in the cloud or on a thumb drive. Encrypt or password protect all electronic data, reports and rosters. Lock paper data, reports and rosters in a secure place.
- Grades: Do not post grades in public spaces, including in classrooms or on office doors. Do not send lists/spreadsheets of grades via the internet.
- Parents: Do not speak with parents or others about specific student information such as attendance, assignments, exams, quizzes, tests or grades without written authorization from the student, or authorization on file with the college/school office of the student.
- Letters of recommendation: Request written authorization from students prior to writing letters of recommendation that reference specific course information, grades, class schedules, field placement and internship experiences, etc.
Call the Office of the Registrar or the Office of General Counsel with questions. The university’s FERPA policy is available online.