The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of education records and to establish the right of students to inspect and review their educational records. In essence, school officials may not disclose personally identifiable information about students nor permit inspection of their records without written permission unless such action is covered by certain exceptions permitted by the act.
Directory information can be disclosed to outside organizations or agencies upon request unless the student specifies otherwise. Directory information may include the following: name, home address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, enrollment status (e.g., full-time or part-time), honors, degrees, and awards received, most recent educational institution attended, and dates of attendance. Employees should consult with the Dean of Student Services or the Registrar’s Office if in doubt about what information is allowed to be shared.