Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Basics for Faculty/Staff

WELCOME to the College of Southern Idaho faculty/staff FERPA tutorial. All faculty and staff must complete this tutorial before accessing any student records. This tutorial is intended to ensure that anyone accessing student records understands the obligations under FERPA to protect those student records. It is the intent to provide a basic knowledge of FERPA and how to stay in compliance. Please read the following information carefully. At the end of the tutorial you will be asked to complete a FERPA quiz.

Student Information Release

The College of Southern Idaho is committed to properly protecting each student’s education privacy as specified by the Federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). In order to assure that the college remains in compliance, all requests for information of any nature regarding a student of the College should be referred to the Admissions & Records Office; where personnel have been trained in handling these requests.

 

What is FERPA?

  • Family Education Rights & Privacy Act of 1974.
  • A Federal law also known as the Buckley Act.
  • Protects the privacy of a student’s educational records.
  • Establishes the right of students to inspect and review their educational records.
  • Applies to all educational agencies or institutions that receive funds under applicable programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

What student rights are protected?

  • The right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of the day the college receives a request.
  • The right to request an amendment to the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading.
  • The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

What are education records?

  • Any record that contains information which is directly related to the student.
  • Personally identifiable information such as student name, student ID number, or personal characteristics, grades, GPA, class schedules, class roster, a computer screen, a computer printout, notes taken during an advising session, or a document in the Admissions & Records Office.
  • Education records can exist in any medium including: typed, computer generated (monitor screen), video, microfilm, microfiche, email, notepad, and others.
  • Academic records, financial aid, disciplinary actions.

EDUCATION RECORDS DO NOT INCLUDE:

  • Sole Possession records (records/notes in sole possession of the maker, used only as a personal memory aid and not revealed to any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the records which may include notes an instructor makes in regard to career/professional guidance to a student, etc.).
  • Medical records.
  • Employment records when employment is not contingent on being a student provided the record is used only in relation to employment.
  • Records created and maintained by a law enforcement unit used only for that purpose.
  • Post attendance records (information about a person that was obtained when the person was no longer a student).

What is directory information?

Directory information can be released by the Admissions and Records Office without student consent. Directory information at CSI includes:

  • Student’s name
  • Student’s address listings
  • Student’s phone number listings
  • Student’s e-mail address
  • Student’s photograph
  • Student’s date of birth
  • The most recent previous educational agency or institution attended  
  • Dates of attendance at CSI   
  • Enrollment status (whether or not currently enrolled; full-time/part-time status)
  • Major
  • Freshman/sophomore standing
  • Degrees conferred and dates
  • Awards and honors received
  • Participation records in officially recognized activities and sports
  • Height and weight of members of athletic teams

Information that cannot be released without consent:

  • Social Security Number /Student ID Number
  • Class Schedule
  • Academic Standing (Probation or Suspension Status)
  • Grade Point Average/Grades
  • Transcript
  • Parent’s Address
  • Gender
  • Exact number of credits the student is enrolled in
  • Nationality/Country
  • Student Disability Status
  • ANY information which is NOT directory information

How does the USA Patriot Act amend FERPA?

President Bush signed the "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act" on October 26, 2001. Section 507 of the USA PATRIOT Act amends FERPA by permitting institutions to disclose, without the knowledge or consent of the student, personally identifiable information from the student's education records to the Attorney General of the United States or his designee in response to an ex parte order (one filed without notice to the student) in connection with the investigation or prosecution of terrorism crimes. Also, the school is not required to record such disclosures.

What is the Solomon amendment?

Under the 1996 amendment, institutions are required to provide directory information on students at least 17 years of age who are registered for at least one credit, upon request from the Department of Defense for military recruiting purposes.

Protection of Student Records

Student education records are considered confidential and may not be released without written consent of the student, except by provisions outlined in FERPA.

  • Faculty/staff have the responsibility to protect education records in their possession.
  • Student information may be accessed only for legitimate educational use.
  • Use of a student ID number, social security number, or any portion of the number cannot be used in a public posting of grades. Grades may be posted only by written consent of the student and only if the identity of the student is completely disguised.
  • You may not ever link the name of a student with the student’s ID number in any public manner.
  • Graded exams, papers, assignments, etc. may never be left in a stack for students to pick up by sorting through the work of all students.
  • You may not circulate a printed class roster with student names and ID numbers or grades as an attendance roster.
  • You may not provide lists of students enrolled for any commercial purpose.
  • You may not discuss the progress of a student with anyone other that the student (including parents/guardians/spouse) without the written consent of the student; unless there is a legitimate educational interest with another school official. E.g.: advisor, department chair, Admissions & Records Office, etc.
  • Do not include the GPA in a letter of recommendation without the written request from the student specifying what records are to be disclosed, stating the purpose of the disclosure, and identifying the party to whom the disclosure may be made.
  • FERPA release/consent form

When do FERPA rights begin at CSI?

  • Once a student has registered for CSI classes FERPA rights transfer to the student.
  • FERPA rights transfer from the parent to the student when a student reaches the age of 18 or begins attending a postsecondary institution regardless of age.

What rights do parents have?

  • Parents may obtain directory information at the discretion of the CSI Admissions & Records Office.
  • Students may sign a release form to allow third party access of their education records.
  • Emergency situations should be referred to Campus Security at Ext 6605.
  • The whereabouts of a student (class schedule) may never be released.

Who may have access to student information?

  • The student and any outside party who has the student’s written request.
  • School officials (as defined by the College) who have “legitimate educational interests.”
  • Parents of a dependent student as defined by the Internal Revenue Code and if proof is provided to the Admissions and Records Office.
  • A person in response to a lawfully issued subpoena or court order, as long as the College makes a reasonable attempt to notify the student first.

When is student consent not required to disclose information?

When the disclosure is:

  • To school officials who have a legitimate educational interest.
  • To federal, state, and local authorities involving an audit or evaluation of compliance with educational programs.
  • In connection with financial aid; this includes Veterans’ benefits.
  • To organizations conducting studies for or on behalf of the institution.
  • To accrediting organizations.
  • To parents of a dependent student (after proof is provided to the Admissions and Records Office).
  • To comply with a judicial order or subpoena.
  • In a health or safety emergency.
  • Releasing directory information.
  • Releasing the results of a disciplinary hearing to an alleged victim of a crime of violence.

How does technology impact FERPA?

The same principles of confidentiality that apply to paper records also apply to electronic data. Students, faculty, and staff must abide by the CSI Computer Use Policy. It is very important that students protect the confidentiality of their CSI Student ID number, as well as their usernames and passwords.

  • Students must not share their CSI Student ID numbers with other CSI students, friends, family members, etc.
  • Students must not let anyone borrow their CSI Student ID cards.
  • As soon as students first log in, they should change their default login passwords (e-mail/network and Blackboard) to a secret password that they only know, can easily remember, but others cannot guess.
  • Students must notify the Admissions and Records Office immediately if they suspect unauthorized access to their educational records.

CSI Faculty and staff are expected to adhere to the following:

  • Must protect their usernames and passwords from unauthorized use (they are responsible for all activities on their user ID and that originate from their systems).
  • Can only use computer systems for authorized purposes.
  • Can only access information to which they have been given authorized access.
  • Must not use another person’s system/user ID/password/data without permission.
  • May not make or permit unauthorized use of information contained within any CSI system.
  • Are not permitted to seek personal benefit, or allow others to benefit personally from information to which they have access by virtue of their position.
  • May not knowingly include or cause to be included in any records a false or misleading entry.
  • May not knowingly change or delete or cause to be changed or deleted an entry in any record, unless in accordance with College policies and procedures.
  • May not remove any official records or copy thereof from the office where it is maintained, copied, or printed via electronic means except in the performance of a person’s duties, and in accordance with established policies and procedures.

Violations may lead to disciplinary action including but not limited to reprimand, suspension, or dismissal. Violation can also lead to action under applicable State or Federal statutes.

Before divulging information about a student’s record, staff should ask the student for picture ID (e.g. Student ID card or drivers license) and verify the student’s identity. Special care must be taken when information is requested over the phone or online. Positive identification must be made before releasing information about a student’s record. Several pieces of information should be used to help identify a student, and may include: Social Security Number, birth date, phone number, and/or address, a grade received in a class, number of credits signed up for current GPA, etc.

WHEN IN DOUBT…DON’T GIVE IT OUT!!

Key Resources for Additional Information:

FERPA Quiz

Thank you for reading through our FERPA tutorial. Now you are ready to take the FERPA quiz.

Please log in and answer the questions. The quiz has 17 questions. This quiz is a learning tool. After you log in, you will see the first question on the screen. Read the question carefully and select what you believe to be the correct answer. You will get immediate feedback: you will know whether your answer was correct or not and if it wasn't, what the correct answer was and why. After you completed the quiz, it will give you a score. If your score will be above 70%, you successfully passed the quiz. CONGRATULATIONS! If your score will be lower than 70%, you can retake the quiz as many times as you need until your score will be above 70%.

The Admissions and Records Office will keep records of who has and has not successfully completed the quiz.

Thank you very much for helping us safeguard the privacy of our students' education records!

If you have any questions about the quiz, please contact Lena Paxton or Gail Schull. If you run into any technical difficulties while taking the quiz, please contact Scott Henscheid.

  Username:
Password:
To login use the same username and password that you use to log on the CSI network and CSI e-mail.

 

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