What is FERPA and how does it effect what information can be released to me regarding my son or daughter?
Based on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment, the only information that may be released to extra institutional sources without the written permission of the individual student is “directory information.” This is defined by the Act as “the student’s name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student.” Any student not wanting their directory information to be made public must make a written request to the Division of Student Affairs, Dempsey 148. Any information regarding grades, student accounts, disciplinary matters or additional confidential matter cannot be released to parents without specific written release by the student.
