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Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY

A quick-reference guide to understanding and applying the provisions of FERPA

WHAT IS FERPA? back to top

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment, is designed to protect the privacy of students' education records and personally identifiable information. This federal law spells out the rights of students and the responsibilities of educational institutions.

WHAT ARE STUDENTS' PRIMARY RIGHTS UNDER FERPA?
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Students have the following rights under
FERPA:

  • Right to inspect and review education records
  • Right to seek to amend education records
  • Right to have some control over the disclosure of information from education records
  • Right to file a complaint with the FERPA office in Washington, D.C.

WHAT IS AN EDUCATION RECORD? back to top

Education records are any records directly related to a student and
maintained by the University or a party acting for the University. These records may be maintained via any media, including handwriting, computer media (including e-mail), print, videotape or audiotape, film, microfilm, and microfiche.

WHAT IS PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION?
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Personally identifiable information includes, but is not limited to the following:

  • The student's name
  • The name of the student's parent or other family member
  • The address of the student or the student's family
  • A personal identifier (SID, PUID, SSN)
  • A list of personal characteristics that would make the student's identity easily traceable

WHAT IS DIRECTORY INFORMATION? back to top

Directory information is information contained in the education record of a student that would generally not be considered harmful to the student or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. It can include pieces of personally identifiable information, such as:

  • Name
  • E-mail address
  • Address (local and home)
  • Telephone (local and home)
  • Classification
  • School and curriculum
  • Enrollment status and credit hour load
  • Participation in officially recognized activities
  • Sports photograph
  • Dates of attendance
  • Degrees and awards
  • Position, weight, and height of athletes
Students can restrict all or part
of their directory information.

 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN ALL OR PART OF A STUDENT'S RECORD IS RESTRICTED? back to top

Restricted records cannot be released without the written permission of the student. This permission must be signed and dated, specify the records to be disclosed, state the purpose of the disclosure, and identify the party or parties to whom the disclosure may be made.

There are exceptions to the consent to disclosure requirement. Please see the following Web site for further details:

https://www2.itap.purdue.edu/ITEATraining/asp/FERPA/
EducationRecords/Disclosure.asp

WHAT ARE THE RESTRICTED DIRECTORY OPTIONS?
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Restricted Directory Listing options for students are as follows:

  • No restrictions
  • One of the following:
    • Local address and local
      telephone number
    • Home address and home
      telephone number
    • All addresses and telephone
      numbers
    • All telephone numbers
    • Degrees and honors received
    • School, classification, and field of study
  • All directory information

Students desiring to restrict their e-mail address must restrict all directory information.

Students interested in restricting all or part of their directory information must make their request in person at the Office of the Registrar, Room 45, Hovde Hall. Photo ID is required.

WHAT HAPPENS IF NONCOMPLIANCE OCCURS? back to top

Students have the right to file a complaint with the FERPA office in Washington, D.C.

This complaint may result in the loss of federal funding for financial aid and educational grants for Purdue University and the filing of civil litigation.

Action to terminate funding is generally taken only if compliance cannot be secured by voluntary means.

SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL FERPA INFORMATION back to top

Purdue University's Office of the President Executive Memorandum No. C-51:
http://www.purdue.edu/oop/policies/pages/records/c_51.html

Purdue University’s University
Regulations, Part 6, Rights and Privacy - Student Educational Records:
http://www.purdue.edu/oop/univregs/pages/ stu_edu_rec/stu_edu_rec.html

Purdue University - Office Of the Registrar - Student Brochure:
http://www.purdue.edu/registrar/pdf/FERPA_Brochure_Students.pdf

Purdue University - Office Of the Registrar - Faculty/Staff Brochure:
http://www.purdue.edu/registrar/pdf/FERPA_Brochure_FaucltyStaff.pdf

FERPA Certification - Training Material:
https://vwave-01.itap.purdue.edu/ITEATraining/asp/FERPA/Fwelcome.asp

Office of the Registrar
Hovde Hall of Administration
610 Purdue Mall
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2040
Phone (765) 494-8581
Fax (765) 494-0570
http://www.purdue.edu/Registrar

Purdue University is an equal access/equal opportunity university