FERPA

Student Rights Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They follow:

1.     The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within forty-five days of the day the university receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar, college dean, department chair, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the records they wish to inspect. The university official will arrange for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the official to whom the request was submitted, that official will advise the student to whom to direct the request.

2.     The right to request amendment of the student’s education records that he/she believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students should submit such requests in writing to the appropriate university official. The written request must clearly identify the part of the record the student wants to be changed and must specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the university decides not to amend the record as requested, the student will be notified by a university official of the decision, and the university official will advise the student of his/her right to a hearing regarding the requested amendment. Additional information regarding hearing procedures will be provided to the student when he or she is notified of the right to a hearing.

3.     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. One exception which permits disclosure without consent is to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person with whom the university has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Council of Trustees; a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his/her professional responsibility. This includes school officials in other institutions to which a student is seeking admission or intends to enroll.

4.     The right to file a complaint with the United States Department of Education concerning alleged failures by IUP to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA follows: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.