University Policy Regarding Students and Alumni Directory
The University, in compliance with federal law “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), provides students and alumni access to their academic files, the right to request that the information contained in those files be amended and certain control over the disclosure of academic information.
- Students and alumni have the right to inspect and review their academic files. They may request this in writing to the file custodian and indicate the file they wish to review. The file custodian will make the necessary arrangements so that the student or alumni may review the files within a period of time no greater than 45 days from the date in which the student or alumni presented the written request. If the person receiving the request from the student or alumni does not have the file, this person will indicate the correct place for the request to be presented.
- Students and alumni have the right to request that incorrect information contained in their academic files be corrected. Interested students or alumni must present a written request to the University official in charge of the file, indicate the part of the file to be corrected and explain the mistake. If the University decides not to correct the file, the student or alumni will be notified of this decision in writing and the person will be informed of the right to request an informal hearing.
- Students or alumni have the right to prevent the University from disclosing personal information found in the academic files, except in those cases where FERPA authorizes disclosure. These cases include the following:
- Disclosure of information to Institution officials. Institutional officials are taken to mean administrative or teaching employees, persons contacted by the University, members of the Board of Trustees and student members of special committees.
- Disclosure of Directory information. The University has designated the following data as Directory information: student or alumni name, address, major and year of study. Students and alumni have the right to prevent the University from disclosing Directory information to third parties. The disclosure to third parties includes the release of information to the Armed Forces. If students or alumni wish to prevent their information from being disclosed to the United States Armed Forces, it is necessary that they express their desire that no information be disclosed to third parties. To prevent information from being disclosed to third parties, it is necessary that students or alumni submit their request to this effect, in writing, to the Office of the Registrar of their academic unit. In order for the request to be effective for the academic year, it is important that students submit the request in or on September 1st of that year.
- Information to other universities. The University will release student or alumni information to those universities to which they request admission.
- Exceptional circumstances. The University will disclose student or alumni information if they are economically dependent upon their parents. The University assumes undergraduate students and alumni are economically dependent upon their parents; therefore, in some cases it may disclose information without the consent of the student or alumni to parents that request it. Undergraduate students or alumni who are not economically dependent upon their parents must present this evidence to the Office of the Registrar to prevent information from being released to their parents. Information on graduate students or alumni will not be given to parents without their consent.
- Emergency cases. These are cases in which the health or security of a student, alumni or other person is in danger.
- Immigration and Naturalization Service. The University is obliged to give information to Immigration Service regarding certain foreign students or alumni.
If students or alumni believe that the University has not complied with these obligations, they have the right to file a claim to Department of Federal Education, Family Policy Compliance Officer, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington D.C. 20202-4605.