To All Faculty and Staff: Please read the following information about FERPA. It is important that all NSU employees understand this law.

FERPA stands for Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (sometimes called the Buckley Amendment). Passed by Congress in 1974, the Act grants four specific rights to the adult student:

· the right to see the information that the institution is keeping on the student

· the right to seek amendment to those records and in certain cases append a statement to the record

· the right to consent to disclosure of his/her records

· the right to file a complaint with the FERPA Office in Washington

WHAT IS A STUDENT EDUCATIONAL RECORD?

· Just about any information provided by a student to the university for use in the educational process is considered a student educational record: personal information, enrollment records, grades, schedules.

· The storage media in which you find this information does not matter.  Student educational records may be: a document in the admission’s office, a computer printout in your office, a class list on your desktop, a computer display screen, notes you have taken during an advisement session.

WHAT ARE THE BASIC RULES?

· Student educational records are considered confidential and may not be released without the written consent of the student.

· As a faculty or staff member you have a responsibility to protect educational records in your possession.

· Some information is considered public (sometimes called "Directory Information").  This info can be released without the student's written permission.  However, the student may opt to consider this info confidential as well.  Directory Information is:  Student’s name, local and permanent address, and telephone number; date and place of birth; classification and enrollment status; major field of study; gender; dates of attendance at NSU; most recent previous school attended; degrees, honors and awards received; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; weight and height of athletic team members; photograph; email address assigned/provided by the institution or provided to the university by the student.

· You have access to information only for legitimate use in completion of your responsibilities as a university employee.  Need to know is the basic principle.

· If you are ever in doubt, do not release any information until you contact the Office of the Admissions and Records at (918) 456-4480, Ext. 2200.

To avoid violations of FERPA rules,  DO NOT:

· at any time use the entire Social Security Number of a student in a public posting of grades

· ever link the name of a student with that student's social security number in any public manner

· leave graded tests in a stack for students to pick up by sorting through the papers of all students

· circulate a printed class list with student name and social security number or grades as an attendance roster

· discuss the progress of any student with anyone other than the student (including parents) without the consent of the student

· provide anyone with lists of students enrolled in your classes for any commercial purpose

· provide anyone with student schedules or assist anyone other than university employees in finding a student on campus

For more information on this federal law, visit:

http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html