FERPA and Your Privacy
What is FERPA? To whom does it apply?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“FERPA”) is a federal law governing the privacy of educational records. The law, also known at the Buckley Amendment, applies to all educational agencies or institutions that receive funds under any program administered by the US Department of Education. Go to www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco to learn more.
FERPA applies to personally identifiable information in educational records. This includes items such as the student’s name, addresses, personal identifiers such as social security numbers, and personal characteristics or other information that make the student’s identity easily traceable.
What are educational records?
Educational records are all records that contain information directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational agency or institution, or by a party acting on its behalf. A record means any information recorded in any way, including handwriting,print, tape, film, microfilm, microfiche, and digital images.
-
Educational records do not include the following:
- Sole possession record-records kept in the sole possession of the maker which are used only as a personal memory aid and are not accessible or reviewed by any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the record;
- Medical or psychological treatment records that include those maintained by physicians, psychiatrists, and psychologists;
- Employment records, provided that employment is not contingent upon being a student;
- Law enforcement records; and
- Records collected about an individual after that person is no longer a student at the University of North Alabama.