What is FERPA, and how does it apply to higher education faculty and staff?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records. As faculty and staff that handle student data, understanding and complying with FERPA is crucial in your daily interactions with students.

Key FERPA points for faculty and staff:

• Confidentiality: You are responsible for safeguarding the confidentiality of student education records. This includes grades, transcripts, disciplinary actions, financial aid information, and any other personally identifiable data.
• “Need to know” principle: Access to student records should be granted only on a “need to know” basis for legitimate educational purposes. Don’t share information with colleagues who don’t require it for their assigned duties.
• Written consent: Generally, written consent from the student is required before disclosing any information from their education record to a third party, including parents (unless they are dependents). Exceptions exist for directory information, school officials, and certain legal requirements.
• Directory information: If you designate specific information (e.g., name, address, phone number, major) as “directory information.” Students need to be able to opt-out of disclosing this information. Be mindful of not including directory information with non-directory information when sharing student data.
• Record retention: Follow best practice guidelines for retaining student records related to your courses or interactions. Securely dispose of outdated records using university-approved shredding procedures.