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FERPA Basics

FERPA is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.  It governs grade confidentiality and defines what is and is not protected information in a student's academic records. 

FERPA Top Ten Basics for Faculty and Staff

  1. FERPA rights are given to students upon attending the college/school, not upon application
  2. Parents normally must get written authorization from their child to access their child’s records.
  3. FERPA protects the confidentiality of education records maintained by the university, not the private files of an individual unavailable to others.
  4. We can release education records to our officials who have a legitimate educational interest (LEI).
    LEI = job duties, program duties, staff oversight, committee work.
    Students are not officials. Exception: students as members of a school-created committee with duties requiring access to education records of individuals.
  5. We can release education records to other schools and programs to which a student has applied.
  6. We can release without student consent in certain exceptions. Examples: to accreditation agencies; as necessary for health and safety of the student or others.
  7. We can release Directory Information, unless the student opted out of the directory. Get the opt-out list from the Registrar.
  8. The formal education record remains confidential even when the student is no longer attending Creighton University.
  9. When in doubt, don’t give it out.
  10. Questions? Contact: Registrar (mkavan@creighton.edu); Office of General Counsel; Privacy Officer (amj03204@ad.creighton.edu).
    Go to the Government's FERPA Website