Student Records and Directory Information
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their educational records. These rights include:
1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the university receives a written request for access.
A student should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department or other appropriate official, a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. the university official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the university official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed. All information declared confidential by the Act or excluded from the definition of "education records" in the Act is not available for inspection.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
A student who wishes to ask the university to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading should write the university official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed and specify why it should be changed. If the custodian of the challenged record decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the custodian of the challenged record will notify the student in writing of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
3. The right to provide written consent before the university discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
The university discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff and appropriate persons in an emergency situation if the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the students or other persons); a person or company with whom the university has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using University employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); representatives of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) including a person serving on the Board of Trustees, Chancellor, Chancellor’s staff; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.
A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the university. Upon request, the university also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll or is already enrolled so long as the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer.
NOTICE: If you are currently enrolled in or receiving services from one college or university within the Minnesota State Colleges and University System ("MnSCU"), your academic records from that institution are available to officials of other schools within MnSCU while you are in attendance. If you seek or intend to enroll at another institution within MnSCU, your academic records from other institutions are also accessible to officials at the school where you are seeking or intend to enroll. Disclosures of your records to other schools under other circumstances may require your prior written consent.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the university to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5901
www.ed.gov/offices/om/fpco/index.html
Additional requirements concerning education records are found in the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act: www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=13.32
Directory Information
St. Cloud State University has designated the following items as Directory Information. As such, this information may be released to the public without the consent of the student:
- name
- address (restricted to local or permanent postal address)
- telephone listing
- date and place of birth
- major field of study
- email address
- class status (freshman, sophomore, etc.)
- participation in officially recognized activities and sports
- weight and heights of members of athletic teams
- dates of attendance
- degrees and graduation honors received
- and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended
Confidential information will not be released regardless of the student's financial support. A student has the right to inform the university that any or all of the above information should not be released without her /his prior consent. Students who wish to restrict the release of this information must complete a written request to that effect with the Office of Records and Registration, 720 4th Avenue South, St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498. After the required written request has been made, appropriate offices will be notified so that they can begin to comply with the request as soon as possible. This restriction pertaining to the release of directory information remains in effect until the Office of Records and Registration is notified by the student in writing to remove it, even after a student graduates or ceases enrollment. For further information, contact the Office of Records and Registration, 320-308-2111.
SCSU usually requires a student's consent before releasing information which is not public. Exceptions are provided for in the law which allows SCSU, at its discretion, to release non-public information without consent; however, nonpublic information generally will not be given to parents or legal guardians, regardless of financial support. Students have the right to request a copy of records that have been disclosed. Students also have the right to request a hearing to correct any inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading information in those disclosed records. For further information, please contact the Registrar at the college or university that supplied the records.
