Student Records and Directory Information

Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), students at St. Cloud State University are entitled to review records, files, documents and other materials containing information directly related to them which are maintained by the university. In accordance with regulations issued by the Secretary of Education, students may request a hearing to challenge the content of education records to ensure that the records are not inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of their rights. A student may insert in his or her records a written explanation respecting the contents of such records if suggested corrections or deletions are not made by the university.

Access and review is subject to the following conditions:

1. The university has 45 days to comply with a student's written request to review her/his records.
2. All information declared confidential by the Act or excluded from the definition of "education records" in the Act is not available for inspection.
3. After reviewing records, a student may request the unit maintaining the record to remove or modify information the student believes is misleading, inaccurate or inappropriate. If the request is refused, the student may insert in the records a written explanation respecting the contents objected to or the student may file an appeal with the office in charge of the records. This appeal will be heard by a person or committee appointed by the director of the office involved.

The Act further states that certain information can be construed to be directory information which is available to the public. These are the items the university declares to be directory information available to the public:

• 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 allow 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.

One exception which permits disclosure without consent is 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); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; representatives of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU), including 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 responsibility. Upon request, the university discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

NOTICE: If you are currently enrolled in or receiving services from one college or university within the Minnesota State Colleges and University System ("System"), your academic records from that institution are available to officials of other schools within the System while you are in attendance. If you seek or intend to enroll at another institution within the System, 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.

You have the right to request a copy of records that have been disclosed. You also have the right to request a hearing to correct any inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading information in those disclosed records. For further information about your rights, please contact the Registrar at the college or university that supplied the records.