Disclosing Student Records

Families are considered a "third party" and do not have a right to student information and education records, regardless of the student's age. W&M school officials may discuss general information*, but not the specifics of a particular student.

General information can include:

• Open courses for the upcoming term
• Admissions deadlines and requirements
• Major requirements as defined by the catalog
• The financial aid process, forms and requirements
• How to navigate W&M's website for more information

*As a "rule of thumb" if a W&M school official must look a student up in a system (ex: Banner) they are not dealing with general information and should not share.

Any caller requesting information about a student should be directed to either:

• Student Success: To assist families with health and safety emergencies; where students provide permission for office to discuss academic and student conduct with families; where students can grant families proxy access to view student info through their my.wm account.        
• University Registrar's Office: To process requests for access to education records.
• University Counsel: All legal matters, including subpoenas, all court orders, and powers of attorney

What to do if you or someone else has inadvertently disclosed a student's education records?

• If a student files a complaint citing FERPA infractions, or if an administrator or faculty member realizes they have disclosed a student’s information improperly please contact the Office of the University Registrar so they may be aware of the situation and involve the necessary legal personnel depending on the severity of the circumstances.
• In the case of a compliant or inadvertently disclosed information, please reach out to the parties who received said information and ask them to destroy/delete and not share any documents that they may have received in error.
• If the Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) is involved, the institution will have to show steps taken to remedy the infraction and put better practices into motion (i.e. updating policies & procedures) to make sure it does not happen in the future.

NOTE: If you are uncertain if you have inadvertently disclosed a student’s education record, please DO NOT hesitate to contact the Office of the University Registrar or W&M Legal Counsel, as they can help determine if an infraction has indeed occurred and guide you through the process to amend the situation.

Case Study

Shonda is an undergraduate student, majoring in physics. Her parents want to know how Shonda is doing in her major courses, so they call the physics department to find out about her class attendance and midterm grades. How should the physics department respond?

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Reveal Answer The physics department cannot share attendance or grade information with Shonda's family because this information is part of her education record. However, the Student Success office is authorized to engage with families, and the physics department should direct Shonda's family to this office. Shonda can file permission with the Student Success office, allowing the office to discuss Shonda's academic and student conduct records with her family. Shonda can also grant her family proxy access to view student information in her my.wm account.

If you have any questions regarding a FERPA related matter, please email ferpa@wm.edu.