FERPA Friday April 21st, 2023

What is FERPA Friday?

FERPA Friday will be a new installation that will cover FERPA related topics to help faculty, staff and students better understand the rules and regulations. There will also be a question-and-answer section that pertains to that week’s topic, along with a real-life example to help with context. If you have any suggestions of topics that you would like to have covered, please email ferpa@wm.edu.

Access to Education Records

Families

Families are considered a "third party" and do not have a right to student information and education records, regardless of the student's age.

Discussing General Information

W&M school officials may discuss general information, but not the specifics of a particular student.

As a "rule of thumb" if you must look a student up in a system (ex: Banner) you are not dealing with general information and should not share.

General information can include topics found on W&M's website, such as:

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

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

Dean of Students Office

Assists families in health and safety emergencies.
Students provide permission for the office to discuss academics & student conduct with families.
Students could grant their families proxy access to view student information in their my.wm account.

University Registrar's Office

Process requests for access to education records.

University Counsel

All legal matters, including subpoenas, all court orders, and powers of attorney.

Case Study: Disclosing Education Records

Mandy is an undergraduate student, majoring in physics. Her parents want to know how Mandy 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?

The physics department cannot share attendance or grade information with Mandy's family because this information is part of her education record. However, the Dean of Students office is authorized to engage with families, and the physics department should direct Mandy's family to this office.

Mandy can file permission with the Dean of Students office, allowing the office to discuss Mandy's academic and student conduct records with her family. Mandy can also grant her family proxy access to view student information in her my.wm account.

Protecting Education Records

Your Responsibilities

As a school official, you have a legal responsibility to protect the confidentiality of education records.

Do Not...

Do not permit inspection of a student's education record.
Do not disclose personally identifiable information about a student.
Do not save education records to a private device.

Do...

Only access what you need to know. Curiosity is not a need to know!
Use university devices and the university network to access education records. Avoid using unsecured WiFi.
Secure your desk, cabinets, office and lock your desktop, laptop and portable device screens when not in use.

Guiding Principles

"When in doubt, don't give it out!"

Become familiar with FERPA guidelines and how they apply to the education records your office creates and maintains.
Do not release a student's personally identifiable information to third parties (over the phone, through email, in person).
Keep in mind, most departments are not authorized to engage with families about a student's education record.
In most circumstances, students must provide their written consent to release education records to third parties.

Question & Answer

Can confidential education information on a current student be released to prospective employers upon request?

Answer: No. Confidential, non-directory education information may NEVER be released without written consent of the student.

If you have any questions regarding a FERPA related matter, or suggestions that you would like to see on a future FERPA Friday please email ferpa@wm.edu.