Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Policy

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

  1. The student’s right to inspect their education records within a reasonable period of time.

    A student may submit a written request to the Registrar that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. Within a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 45 days after receiving the request, the Registrar will make arrangements for access and will notify the student of the time and place at which the records may be inspected. If there are records included in the request that are not maintained in the Office of the Registrar, then the Registrar will coordinate with the appropriate University of Puget Sound official to arrange access for the student.
     
  2. The student’s right to request the amendment of an education record that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

    A student seeking to amend an education record should write the university official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants amended, and specify why the record should be amended.

    If the responsible official decides not to amend the record as requested, the responsible official will notify the student in writing of the decision and of the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. When notified of the right to a hearing, additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student.
     
  3. The student’s right to provide written consent before the University of Puget Sound discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. FERPA authorizes the disclosure of education records without a student’s written consent to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the University of Puget Sound in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including staff in Security Services and staff in Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services); a person or company with whom the University of Puget Sound has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of the using University of Puget Sound employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as the Academic Standards Committee of the Honor Court, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

    A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs access to an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities to the University of Puget Sound. Upon request the University of Puget Sound may also disclose education records without consent to officials of another college or university in which a student seeks to enroll or is enrolled.

    The U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities may allow access to a student’s education records without the student’s consent to any third party designated by a federal or state authority to evaluate a federal or supported education program. Federal and state authorities may also allow access to student education records without the student’s consent to researchers performing studies, even if the University of Puget Sound objects to, or does not request, such research. To receive student information under this provision, federal and state authorities must obtain a certain use restriction and data security promises from the entities authorized to receive student information, although the authorities do not need to maintain direct control over such entities. In addition, state authorities may collect, compile, permanently retain, and share personal student information without the student’s consent to support a statewide longitudinal data system in order to track a student’s participation in education and other programs by linking personally identifiable student information to other federal or state data sources, such as workforce development, unemployment insurance, welfare, military service, or migrant student records systems.

    The University of Puget Sound may disclose education records without consent to the parents of a dependent student regarding the student’s violation of any federal, state, or local law, or of any institutional policy or rule governing the use of alcohol or a controlled substance. The University of Puget Sound also reserves the authority to release education records if the university determines the information contained in those records is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or others.
     
  4. The student’s right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University of Puget Sound to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
     

FERPA is administered by the Family Policy Compliance Office at the following address:

Family Policy Compliance Office U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605

 

Policies Public Notice Designating Directory Information

The University of Puget Sound designates the following types of student information as “directory information.”

  • Name
  • Enrollment Status
  • Class Schedule
  • Dates of Attendance
  • Class Standing
  • Program of study to include major, minor, or emphasis
  • Honors and awards to include Dean’s List
  • Degree(s) conferred and graduation date(s)
  • Attendance at other educational institutions
  • Participation in officially recognized sports or activities
  • Physical factors of athletes
  • Photograph
  • Date and place of birth
  • Campus mailbox
  • Local address
  • Permanent address
  • Telephone numbers
  • Email addresses

While directory information may be disclosed by the university at its discretion, currently enrolled students have the right to withhold the disclosure of directory information and may exercise that option through a written request to the Office of the Registrar. In honoring a request to maintain directory information as confidential, the university cannot assume responsibility for contacting a student regarding permission to release directory information in circumstances not necessarily anticipated by a student. Additionally, regardless of the effect upon the student, the University of Puget Sound assumes no liability as a consequence of honoring a request to withhold directory information