Canton Advisor's Resource Packet (PDF) - SUNY Canton

FERPA: WHAT IS FERPA?
FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (also called the Buckley
Amendment). Passed by Congress in 1974, the Act grants these rights to the adult student:
• The right to see the information that the institution is keeping on the student.
• The right to seek amendment to those records, and in certain cases append a statement to
the record
• The right to consent to disclosure of his/her records
• The right to file a complaint with the FERPA Office in Washington
It is your responsibility to protect education records in your possession. This includes:
o Personal information o Grades
o Enrollment records o Schedules
Be cognizant of the various formats this information can be in. Student records should not be left
visible on a computer screen when not in use and printouts should be covered or filed in order to
keep student records private.
What are the basic rules?
• Student educational records are considered confidential and may not be released without
the written consent of the student
• As a faculty or staff member, you have a responsibility to protect educational records in
your possession – this includes lists of student status, such as those who have enrolled,
withdrawn, suspended or on academic probation, and your access to UCanWeb and Angel.
• Some information is considered public (sometimes called Directory Information). This can
be released without the student’s written permission. Students have the right to request that
even Directory Information be kept confidential. FERPA lists Directory Information as:
student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and
dates of attendance (http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html 6/2/14).
• You have access to information only for legitimate use in completion of your
responsibilities as a university employee. Need to know is the basic principle.
To avoid violating federal FERPA rules, faculty should never:
• Discuss the progress of a student only with the student and others that need to know (other
college employees involved in that student’s success). Student information cannot be
provided to others (including parents) without the consent of the student.
• Provide anyone with student schedules or assist anyone other than college employees in
finding a student on campus.
If you are ever in doubt, do not release any information until you talk to the Registrar’s office (386-7042),
the Dean of Students office (386-7120) or refer the requestor to that office.
Modified 10/2/14
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