Student Records

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal privacy law that gives students certain rights with regard to their own education records, such as the right to inspect and review their own records. To protect a student’s privacy, the law generally requires schools to ask for written consent from the student before disclosing personally identifiable information from that student’s records to others. However, FERPA does permit schools to disclose student information without consent under limited circumstances (referred to as exceptions). For example, student information may be disclosed as “directory information.”

On some occasions, a student may wish to give Aurora University permission to share information from their education records with specific individuals. For example, it may be beneficial for the student for Aurora University staff and faculty to be able to discuss student information with a parent, guardian, spouse, or other support person. You may, at your discretion, give Aurora University permission to release personally identifiable information to a third party (e.g., a parent/guardian, emergency contact, spouse, or potential employer) by providing written consent. To submit a FERPA Authorization to Release Information form, students log into Self-Service and can follow these instructions.

FERPA affords you certain rights with respect to your education records. These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day Aurora University receives a written request for access. A student should complete and submit to the University Registrar a “Request to Inspect and Review Education Records” form. The University Registrar will arrange for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
   
   
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. A student who wishes to ask the University to amend a record should submit to the University Registrar a “Request to Amend or Remove Education Records” form that, clearly identifies the part of the record the student wants changed and specifies why it should be changed. If the University decides not to amend the record as requested, the University will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
   
   
3. The right to provide written consent before the University discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. The university discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for 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); a person or company with whom the University has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using University 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 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 to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the University. Upon request, the University also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
   
   
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
   
   Family Policy Compliance Office
   U.S. Department of Education
   400 Maryland Avenue, SW
   Washington, DC 20202-5901

FERPA allows schools to disclose personally identifiable information from education records without a student’s consent under certain circumstances, including those described in Section 99.31 of the FERPA regulations. Among the exceptions are:

Directory Information: FERPA defines “directory information” as information contained in the education records of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Aurora University has designated the following items to be directory information:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Date and place of birth
• Major field of study
• Grade level
• Participation in officially recognized activities/sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Dates of attendance
• Enrollment status
• Degrees, honors, and awards received
• Photograph/electronic image
• Most recent previous institution attended

Students are entitled, however, to request non-disclosure of directory information. Any request to restrict the release of directory information must be made by the end of the second week of the given term by completing the “FERPA Nondisclosure of Directory Information Request” form.

School Officials and Legitimate Educational Interest: Another exception allows for disclosure to school officials whom the university has determined to have legitimate educational interests, parents of “income tax dependent” students, appropriate government officials, accrediting organizations, in response to a legal subpoena and to certain others if the knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons.

Disclosures to Other Schools: Aurora University may also disclose education records without consent to officials of another school at which a student is enrolled or seeks to enroll.

More information on these and other exceptions is available on the Student Privacy Policy Office’s FERPA webpage.