Privacy and Confidentiality
Users of the Student Academic Information Systems should recall that University staff and faculty that interact and utilize student information have a responsibility to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of this information. Introduction to FERPA
The disclosure of information from student records is governed by the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (FERPA), and is intended to protect the student’s right to privacy. Many University employees have access to students’ personal and academic records in order to do their work. However, access to this information should be limited only to the information University employees need to carry out a specific job duty or task related to the education of the student. The security of student records, whether physical documents or electronic data, is very important. The privacy of every student must be maintained at all times. Any information University employees access in this system is not to be released to third parties or individuals who are not authorized to access this information.
- Click here for UC Policies regarding Privacy and Access to Information
- Click here for the Family Compliance Office – U.S. Department of Education
How Ready Are You to Safeguard Student Information? 5 Quick Questions
- Q: A parent calls in and asks for information on her son’s most recent quarter grades. Should you give her the information?
A: No. At the college level, parents have no inherent right to access their child’s academic information. In addition, you should never give out grades over the phone. Students who call for grade information should be directed to GROWL. If a student wishes to give his parents access to his educational records, he can enable this within GROWL. - Q: Are student work-study employment records covered by FERPA?
A: Yes, because they are specifically connected with the individual’s student status. Work-study employment records should be treated with the same discretion as other educational records. Employment records for employment not specifically related to an individual’s student status are not considered educational records and are not covered by FERPA. - Q: An instructor requests access to a student’s grade records in order to determine whether she should give the student permission to enroll in her upper-division course. Should the instructor be given access?
A: Yes. Instructors are school officials, and school officials with a legitimate educational interest are given access to student records. Situations like this are examples of what the Student Academic Advising System was designed for. It should be noted, however, that faculty or other school officials granted access to the SAAS should use it only advising and other purposes oriented towards serving students’ needs. - Q: You are involved in the advising of students, but you share an office with other employees that are not. What steps should you take to ensure that your computer is properly secured to protect students’ privacy?
A: You should be sure to log out of you computer (including closing all browser sessions completely) whenever it is left unattended. If possible, you should password protect access to your computer. You should maintain anti-virus and anti-spyware programs to protect your computer from attack. You should delete files with student information that you do not need to maintain. If you cannot password protect your computer, you should not store student records on it. - Q: A faculty member will be leaving town after the end of the quarter, and wishes to make her final exams available to her students. Can she leave her exams in a box outside her door, if she has the students put their student IDs on the exams rather than their names?
A: No. Educational records, including quizzes, exams and other assignments must be kept secure at all times. Placing exams in a publicly accessible place is a violation of FERPA.