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As
we begin another academic year, I am writing to remind you
of policies pertaining to the proper procedures for posting
of grades and the release of student information to persons
other than the student. Both of these issues relate to the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, commonly
referred to as FERPA or the Buckley Amendment. FERPA and
its regulations establish requirements for several aspects
pertaining to students' records, including the release of
information and grades. Two common experiences for faculty
that are covered under FERPA are posting of grades and calls
from parents (or others).
Posting
of Grades
Posting
of grades after an examination or at the end of the semester
maybe a very efficient and effective way of transmitting
important information to students about their academic progress.
Under the FERPA regulations, you may not post grades by
Social Security Number under any circumstances. Contrary
to popular belief, having students sign a waiver at the
beginning of the semester is not sufficient to avoid a FERPA
violation. Social Security Numbers also serve as student
identification numbers (as well as a host of other identification
purposes) and could be obtained from the posted list and
used by anyone to access other information without the student's
consent. Also, grades cannot be given through the phone
or via e-mail.
Calls from Parents (and Others)
Parents
often call faculty to inquire about their sons' and daughters'
academic progress, as well as to find out about admission
to majors and programs, among other reasons. The release
of such information usually violates the FERPA statute and
could place you at risk legally. The best thing to do is
to urge the parent (or other caller) to speak with the student,
and have the student stop by, if possible, to make the inquiry
in person. Alternatively, you could refer the caller to
the college advising office, the undergraduate or graduate
admissions office, or the Registrar's office, where the
procedures can be explained in more detail.
Please
let me know if you have any questions regarding FERPA regulations.
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