Office of the Registrar

7. Access to Student Records

FERPA requires that anyone accessing private student records have a "legitimate educational interest" in the information.

  • Student data may be used only as required for fulfilling officially assigned University responsibilities.
  • Student data may be shared among University staff as necessary to carry out those responsibilities; however, caution should always be used when sharing data via email.
  • Non-directory information must not be released to third parties outside the University, including parents of students, unless the student has provided written authorization to release the records.

Outside parties must contact the Office of the Registrar to seek release of restricted or non-directory student records.

More information

  • Anyone who wishes to contact students as part of a research project must apply to the Institutional Review Board (IRB). No student record may be used for academic research without official approval of the IRB.

  • Student records may not be used for commercial or political purposes.

Previous | Next