Basic Elements of the Student Records Policy for Faculty and Staff
The University of Oregon, in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), is responsible for monitoring access to and release of information from student education records. Staff and faculty with access to student education records are legally responsible for protecting the privacy of the student by using information only for legitimate educational reasons to instruct, advise, or otherwise assist students. FERPA also assures certain rights to students at the university regarding their education records. These rights do not transfer to parents, guardians, spouses or other family members without the specific written permission of the student. Please see the "Student" section of the Privacy Policy on the Office of the Registrar web page.
Contents
Definition of Education Records
Education records are those records directly related to a student maintained by the University or by a party acting for the university.
Directory Information
Only those records defined as "Directory Information" may be released without the express written permission of the student. Directory information includes the student name, local and permanent addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, class level and type, enrollment status (e.g., full-time or part-time), academic major and/or minor, dates of attendance, the fact that the student is or has ever been enrolled, total earned credit hours, degrees and certificates awarded, honors awarded, participation in officially recognized activities, and, for Graduate Teaching Fellows, their status as a GTF and teaching assignment. No other information contained in a student's educational records may be released to persons or organizations without the student's prior written approval. A chart below lists information that is frequently requested from student education records and indicates whether or not it is Directory Information.
Students with Restricted Directory Information
A student may restrict release of all Directory Information by filing a Restriction of Directory Information with the Office of the Registrar. The restriction will usually take effect immediately and in no case longer than 2 working days from the filing date. Once the restriction form is processed, no information - including directory information - is to be released to anyone, including persons claiming to be the student, parents, relatives, friends, other students, or prospective employers, who may wish to contact the student or verify their status at the University. Students who have restricted the release of Directory Information are required to present photo identification when they wish to discuss or make inquiries about their education record.
The restriction is permanent until the student requests, in writing, that it be removed. The restriction remains in place even after the student has stopped attending or has graduated from the University.
Faculty and Staff Responsibility
You are responsible for maintaining the security of your workstation or computer monitor. This includes the responsibility for all transactions that occur under your username and password, and for all information that is released about university students. Do not leave your workstation or computer unattended while logged in to Banner or Web for Faculty. Do not give your password or Personal Access Code (PAC) to another employee or student. Violation of this regulation may revoke your access privileges.
University staff and faculty members performing instructional, supervisory, advisory, or administrative duties for the University are considered to have a legitimate educational need for access to student data for students for whom they are performing these functions. Individuals without legitimate educational interest must present EITHER an appropriate written signed and dated authorization for release from the student, which must include: 1) the specific information to be released, 2) the person or class of persons to whom the information is to be released, and 3) the purpose for which the information is to be released, OR a valid subpoena or court order. If presented with a subpoena or court order, faculty and staff are to contact the University Registrar immediately. The University Registrar, in consultation with the General Counsel to the President, determines validity of and extent of compliance with subpoenas and court orders. You have the authority and responsibility to deny any request for data that you feel is not legitimate. If you are in doubt, it is always wiser to err on the side of caution than to release information that may constitute a FERPA violation.
When responding to an inquiry about a student, staff and faculty must determine whether the student has placed a restriction on his/her record. If a student has filed a restriction, records are marked *CONFIDENTIAL* and Web for Faculty records include the note "THE STUDENT HAS RESTRICTED RELEASE OF DIRECTORY INFORMATION." Class lists have the symbols >> preceding the student name. An appropriate response to an inquiry about a student with a directory restriction is "I'm sorry, I have no information for a person (or individual) by that name." Note: Use of the term "student" in your response is not permitted under FERPA regulations. You may not respond to the inquiry by indicating that the person has restricted the release of his/her directory information.
Posting of Grades
Faculty and staff are responsible for protecting the identity of students and keeping student grades confidential. Grades or evaluations linked to personal identifiers (names, UO ID numbers, or social security numbers) may not be publicly disclosed without specific permission from the student as described above. Without student permission, grades or evaluations may be posted, whether on office doors or on websites, only by using randomly generated codes or numbers. The Office of the Registrar has created a mechanism that can be used by faculty to generate code numbers for students enrolled in their classes. It is available at http://registrar.uoregon.edu/faculty_staff/random_number_generator. Graded papers, exams, quizzes and other assignments are considered part of the student's education record, and must be returned to the student in a manner designed to maintain confidentiality.
Student Records Policy Quiz
Take the Student Records Policy Quiz.
Student Records Policy Directory Information Chart
| DIRECTORY INFORMATION? | YES | NO |
|---|---|---|
| Student's full name |
X
|
|
| UO ID number |
X
|
|
| Personal Access Code (PAC) |
X
|
|
| Date of Birth |
X
|
|
| Gender |
X
|
|
| Ethnicity |
X
|
|
| Mailing address and telephone number |
X
|
|
| Permanent address and telephone number |
X
|
|
| All addresses and telephone numbers except Mailing and Permanent (e.g. Alternate Billing Address, Contact/Emergency Address, RO Diploma Address, etc.) |
X
|
|
| E-Mail Address |
X
|
|
| Parent names and/or addresses |
X
|
|
| Class level and academic major/minor |
X
|
|
| Dates of attendance |
X
|
|
| Fact that the student is or has been enrolled |
X
|
|
| Degrees, honors, certificates awarded |
X
|
|
| GPA or grades |
X
|
|
| Cumulative credit hours |
X
|
|
| Current term credits or class schedule (CRNs, meeting times, locations) |
X
|
|
| Full-time, half-time or less than half-time enrollment status |
X
|
|
| Information on academic standing (probation, disqualification, etc.) or whether student is eligible to return to school |
X
|
|
| Petitions to ARC or SRC |
X
|
|
| Whether student has applied for graduation |
X
|
|
| Unmet degree requirements for graduation |
X
|
|
| Accounts Receivable balance |
X
|
|
| Financial records of parents |
X
|
|
| Participation in official recognized activities |
X
|
|
| Student employment records |
X
|
|
| Psychiatric or psychological records |
X
|
|
| Copies of transcripts from other schools or colleges |
X
|
|
| Whether a graduate student has a GTF appointment and their teaching assignment |
X
|
Note: items marked as releasable will be provided to a third party upon request unless a Directory Information Restriction has been filed.
To read the complete University of Oregon Student Records Policy, OAR 571-020-0100, go to the
Oregon Secretary of State Archives Division.
Sue Eveland, University Registrar, is the designated Custodian of Student Records. Questions about the Student Records Policy or the information described above should be forwarded to Ms. Eveland (seveland
uoregon [dot] edu) or (541) 346-3195.