FERPA: Student's Rights
FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, is a federal law that pertains to the release of and access to student educational records. The law, also known as the Buckley Amendment, applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the US Department of Education. The University of Texas at Arlington has established
institutional policies relating to the accessibility of student information in the custody of UT Arlington. Go to the Student Educational Records Policy in the Academic Regulations section of the UTA Catalogs:Undergraduate - www.uta.edu/catalog/general/academicreg
Graduate - www.uta.edu/gradcatalog/general_info#serp
At UT Arlington, FERPA rights apply to a student; a student is a person who is, or has been, in attendance at the institution, regardless of the person's age. Under FERPA, a student has a right to
- inspect and review his or her educational records
- request to amend his or her educational records
- have some control over the disclosure of information from his or her educational records
FERPA applies to personally identifiable information in educational records which includes directory-information items, such as the student's name, address (mailing
and electronic), telephone, date of birth, major, participation in recognized activities and sports, height and weight of athletes, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational institution attended. The directory information made available by UT Arlington
is:
-
Name
-
Address
-
Electronic mail address
-
Telephone
-
Date of Birth
-
Major field
of study
-
Participation in recognized activities and sports
-
Height &
weight of athletes
-
Dates of
Attendance
-
Degrees &
awards received
-
Most
recent previous educational institution attended
The electronic mailing address has been added to UT Arlington’s
directory-type information effective Fall 2008. However, this does not
mean that your email address may be used for spamming purposes by outside
entities. Such use of University-issued email addresses is, in fact,
prohibited. The Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of the
University of Texas have the
force of law and prohibit any form of commercial and non-commercial
solicitation on campus, including email. UT Arlington will issue a
cease-and-desist order to violators. Outside sources are prohibited from
sending email to addresses that are obtained from the University unless you,
as the recipient, have specifically requested information from that source.
Directory information will be provided to the public upon request unless the
student restricts his/her information online in MyMav (www.uta.edu/mymav),
requesting to be excluded from the directory or from any other requests for
open directory information from outside entities.
The student’s record is updated immediately; however, to insure that all
departments receive notification to restrict student directory information
from being published in a printed directory or other report or publication,
it is optimal to make changes to the record during the first twelve class
days of the fall or spring semester, the first four class days of any summer
term, or the first day of class for an intersession term. If changes are
made to the FERPA restrictions page at other times, the student’s
information may be released.
A request to access information remains in effect until revoked by the
student.
FERPA: Disclosure of Information Without Your Consent
According to FERPA, some non-directory student records may not be released without prior written consent from the student. A record means any information recorded in any way, including but not limited to handwriting, print, tape, film, microfilm, microfiche, and digital image. Educational records are all records that contain information that is directly related to a student and that are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party acting on its behalf. Educational records do not include the following:
- Sole possession records (those records kept in the sole possession of the maker which are used only as a personal memory aid and are not accessible or reviewed by any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the record.
- Medical or psychological treatment records that include but are not limited to records maintained by physicians, psychiatrists, and psychologists.
- Employment records, provided that employment is not contingent upon being a student.
- Law enforcement records.
- Records collected about an individual after the individual is no longer a student at UT Arlington.
FERPA authorizes disclosure of this information without the student’s
consent under certain circumstances.
The University of Texas at Arlington will disclose information from a student’s education record without the written consent of the student to appropriate University administrators, faculty members, or staff members who require access to educational records in order to perform their legitimate educational duties; officials of other schools in which the student seeks or intends to enroll; and in connection with a student's application for, or receipt of, financial aid.
UT Arlington
Business Practices Related to FERPA
Under FERPA, students have a right to see, inspect and request changes to their educational records. Upon written request, the University shall provide a student access to his or her educational records except for financial records of the student's parents or guardian; and confidential letters of recommendation where the student has signed a waiver of right of access. If the records contain information on more than one student, the requesting student may inspect, review, or be informed on only the specific information about his or her own records. A student may obtain copies of his or her educational records at a cost of ten cents per page and an official transcript of academic record for seven dollars. Educational records covered by FERPA normally will be made available within forty-five days of the request. The contents of a student's educational records may be challenged by the student on the grounds that they are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the privacy rights of the student by submitting a written statement to the custodian of records. The Vice President for Business Affairs and Controller is the official custodian of records at the University.
It is the policy of UT Arlington that it will maintain the FERPA disclosure code in effect at the time of a student's last term of enrollment for former students. Furthermore, the university will honor a request from a former student, not re-enrolled, to add or delete a non-disclosure request.
FERPA rights cease upon death. However, it is the policy of UT Arlington that no records of deceased students be released for a period of 25 years after the date of the student’s death, unless specifically authorized by the executor of the deceased's estate or by next of kin.
The University notifies students annually of their FERPA rights through the online undergraduate and graduate catalogs and by annual email notification. If students believe that their FERPA rights have been violated, they may contact the Family Policy Compliance Office at the Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave SW, Washington DC 2002-4605. Additional information is available at
www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/
A request to access information remains in effect until revoked by the
student.
Navigation path to set your privacy restrictions:
Log on to
www.uta.edu/mymav > Go to Student Center > Click on the dropdown box under Personal Information >
Click on Privacy Settings > Click on FERPA Restrictions > Edit FERPA/Directory
Restrictions (if you restrict any item, all
directory-type items will be restricted) > Scroll to
the bottom of the page and click SAVE
When you choose to restrict release any aspect of your
directory information, none of your FERPA
information will be released to any
source. UT Arlington is extremely sensitive to the
protection of your record and releases only
directory-type information to agencies whose products,
services or information adds to the educational mission
of the University and its students.
The University of Texas at Arlington recommends that you
set or change your privacy settings during the first
twelve class days of any semester, the first four class
days of any summer term, or the first day of class for
an intersession term. A request to withhold information
may be submitted after the stated deadline for a term,
but information may be released between the deadline and
receipt of the request.
At the post-secondary level, parents have no inherent right to access or inspect their son's or daughter's educational records, including final grades, grades on exams, and other information about academic progress. This information is protected under FERPA and parents do not have access to it unless the student has provided express, written authorization, or unless the student is a dependent as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue code of 1954.
Students can give express written permission for their parents' access to their educational record by downloading the form at www3.uta.edu/registrar/documents/student_release_of_info.pdf and remitting it with UTA identification to the Office of Admissions, Records and Registration, Room 129 Davis Hall.
Parents who wish to access their student's educational records without the express written permission of the student may provide a copy of the previous year's tax form demonstrating that the student is a dependent for tax purposes. Income data on the tax record can be redacted.
In emergency or crisis situations, UT Arlington may release non-directory information if the institution determines that the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals.
Direct general questions or comments to the Office of Admissions, Records and Registration, UTA Box 19088, Arlington, TX 76019; attention Shannon Williams, Associate Registrar; direct extension 817/272-6105; email: swilliams@uta.edu.
The following websites contain information regarding FERPA:
UT Arlington’s FERPA Policy is published at:
www3.uta.edu/registrar/privacy_guideline.asp and in its catalogs:
Undergraduate Catalog - www.uta.edu/catalog/general/academicreg
Graduate Catalog - www.uta.edu/gradcatalog/general_info#serp
FERPA policy is published by:
Family Policy Compliance Office at the Department of Education - www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/
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