Policy Statements

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day the University receives a request for access.

Students should submit to the registrar of their school or program a written request that identifies the record(s) the students wish to inspect. The registrar will make arrangements for access and notify students of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

Students who wish to ask the University to amend a record should write the registrar of their school or program, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the University decides not to amend the record as requested, the University will notify students in writing of the decision and their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to students when notified of the right to a hearing.

The right to provide written consent before the University discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

Title 34 Section 99.31 of the Code of Federal Regulations describes the circumstances in which the University may disclose personally identifiable information without a student’s consent. The following are additional important details on the University’s policy regarding three of those circumstances:

a. The University discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. Typically, a school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); fellows of the Yale Corporation and non-trustee members of Yale Corporation committees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the University who performs an institutional service or function for which the University would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of personally identifiable information from education records. A school official typically has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the University.

b. As a public service, the University may disclose without consent directory information of the following kinds:

• the name of a student who is or has been in attendance;

• dates of attendance;

• school or residential college affiliation;

• local and other addresses and local telephone number;

• electronic mail address;

• date and place of birth;

• major field of study;

• enrollment status;

• student job assignments and locations;

• participation in University-sponsored extracurricular activities and sports;

• the height and weight of members of athletic teams;

• degrees, honors, and awards received;

• previous educational institution(s) attended;

• name and address of parent or guardian;

• picture and video;

• University person identifier (UPI).

Additional details regarding directory information are available in the Directory Information Statement.

c. Upon request, the University also discloses education records without consent to officials of another educational institution in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202

The rights listed above go into effect on the first day of classes for the school or program in which the student has enrolled.