Official Notice Concerning Your Student Records

OFFICIAL NOTICE UNDER THE FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT ("FERPA")

OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE, STUDENT POLICY, RESEARCH & ASSESSMENT
OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

TO ALL RUTGERS UNIVERSITY STUDENTS:
ANNOUNCEMENT ON PRIVACY AND STUDENT RECORDS:

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey ("Rutgers") complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA") and makes public announcement of the law. This announcement shall be published as an "official notice" at least twice per year and will also be archived on the Office of Compliance, Student Policy, Research & Assessment (CSPR&A) Website http://compliance.rutgers.edu/. Students with questions about this notice or about FERPA generally should contact the Office of Compliance, Student Policy, Research & Assessment, Bishop House 105, 115 College Avenue, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, (732) 932-7109.

FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their "education records" as that term is defined in the law. These rights include the following:

1. The student has the right to inspect and review his/her education records within 45 days of the date Rutgers receives a proper request for access to such records.

2. The student has the right to request amendment of education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading.

3. Rutgers shall obtain the prior consent of the student before disclosing personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, EXCEPT to the extent FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

4. The student may direct complaints concerning the alleged failure of Rutgers to comply with the requirements of FERPA to the Office of Compliance, Student Policy, Research & Assessment, Bishop House 105, 115 College Avenue, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, (732) 932-7109, or to the U.S. Department of Education, c/o Family Policy Compliance Office, U. S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC, 20202-4605.

Inspection and Review

Students wishing to exercise their rights to inspect and review their education records should submit a written request to the appropriate official at the Rutgers office which is custodian of the records they wish to review. The Rutgers official will make arrangement for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. Students who do not know which Rutgers office is the custodian of the records they wish to inspect should contact their Dean of Students or the Office of Compliance, Student Policy, Research & Assessment.

Amendment of Records

Students requesting amendment of education records should first review the policies and procedures of their college or school and/or consult with their Dean of Students, or equivalent official. With regard to education records maintained at a Rutgers office other than one within the student's college or school, the student should write the Rutgers official responsible for the record, identify the part of the record the student wants changed and specify why the student believes the record is inaccurate or misleading. If the record custodian denies the request to amend the record, the student will be notified of the decision and advised of his/her right to a formal hearing. A student may obtain additional information on the hearing procedure from the Office of Compliance, Student Policy, Research & Assessment after an amendment request has been denied.

Disclosure of Student Information without Prior Consent

There are a number of exceptions to the general rule prohibiting disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records without prior consent of the student. More information concerning these exceptions is available from the Office of Compliance, Student Policy, Research & Assessment. Some common exceptions used by Rutgers are set forth below; however there are other exceptions where education records are released without prior consent not listed here.

1. FERPA permits disclosure to Rutgers officials with legitimate educational interest in the records being sought. A Rutgers official is a person employed by Rutgers in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Governors or Board of Trustees, a student serving on an official committee such as a disciplinary hearing board, or a student who is assisting another school official in performing his or her job responsibilities. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her job responsibilities.

2. FERPA allows the University to release student "directory information" without a student's consent, unless the student has requested such information be kept confidential. Rutgers defines directory information as:

• name
• campus address
• campus post office address
• campus telephone number
• date of birth
• Rutgers e-mail address
• RUCS user name / NetID
• permanent (home) address
• permanent (home) telephone number
• school of attendance
• major field of study
• class year
• dates of attendance
• current credit load
• credit hours earned
• degrees received
• dates of degrees
• weight and height of intercollegiate athletes
• most recent previous school attended
• honors and awards

It is the practice of the University to not release a student's date of birth except as required by law or as a validation of positive identification of a student when furnished by a person making an inquiry.

For more information on how to keep your directory information confidential, visit the Rutgers Online Directory at http://www.rutgers.edu or contact the Office of Compliance, Student Policy, Research & Assessment, Bishop House 105, 115 College Avenue, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, (732) 932-7109, http://compliance.rutgers.edu/, or the Office of the University Registrar on your campus.

3. Rutgers will, upon request, disclose education records to officials of another institution of higher education at which a student seeks to enroll without obtaining the student's prior consent. Rutgers will also send to other higher education institutions corrected or additional records if education records have previously been sent to that institution under this exception.

Donald C. Heilman, JD, Ed.M.
Associate Dean of Students: Compliance and Assessment

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Last updated: 07/14/2008

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