What is FERPA? (Q&A)

A federal law designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate and misleading data through informal and formal hearings.

• The Basics of FERPA

• • University students must be permitted to inspect their own education records.
  • School officials may not disclose personally identifiable information about students nor permit inspection of their records without written consent unless such action is covered by certain exceptions permitted by the law.
  • School officials may have access to a student’s education records only if they have legitimate educational interest, i.e., according to what they need to perform their job responsibilities.

• What are a student's rights?

• • To inspect and review their education records.
  • To request to amend their education records.
  • To limit disclosure of directory (public) information.
  • To file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning an alleged failure by the institution to comply with FERPA.

• Who is a student?

• Any individual who is officially registered and has attended a William Paterson University class, regardless of their age or the class location, or who has been officially registered and attended in the past, and about whom the university maintains education records.

• Who is not a student?

• A person who has applied for admission but has never been in attendance at the university.

• How can I block the release of my directory information?

• A current student has a right to block the release of their directory information by notifying the University via email. However, doing so can have negative consequences you should be aware of:

  • When inquiries about your enrollment are received, William Paterson University employees will not acknowledge that you’ve ever enrolled at William Paterson University without your expressed permission in writing.
  • Enrollment verifications for insurance companies and prospective landlords will be returned without the information they need unless we receive your expressed permission in writing.
  • Prospective employers attempting to verify your degree, diploma or certificate with the National Student Clearinghouse will be denied that information without your expressed permission in writing.
  • William Paterson University cannot assume responsibility to contact you for subsequent permission to release the information and assumes no liability for honoring your request that directory information be restricted.
  • Even though you may have placed a directory block, William Paterson University has the right to share your education records with school officials who have a legitimate educational interest.

• What responsibility do I have to protect my own records?

• Students play an important role in maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of their education records and are encouraged to take the following steps to ensure safety and security:

  • Never share your WPU ID number or password.
  • Be careful about sharing private information via wireless technology (cell phones, WiFi, etc.).
  • Take caution in the use of Web sites, electronic communication and social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and don't reveal information that compromises privacy.
  • Learn about safe computing and protecting privacy.

• Who does FERPA allow access to records without written consent?

• FERPA allows the people from the following list to access student records without written consent:

  • William Paterson University school officials (e.g., faculty and staff) with a legitimate educational interest.
  • Those requesting directory information that has not been restricted by student request.
  • Officials at another university where the student intends to enroll or is already enrolled so long as it is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer.
  • Entities performing duties on behalf of the university.
  • Representatives of agencies or organizations from which the student has received financial aid.
  • Other schools to which the student is transferring or has enrolled.
  • Federal and state officials, and accrediting organizations, including military recruiters under the Solomon Amendment.
  • Requests when there is an articulable and significant threat to the health and safety of the student or other individuals.
  • Requests in accordance with a lawfully issued subpoena or court order.

• What role do I play in the rights of other students?

• William Paterson University expects that students will respect the rights of faculty and other students who participate in the educational process. These guidelines will help ensure the privacy of other students:

  • When emailing groups of students, always put their email addresses in the bcc: (blind copy) area, NOT in the To: area, so their addresses are not shown in the email when it’s received.
  • Don't post personal information about other students on Web sites or share personal information about them via email.
  • FERPA requires that students not reveal any information about classmates, course work content, or its authors to anyone outside of the class.

• What does the Solomon Amendment require?

• Per the Solomon Amendment, institutions of higher education are required to provide "student recruiting information" for all students who are at least seventeen (17) years of age and enrolled for at least one credit hour at their institution to military recruiters. Please note that the Solomon Amendment supersedes FERPA and even if a university has a policy of not releasing directory information it must comply with requests for student recruiting information.

  • Student recruiting information includes: name, address, telephone number, date of birth, program of study, class level, degrees awarded.
  • Information released is limited to the current semester or previous semester. Any student who has placed a FERPA block on their record will be excluded.

• Who is a school official?

• William Paterson University defines school officials as the following:

  • A person employed by the university.
  • A person or company employed by or under contract to the University to perform a special task on its behalf such as an attorney, auditor or collection agency.
  • A member of the William Paterson University Board of Trustees.
  • A member of an accreditation committee.
  • An employee at a high school where a William Paterson University student is dual enrolled.
  • An employee of a state or federal approving agency.

• What are a parent’s rights under FERPA?

• We recognize that parents provide a great deal of financial and emotional support to their children while they are students at William Paterson University. However, we must balance this recognition with the fact that students have legal rights that must be fully respected. Once your dependent attends a university class, you no longer have an automatic right to access their education records, no matter the student's age. Instead, the access rights transfer to your dependent. We cannot discuss your student's information without the written consent of the student.

• Can I get my dependent’s education records since I’m paying the bill?

• FERPA requires the student’s written consent before we can release education records to parents. Your student can login to Self-Service to show you the records, or complete the FERPA Authorization Form to allow us to speak to you about the records.

• What if my dependent is a minor?

• The university’s policy regarding communication with parents applies equally to students who are minors. When a student attends a William Paterson University class, regardless of the student’s age or the class location, rights under FERPA transfer to the student.

• As a parent, will I receive the grades for my dependent?

• Grades are not sent to parents. Your dependent can show you their grades by logging in to Self-Service.

• Where can I obtain an enrollment verification for my insurance company?

• Students can log in to Self-Service for an Enrollment Verification. Please be aware that if the student has requested a Directory Information Release Block, the verification cannot be fulfilled.

• What are education records?

• With certain exceptions, education records are all records relating to a student that are maintained by the university. Education records include any record, file, document, email or other material (handwritten, digital, photographic, etc.) which contains information directly related to a student such as a student's academic progress, financial information, medical condition, personal interest item or student worker information.

• What is personally identifiable information?

• Information that would directly identify the student or make the student's identity easily traceable, including, but not limited to:

  • The name of the student, the student's parent or other family members.
  • The student's contact information (address, phone number, email address).
  • A personal identifier such as WPU ID number or Social Security Number.
  • Any other personal characteristics that make the student identifiable.

• What is directory information?

• Directory information is data that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released. It may be disclosed to outside organizations without a student's prior written consent unless a student has informed the university that he or she wishes to restrict the release by emailing Student Enrollment Services (studentservices@wpunj.edu).

  William Paterson University considers the following as “directory information” and will release the following student information upon request:

  • Name
  • Student’s e-mail address
  • Telephone listing
  • Degrees and awards received
  • Major field of study
  • Date and place of birth
  • Dates of attendance
  • Most recent previous school
  • Classification
  • Participation in officially recognized sports and activities

• What is legitimate educational interest?

• When a school official is performing a task that is specified in their position description or contract, or when there is a demonstrated "need to know" by those school officials who act in the student's educational interest.