The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with
respect to their education records. These rights are:
- The right to inspect and review the student's education records
within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access.
Students should submit a request form to the Registrar that identifies
the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar will arrange access
and notify the student of the time and place where the records may
be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the Registrar,
the Registrar will advise the student of the correct official to
whom the request should be addressed.
- The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the University to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing. The student may place a statement in the record commenting on the contested information or stating why he or she disagrees with the information. Whenever the University subsequently discloses the record to which the statement relates, the statement will be included with the record.
- The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. See “Disclosure” below.
- 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, S.W.
Washington, DC 20202-4605
Directory Information
The law provides that "Directory Information" may be released without the consent of the student. The University of Denver designates the following student information as "Directory Information":
The student's name, addresses, telephone numbers, electronic mail addresses, photographic images, date and place of birth, major field of study, full-time or part-time status, class (e.g., graduate, sophomore, junior), participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, anticipated date of graduation, degrees and awards received, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student.
Students may block disclosure of Directory Information by submitting a "Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information” form (available from the Office of the Registrar) to the Office of the Registrar, University Hall, G33.
Disclosure
Education records and personally identifiable information obtained from those records may be disclosed without the student's consent to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or 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 Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her institutional duties.
Parents of dependent students (as defined by the Internal Revenue Code) may have access to student records. Parents need to complete a "Parental Statement" form during the autumn quarter in each year of the student's attendance, available from and to be submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Parents may be notified if a dependant student under 21 years of age is found responsible for a violation involving use or possession of alcohol or controlled substances or is placed on judicial probation or suspended or dismissed.
A student's record may be released in compliance with a court order or subpoena. The Office of the Registrar or other official will make a reasonable effort to notify the student in advance of compliance.
Student information may be released for health and emergency reasons.
Requests
Questions about these policies and procedures
may be directed to the Office of the Registrar at 303.871.3897. Request
forms and additional information are available on the web at http://www.du.edu/registrar/forms/index.html
or in the Office of the Registrar at 2197 South University Blvd., Room
G33, Denver, Colorado 80208.
