The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
Education Record
Records, files, documents, and other materials which contain information directly related to a student, maintained by an educational institution.
Release of Information Contained on Student Education Records
(Excerpt from URI Student Handbook)
Procedures for the release and disclosure of student records maintained by the University are in large measure governed by state and federal laws.
- Where the law is silent, the University is guided by the principle that the privacy of an individual is of great importance and that as much information in a student’s file as possible should be disclosed to the student on request.
- A current or former student has the right to inspect and review official records, files, and data directly related to that student.
- This right does not extend to applicants, those denied admission to the University, or those who were admitted but did not enroll.
- Students should be aware that in accordance with federal law, the University may, without consent, release information from conduct records if the record contains violations involving violence or issues of safety and well-being.
The University maintains student records primarily for educational purposes, although student records are maintained for other purposes such as health and employment (University Manual section 6.12.21). Guidelines incorporating the requirements of the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 are published in the Student Handbook.
- Third parties, including the University police, do not have access to personally identifiable records or information pertaining to students without the written consent of the student who specifies that the records be released, except in cases of health and safety.
- Parents are considered third parties. However, as a student, you may assign guest access to e-Campus to a third party to view your billing, academic records, and/or financial aid information.
- A guest can be your parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling, employer, or other third party payer. Details to grant third party access can be found here.
Detailed guidelines for the release and disclosure of information from the student records are available from the Dean of Students Office. These guidelines comply with the legal requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 as amended.
STUDENT PUBLIC RECORDS
Public information may be released or published without the student’s consent. Currently enrolled students may inform the appropriate office that public records should not be released or published (forms for this purpose are available at designated offices or on e- Campus).
Information confirming the following items about individual students is public and available from the offices listed below:
| Information Type | Office Responsible |
|---|---|
| Full name | Enrollment Services |
| Campus, local, home address, email address | Enrollment Services |
| Telephone Listings (campus, local, and home) | Enrollment Services |
| Website Address | Enrollment Services |
| Data and place of birth | Enrollment Services |
| Major field of study | Enrollment Services |
| Full/Part-time student status | Involvement |
| Participation in officially recognized activities | Memorial Union/Student Involvement Office |
| Sports participation | Sports Information Office |
| Weight and height of members of athletic teams | Sport Information Office |
| Dates of attendance | Enrollment Services |
| Degrees and awards received | Enrollment Services |
| Most recent previous educational institution | Enrollment Services |
| Class year | Enrollment Services |
| Graduation dates | Enrollment Services |
Manage Your FERPA Restrictions
Directory information is information contained in a student education record that would generally not be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. While institutions may designate and release specified items, students have the right to and may block any or all of this information.
Note that students with a FERPA block will generally not appear on publicly released Dean’s Lists or in Commencement Programs.
Log into eCampus and navigate to:
- Home
- Self Service
- Campus Personal Information
- FERPA Restrictions
For purposes of this section, the term “official records, files, and data” means material on students pertaining to their status as students, held by any unit or department of the University and intended for University use or to be available to parties outside the University.
STUDENT PRIVATE RECORDS
All personal information relating to a particular student other than public records as defined above is considered private information. Information which is considered private records includes:
- Letters of recommendation to which students have waived their right of access
- Campus law enforcement records held in the campus police station
- Clinical, medical, counseling, or health records
- Financial aid records including the financial records of the parents of the student or any information contained therein
- Private records kept by individual faculty or administrators possibly used as memory aids
- General advising records, academic evaluations, test scores, transcripts, or other academic records. Additional information regarding FERPA can be found here.