FERPA

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

    1. To inspect and review all educational records pertaining to the student, with some exceptions under FERPA, within forty-five (45) days of the day the university receives a request for access. Students should submit to the appropriate official written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The university official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the university official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
    2. The right to request the amendment of his or her educational records to ensure that they are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of his or her privacy or other rights. Students 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 and is also contained in University Wide Administrative Memorandum 515.1.
    3. The right to withhold the following information, which is considered to be directory information, will be subject to public disclosure unless the student informs the campus Office of Records and Registration in writing, that he or she does not want any information designated as directory information. The student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, number of credit hours in which enrolled and number credit hours completed, withdrawal record, participation in registered activities and sports, weight and height for members of athletic teams only, class rank, scholarship, honors, degrees and awards received, previously attended a certain high school, college or university, and email addresses.
    4. The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in his or her educational records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One such exception permits disclosure without consent to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A “school official” is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position including campus law enforcement unit personnel and health staff; a person or company with whom the university has contracted such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agency; 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 educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the university may also disclose educational records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
    5. The right to file a complaint with the United States Department of Education concerning an alleged failure 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

  • The right to obtain a copy, upon paying a copying fee, of University Wide Administrative Memorandum 515.1 and the university’s copy of FERPA regulations. Copies may be obtained in the UA Little Rock Ottenheimer Library.