Release of Information
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) sets up requirements designed to protect the privacy of student records, such as those maintained by the university. Under FERPA, each student has the right to
- Inspect and review his or her education records;
- Seek amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights;
- Consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent; and
- File with the Department of Education a complaint alleging that the university failed to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
The university may disclose a student’s education records to the student’s parents if the student is a dependent, as defined by 26 U.S.C. § 152 (Internal Revenue Code). The university may also disclose “directory information,” which includes information that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Pursuant to federal law, directory information includes, but is not limited to, the student’s name; address, telephone number, email address, photograph, date and place of birth, major field of study, grade level, enrollment status, dates of attendance, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, degrees, honors, and awards received, and the most recent educational agency or institution attended. Students may withhold directory information by notifying the Registrar in writing. Requests for non-disclosure are honored for only one academic year; therefore, authorization to withhold directory information must be filed annually in the Registrar’s Office.
Information regarding FERPA rights and the exercise of those rights is available online at https://udallas.edu/consumer-info/.