Protection against Improper Disclosure
Information about student views, beliefs, and political associations that employees acquire as instructors, advisors, and counselors is considered confidential. Judgments of ability and character may be provided under appropriate circumstances, normally with the knowledge and consent of the student.
Protection of Student Records
A. The student’s permanent educational record remains a personal document, and its contents are revealed only under rigid regulations as specified in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (known as FERPA or the Buckley Amendment), 20 U. S. Code 1232g, 20 Code of Federal Regulations Part 99. Academic transcripts contain information concerning the academic status of the individual; disciplinary records are maintained separately from academic records in order to prevent simultaneous disclosure. No records are available to unauthorized persons either inside or outside the academic community without the express consent of the student involved (or his or her legal guardian in the case of a student who is a minor).
B. Civil authorities must present an order of the court to have access to these records. Staff and faculty should respect confidential information about students which they acquire in the course of their work. Students should likewise exercise extreme caution in the circulation of information about fellow students that does not have a direct bearing upon their academic performance. The student has the right to obtain a copy of his or her academic transcript from the Office of Student Records.
