• Welcome
  • Academic Calendar
  • Transcript Requests
  • Important Forms
  • Jason
  • Course Schedules and Registration Information
  • Web Registration - Go to JASON
  • Current CLA Catalog
  • Commencement Information
  • Policy Information
  • New Students
  • Staff

Education Records Policy

(Complete Version, Adopted 12/21/96)

Questions

Annie Russell
University Registrar
900 State Street
Salem OR 97301

Phone: (503) 370-6206

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (Public Law 93-380), effective November 19, 1974 (as amended by Public Law 93-568, the Buckley Amendment) is intended to ensure students the right to inspect, review, and control access to student educational records maintained by an educational institution.

Willamette University's education records policy is intended to comply with the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Students will be informed annually of their FERPA rights by publication in the CLA Course Schedule for the fall semester and in related documents in the graduate schools. All school officials, as defined below, are expected to manage student records in their custody in accordance with FERPA regulations.

I. Definitions

Student - any person currently enrolled at Willamette University, or who has earned academic credit at Willamette University, not to include those who are deceased. Applicants for admission are not classified as students under FERPA.

Institution - includes students in the College of Liberal Arts, School of Education, Atkinson Graduate School of Management, and College of Law.

Educational records - any record (in handwriting, print, tape, film, computer, or other medium) maintained by the institution or an agent of the institution which is directly related to the student, except:

• A staff member's personal records if kept in the sole possession of the maker of the record and not accessible or revealed to any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the record
• Campus Safety records which are created and maintained by Willamette University's Campus Safety Office for safety and policy enforcement considerations and are not given to other officials of Willamette University; once these records are released to other offices, they are considered educational records
• Employment records other than student workers (a record of an individual whose employment is not contingent on the fact that he or she is a student, provided the record is used only in relation to the student's employment)
• Physician/psychiatrist/psychologist records if the records are used only for the treatment of student and made available only to those persons providing the treatment
• Alumni records which contain information about a student after he or she is no longer attendance at the institution and which do not relate to the person as a student
• Records maintained by Willamette University's legal counsel

School official - an employee, trustee, or designated student of the institution (includes health/medical staff, a person employed by or under contract such as an attorney or auditor, a person employed by the Willamette University Campus Safety Office, and students serving on official committees or assisting school officials in the performance of their duties)

Directory information - is defined as the following:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Current enrollment status
• Dates of attendance
• Degrees conferred and dates
• Major field of study
• Sports participation history
• Height, weight of athletes
• Photographs
• Honors and awards
• Previous institutions attended
• Date and place of birth

Directory information may be released for any purpose at the discretion of school officials unless notified in writing by a student requesting that the information be withheld. The Fusser's Guide, the published campus directory, is the source of students' address, phone number and "email address."

Confidential information - includes but is not limited to the following:

• All information (except for directory information) in the application for admission
• Rank in class
• Requests for access to student records
• Test scores and/or results
• Transcripts of previous academic work
• Records in the Education Placement Office
• Application for graduation
• Willamette's Academic Evaluation Report
• Records in the Career Services Office
• Willamette University transcript including course grades and grade point average
• Letters of warning, probation and dismissal
• Petitions for exceptions to policy
• All correspondence related to academic records (including letters of acceptance, receipts, academic performance, leave of absence, withdrawal, etc.)

II. Access to Education Records and Release of Records

Student access - A student has access to all education records, and may personally view his/her education records within 30 days of the initial request, with the following exceptions:

• Financial statement of the student's parents
• Recommendation letters/statement for which the student has waived right of access, or which were maintained prior to January 1, 1975
• Application records if the application was denied

Copies of records - The institution reserves the right to deny copies of multiple educational records including transcripts if:

• The student has unpaid financial obligations to Willamette
• There is an unresolved disciplinary action against the student.
• The student lives within commuting distance of Willamette and the request is for documents other than the official transcript
• The education record requested is an exam or set of standardized test questions.

Release of education records with student consent - A student may authorize the release of any or all parts of his/her education record to a third party providing the student's authorization is made in writing, signed, and dated. At the time of matriculation, the university will give undergraduate students an opportunity to sign a form authorizing parents to have access to grades, course schedule and academic status information through a formal request. For parents to have access in subsequent years, the student must sign a release form each year. Parents will be provided information about the university's Educational Records Policy and the procedures for release of information. The university will encourage students and their parents to discuss the issue of access to grades, course schedule and academic status and to reach an understanding about the sharing of information about academic progress. If a student's signed, current authorization form is on file in the University Registrar's Office, a parent may either send a letter requesting a copy of grades, course schedule or academic status or may complete and sign a Request for Release of Education Records form, which is available from the University Registrar's Office. When parents request information, the University Registrar's Office will notify the student as a matter of courtesy.

While the normal policy is to require a student's signed authorization for parental access, the university reserves the right to release information about grades and course schedule to parents of legally dependent students without student authorization if circumstances should warrant. Refer to the procedures in the section below.

Note: In the case of graduate students and non-dependent undergraduate students, it is not the practice of the university to communicate with parents. Graduate students and non-dependent undergraduate students may authorize the release of any or all parts of their education record to a third party, including parents and spouses, providing the student's authorization is made in writing, signed, and dated.

Release of education records without student consent - The institution will disclose information from a student's educational record only with the written consent of the student, except that the institution may release information in the following situations:

• To individuals requesting Directory Information as designated by the institution
• To a school official with a legitimate educational interest in the records (defined as an official acting on behalf of the student and performing a task 1) that is specified in his/her position description or contract agreement; 2) related to the student's education; 3) related to the discipline of the student; 4) which is of service to the student or the student's family such as health care or financial aid; or 5) related to campus safety or security)
• To an official of another school in which the student seeks or intends to enroll
• To persons or organizations providing financial aid to students, or determining financial aid decisions concerning eligibility, amount, condition, and enforcement of said aid
• To appropriate state or federal agencies, to accrediting agencies, and to organizations carrying out studies on behalf of the institution.
• To parents of an undergraduate student who is claimed as a dependent for income tax purposes if it is determined that there are circumstances that warrant releasing the information without a student's written consent. Information will be released if 1) the parent(s) confer with the CLA Associate Dean to discuss the circumstances, 2) the parent(s) complete the special request form for access to transcript information and current schedule, and 3) the parents demonstrate that the student is a legal dependent. Information which may be released to parents is limited to the student's grade record (transcript) and current course schedule. Prior to the release of the information, the Registrar's Office will notify the student about the request for information. Information about specific procedures is available in the Office of the University Registrar. If educational information is released to a custodial parent of whom the student is a dependent, a duplicate of the released information may also be released upon request to a natural, non-custodial parent of whom the student is not a dependent, as appropriate.
• To parents of an undergraduate student regarding the student's violation of any rule or policy of the institution, governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance, if it has been determined by the institution that the student has committed a disciplinary violation with respect to that use or possession, and the student is under the age of 21 at the time of the disclosure to the parent.
• To parties specified in a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. An attempt to notify the student is required by law before Willamette can honor such an order or subpoena.
• To appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency
• To an alleged victim of any crime of violence, only the results of any institutional disciplinary proceeding against the alleged perpetrator of that crime with respect to that crime
• To state and local officials or authorities if specifically required by a state law that was adopted before November 19, 1974.

Fees for copying records - The fee for transcripts is $4 each; copies of other records are normally 50¢ per page.

III. Procedure for Release of Education Records - Students have the right to inspect and review their education records.

Procedure to inspect and review education records -- Students may inspect and review their education records upon written request. Students should submit a written request to the University Registrar or other office which maintains the desired records. A request must identify as precisely as possible the record or records the student wishes to inspect. Proper identification will be required. The University office will make the needed arrangements as promptly as possible and notify the student of the time and place where records may be inspected. Access will be given within 30 days from the date of the receipt of the request. When a record contains information about more that one student, the student may inspect only those records which pertain to him or her.

Procedures for students to request the release of education records to third parties -- The following procedures should be followed:

• Transcript of record -- As required by the Family Education and Privacy Rights Act (FERPA), all students are required to submit signed and dated requests for copies of their transcript of record. All requests for copies of the transcript of record are handled by the Willamette University Registrar's Office. The fee for official transcripts is $5 per transcript, plus $2 for each additional copy of the transcript ordered at the same time.
• Records in other offices -- Students should contact the records "custodian" in the appropriate office and submit a written request as indicated in the above "Procedures."

Record of requests for disclosure -- All offices that maintain education records will keep a record of all requests for disclosure of information from a student's education record. The record indicates the name of the party making the request and any additional party to whom it may be disclosed. This record does not include the release of directory information and does not include release of education records to University officials. Students may inspect records of requests for information from their education records.

Types, locations and records custodians -- Records are maintained in a variety of University offices. If an office or type of information is not on this list, the student should contact the University Registrar's Office for assistance.

Admission