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The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (Abbreviated)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, is intended to ensure a student's right to inspect and review his/her educational records and to protect the student's right to privacy by limiting the transferability and disclosure of information in his/her records without prior consent.

Under the guidelines of FERPA, a student has the right to:

1. Inspect and review his/her educational records.
2. Seek amendment of his/her educational record which the student believes to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student's privacy rights.
3. Consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in his/her education records, except to the extent that the Act authorizes disclosure without consent.
4. File with the Department of Education a complaint under the Act concerning alleged failures by Willamette University to comply with the requirements of the Act.
5. Refuse the designation of any or all information as Directory Information by requesting a Directory Information Hold on that category of information.  All requests for Directory Information Holds must be in writing and submitted to the Registrar's Office.  Although the initial request may be filed at any time, Willamette University will honor the request for no more than the current academic year, at the end of which a new request must be filed.  Without such a hold in place, the University may disclose the following Directory Information from student records without the student's consent:  Name, Address, Telephone Number, Photographs, Honors and Awards, Dates of Attendance, Date and Place of Birth, Major Field of Study, Sports Participation History, Height and Weight of Athletes, Email address, Current Enrollment Status, Previous Institutions Attended, and Degrees Conferred and Dates.

Public notice of these categories and of the right of a student to request a Directory Information Hold will be given annually.  Failure to respond to such notice may result in the routine disclosure of one or more of the designated categories of personally identifiable information.  The University will continue to exercise informed discretion in responding to requests for information contained in student records.

Willamette University has developed institutional procedures to ensure compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.  University policy is consistent with the intent, guarantees and safeguards embodied in the legislation.  Departmental policies may vary procedurally, but are to be in alignment with the institutional guidelines.  A complete version of Willamette University's Education Records Policy can be found at the Office of the Registrar (x6206) or the Office of Residential Services (x6212).