Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)

Under FERPA, an “eligible student”is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution at any age.

These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access. Students should submit to the registrar a written request that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect.
   
   The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the Registrar, the Registrar shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
   
   
2. The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes is inaccurate. Students may ask the University to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. They 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.
   
   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.
   
   
3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent:
   
   
   1. Disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests who needs to review an education record in order to fulfill their professional responsibility. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including security personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent);  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.
      
      
   2. Parents of financially dependent students, as defined under Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.  Parents are required to provide written official proof (i.e., most recent Income Tax form) of a student’s dependent status to the Registrar’s Office prior to the information being released. ODU provides parents with requested information also upon receiving a written release from the student.
      
      
   3. A court or in compliance with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena.
      
      
   4. To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency.
      
      
   5. Directory Information:  ODU considers the following items to be Directory Information:  Student Name, Home Address, Telephone Number, Email Address, Class Level, Degrees Earned, Date Degrees Earned, Dates of Attendance, and Honors.  This information will be routinely released unless the student files a request to block directory information release. The request to block the release of directory information must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office (Erskine 142) in writing. Unless a written request is filed with the Registrar’s Office, the University will assume that it can release Directory Information.
      
      To request to prevent disclosure of directory information:
      
      
      1. Visit the Registrar's Office Sharepoint site
      2. Click on Student Forms
      3. Click on Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information
         
         
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures 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, SW
   Washington, DC 20202

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