FERPA
For Students, Faculty & Staff
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Students
Education Records
Education records are any records that contain information directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational agency or institution, or by a party acting on its behalf. This includes any information recorded in any way, including handwriting, print, tape, film, microfilm, microfiche, and digital images.
Educational records do not include the following:
- Sole possession records: Records kept in the sole possession of the maker which are used only as a personal memory aid and are not accessible or reviewed by any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the record
- Medical or psychological treatment records: Include those maintained by physicians, psychiatrists, and psychologists
- Employment records: provided that employment is not contingent upon being a student
- Law enforcement records; and records collected about an individual after that person is no longer a student at Texas Tech
Your Rights as a Student:
Current students have immediate access to their education record electronically on Raiderlink under the MyTech tab or on their Student Dashboard.
Former students are recommended to order an official transcript. An official transcript is the formal summary of a student's academic record and may be ordered here.
For full copies of education records, the Office of the Registrar may charge a fee.
For students with transcript holds, upon written request, the university shall arrange an appointment with the student for in person view only access to their education record (excluding financial records of the student's parents or guardian and confidential letters of recommendation where the student has signed a waiver of right of access).
If any record contains information on more than one student, the requesting student may inspect, review, and be informed of only the specific information about their own records.
Education records covered by FERPA normally will be made available within 45 days of the request.
The contents of a student's education record may be challenged by the student on the grounds that they are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the privacy rights of the student by submitting a written statement to the Registrar.
According to FERPA, non-directory information may not be released without prior written consent from the student. Exceptions listed in the Student Handbook, include access by School Officials with a legitimate educational interest and officials of other schools in which the student seeks or intends to enroll.
Directory Information is information in a student's education record that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed and includes items such as name, permanent and local address, and major. Texas Tech does not consider email addresses to be directory information. Directory lists are often requested by companies or organizations to verify student information for marketing and general business purposes. By default, your directory information is marked confidential upon admission. To view your confidentiality status of your directory information, visit your Student Dashboard. If you wish to change the status of your directory information, visit Raiderlink, click the MyTech tab, then click Update Confidentiality/Directory Profile Status.
If you believe that your rights under FERPA have been violated, you may file a complaint with the Office of the Registrar or contact the Family Policy Compliance Office at the Department of Education.
Directory Information
FERPA identifies certain information, called directory information, that may be disclosed without the student's permission.
Student Name
Permanent and Local Addresses
Place of Birth
Classification
Major Field of Study
Dates of Attendance
Degrees, Awards, and Honors Received
Specific Enrollment Status
Full-time, Part-time, Half-time
Undergraduate, Graduate, Law, Veterinary Medicine
Participation in Officially Recognized Sports and Activities
Height/weight of members of Athletic Teams
Previous Institution(s) Attended
A currently-enrolled student may restrict access to their directory information by visiting Raiderlink, clicking on the MyTech tab, then clicking Update Confidentiality/Directory Profile Status. (Restricted information remains so until revoked by the student.)
Authorizations for Access
If you would like someone other than yourself to have access to your education information,
a FERPA Form must be completed. You must designate each category of records to which
you are granting access: Admissions, Academic, Financial or Business records
Note: Only complete a FERPA Form if you are giving someone permission to access your
academic information.
Complete the FERPA form on your Student Dashboard. This permission only provides access to information and does not grant the individual the right to act on your behalf.
Important: If you would like to remove access from the person listed on the FERPA form, you will need to update the online form within your Student Dashboard.
Complete the Authorization to Release Student Information Form. This permission only provides access to information and does not grant the individual the right to act on your behalf.
Common Questions
If you believe that their rights under FERPA have been violated, you may file a complaint with the Office of the Registrar or contact the Family Policy Compliance Office at the Department of Education.
A representative of the Office of the Registrar will review your submission and may contact you for additional information. Complaints may not be filed anonymously, however, in some instances it may not be necessary to reveal the student's name to the individual or office against whom the complaint is filed.
Yes, FERPA allows schools to disclose student records, without consent, in situations including, but not limited to:
- School officials with legitimate educational interest
- Other schools to which a student is transferring
- To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena
- To parents when there is a health or safety emergency involving the student
- To parents when the student has committed a disciplinary violation with respect to use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance and the student is under 21 years of age at the time of the disclosure
- To the victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense concerning the final results of a disciplinary hearing
Legitimate educational interest is access to educational records by appropriate University administrators, faculty members, staff members, appropriate administrators or staff members of the university alumni association, or contractors acting on behalf of the University, who require such access in order to perform their legitimate educational and business duties, when such records are needed in furtherance of the educational or business purposes of the student or University.
The Solomon Amendment is a federal law that requires universities to release the following information to military recruiters without student consent: Student name, address, email address, telephone number, age or year of birth, place of birth, level of education (1st year, sophomore, graduate, etc.), academic major(s), and most recent educational institution attended. You can opt out of releasing your information to military recruiters by logging into Raiderlink, click the MyTech tab, then click Update Confidentiality/Directory Profile Status.
Students who are enrolled in both high school and courses at a postsecondary (university) institution provide a unique situation. While the rights under FERPA belong to the parents with respect to high school records, they belong to the student with respect to the postsecondary records. Students can give written permission for their parents and/or the high school program coordinators and officials to access their education record by completing the FERPA form on your Student Dashboard. Dual credit students are advised of their FERPA rights in the dual credit admission program information.
Texas Tech University strongly encourages parents of dual credit students to respect the student's ownership of his or her education record at the college level and seek ways to gain that information while safeguarding the student's rights and responsibilities. Faculty teaching dual credit courses will make every attempt to communicate with and through the student, as an important maturation point for college students.
Parents of dual credit students are encouraged to seek communication first with the student; then, if authorization is in place, with the instructor. Other record access options may exist in extenuating circumstances and would require contacting the Office of the Registrar directly.
Faculty & Staff
While FERPA allows schools to disclose student education records without consent in
certain situations, generally, schools must have written permission from a student
to release any information from a student's education record to any party not meeting
a stated exception (contact the Office of the Registrar for more information). Parents,
spouses, other students, even staff and faculty who do not have a legitimate educational
interest should not access the student's information. It is the responsibility of all Texas Tech University employees who have access to
student information to safeguard that information.
All discussions regarding a student's education record must be conducted in a private,
secure manner. This includes all discussions relating to grades, advising or tutoring
appointments, class schedules, enrollment, and all methods of communication (verbal,
email, written, etc.).
Training Requirements
Any faculty and staff who require access to student records via the university's electronic
systems must successfully complete the online FERPA training, with an 80% score or
higher, prior to attendance of system-specific trainings. This is required for access
to any student record system. Click below for instructions for registering for FERPA
training.
Best Practices
Ensure any information relating specifically to the student's record or enrollment at Texas Tech University is discussed in a private and professional manner.
Ensure when utilizing email that other students or third parties are not copied.
Utilize the TTU email addresses for both your and your student's communication.
NEVER attach grades or other private information to an email distribution list.
Never discuss a student's education record with a parent or third party without first securing the written consent of the student. Third parties include other faculty who do not have a legitimate educational interest for that student's education record information.
Never include personally identifiable information with a publicly posted grade list. You may assign a random code or number that only you and the student know to post grades.
According to FERPA, a student does not have the right to be anonymous in a class. However, ensure you do not include student R-Numbers or emails on any sign-in sheet.
Common Questions
Any record directly related to the student and maintained by an educational agency, or institution, or by a party acting for the agency, or institution if certain conditions are met.
All discussions regarding a student's education record must be conducted in a private, secure manner. This includes all discussions relating to grades, advising or tutoring appointments, class schedules, enrollment, and all methods of communication (verbal, email, written, etc.).
Resources
Authentication Process Guidance
Confidentiality Agreement/Form
Information Privacy and Confidentiality Statements
FERPA Scholarship Release of Information Statement/Form
Letter of Recommendation Request Waiver Form
Parental/Third Party Inquiry Form
Department of Education
Photo Release Form
Office of the Registrar
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Address
PO Box 45015, West Hall, Academic Records, Room 103, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-5015 -
Phone
806.742.3661 | Fax: 806.742.0355 -
Email
registrar@ttu.edu