FERPA: How to Protect Student Privacy in Higher Education

Course Description:

The main objective of this session is to make sure you know the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and what is required of you to comply. By the time the session is over, you will understand why FERPA is important, basic terminology and concepts associated with the law, the rights of parents and eligible students and how to uphold those rights, what information schools can and cannot disclose, and recordkeeping requirements.

Why “FERPA: How to Protect Student Privacy in Higher Education” Matters:

• Protect students’ privacy to avoid discrimination, identity theft, or malicious and damaging acts.
• Understand who has the right to access or modify a student’s education records.
• Learn to carefully balance privacy and safety.

Key Points:

• FERPA safeguards the privacy of personally identifiable information (PII) by making it illegal to improperly disclose data from student education records.
• The law applies to all educational agencies and institutions that receive funds under any program administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
• FERPA affords eligible students certain rights in regard to their education records.
• Schools are responsible for understanding and enforcing the provisions of the law.