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Scope

All students

Policy Statement

Syracuse University has established the following institutional policy in compliance with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This policy is available for inspection by students.

The law provides that the University maintain confidentiality of student records. Syracuse University accords all rights under the law to all current and former students. No one outside the institution shall have access to, nor will the University disclose any information (other than directory information) from the student's education records without the student's written consent, except to personnel within the institution; to persons or organizations providing students' financial aid; to accrediting agencies carrying out their accreditation function; to persons in compliance with a judicial order; and to persons in an emergency in order to protect the health or safety of students or other persons. Syracuse University will provide a copy of a student's transcript, without the student's consent, on request of another educational institution in which a student intends to enroll. The University will also disclose student records or components thereof to organizations conducting specialized educational studies, if such agencies or organizations provide written assurance that they will not disclose personal identification of students and that such information will be destroyed when no longer needed. All these exceptions are permitted under the Act.

The Law permits the release of academic records to the parents of students who are considered dependents for income tax purposes. Unless notified to the contrary, Syracuse University considers undergraduate students to be their parents' dependents and graduate students to be emancipated.

The official transcript and all documents authorizing changes to active records (add/drop forms, removals of incomplete, etc.) are the responsibility of the University Registrar.

Current admissions applications are on file in the Central Processing Office, 215 Archbold. The admissions applications of matriculated undergraduate and graduate students are on file in the Registrar's Office, 106 Steele Hall. College deans and the Graduate School maintain student folders containing academic records, such as lists of grades, degree requirements completed, advising materials and records of disciplinary action. Academic departments often keep similar records for their graduate students and undergraduate majors. Locations of college deans and academic department offices are listed in the Syracuse University Directory which is published annually. Students may inspect their records by going to the appropriate office and presenting a signed Request to Inspect and Review Education Records. These forms are available in the Registrar's Office, 106 Steele Hall. The University may require any person seeking access to a student's education records to furnish appropriate identification. Currently enrolled students will be required to show a valid Syracuse University I.D. card.

Within the University community, only those members, individually or collectively, acting in the student's educational interest are allowed access to students' education records. In addition to administrative staff responsible for maintenance of these records, faculty and other academic and administrative officials, including academic deans and other college and department administrators; administrative officers of the University and their assistants; counseling staffs; judicial boards; and auditors who have a legitimate interest and demonstrate a need to know may inspect student records. Access would be granted for reporting purposes, purposes of advising and counseling, and for certain record keeping purposes.

The University will retain a record of all persons (other than students, parents of students and staff members) who request or obtain access to a student's record along with the reason for the request. The student may inspect this record.

At its discretion, the institution may provide Directory Information in accordance with the provisions of the Act that include student name; current and permanent addresses and telephone numbers; SU e-mail address; dates of attendance; full-/ part-time status; class/level; SU school/college(s); major(s)/degree program(s); degree(s) earned and date(s); academic awards and honors; prior postsecondary institutions attended; and athletic participation. To prevent disclosure of Directory Information, students must file a Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information form with the Office of the Registrar, 106 Steele Hall. Requests may be filed at any time and will remain in effect permanently (including after departure from the university) or until changed by the student. Forms must be filed within two weeks after the first day of class in the fall semester to prevent the printing of Directory Information in the annual printed telephone directory.

The Law provides students with the right to inspect and review information contained in their education records; to challenge the contents of their education records; to have a hearing if the outcome of the challenge is unsatisfactory; and to submit explanatory statements for inclusion in their files if they feel the decisions of the hearing panels to be unacceptable. The Registrar's Office at Syracuse University has been designated by the institution to coordinate the inspection and review procedures for student education records, which include admissions, personal, academic and financial files, continuing education files, and placement records. Students wishing to review their education records must make written requests to the Registrar's Office listing the item of interest. Only records covered by the Act will be made available within 45 days of the request. Students may have copies of their records with certain exceptions (e.g., a copy of the academic record for which a financial "hold" exists, or a transcript of an original or source document which exists elsewhere). Education records do not include records of instructional, administrative and educational personnel which are the sole possession of the maker and are not accessible or revealed to any individual except a temporary substitute, records of the law enforcement unit, student health records, employment records or alumni records. Health records, however, may be reviewed by physicians of the students' choosing.

Students may not inspect and review the following as outlined by the Act: financial information submitted by their parents; confidential letters and recommendations associated with admissions, employment or job placement or honors to which they have waived their rights of inspection and review; or education records containing information about more than one student, in which case the institution will permit access only to that part of the record which pertains to the inquiring student. The institution is not required to permit students to inspect and review confidential letters and recommendations placed in their files prior to January 1, 1975, provided those letters were collected under established policies of confidentiality and were used only for the purposes for which they were collected.

Students who believe that their education records contain information that is inaccurate or misleading, or is otherwise in violation of their privacy or other rights may discuss their problems informally with the Registrar. If the decisions are in agreement with the students' requests, the appropriate records will be amended. If not, students will be notified within a reasonable period of time that the records will not be amended and they will be informed by the Registrar of their right to a formal hearing. Student requests for a formal hearing must be made in writing to the University Registrar, who, within a reasonable period of time after receiving such requests, will inform students of the date, place and the time of the hearing. Students may present evidence relevant to the issues raised and may be assisted or represented at the hearings by one or more persons of their choice including attorneys, at the student's expense. The hearing panels which will adjudicate such challenges will consist of the University Registrar, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, a representative of the Senior Vice President for Student Services, and the Academic Dean of the student's college.

Decisions of the hearing panels will be final; will be based solely on the evidence presented at the hearing; will consist of written statements summarizing the evidence and stating the reasons for the decisions; and will be delivered to all parties concerned. The education records will be corrected or amended in accordance with the decisions of the hearing panels, if the decisions are in favor of the student. If the decisions are unsatisfactory to the student, he or she may place statements commenting on the information in the records, or statements setting forth any reasons for disagreeing with the decisions of the hearing panels with the education records. The statement will be maintained as part of the student's records and released whenever the records in question are disclosed.

Students who believe that the adjudications of the challenges were unfair, or not in keeping with the provisions of the Act may request in writing assistance from the Chancellor of the University. Students who believe that their rights have been abridged may file complaints with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Office (FERPA), Department of Education, Room 4074, Switzer Building, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202 concerning the alleged failures of Syracuse University to comply with the Act.

Policy Administration

• Office of Registrar

Links to Procedures and Related Information

• Release of Student Information to Third Parties Policy

• Student Disciplinary Records Policy

• Student Rights Under FERPA

Date: 1974