Disclosure of Education Records
Student education records may not be disclosed to anyone unless:
- the student has given written consent, or
- the request fits one of the legal exceptions.
One of the exceptions is the release of "directory information" about a student. Consent from a student is not generally required for the release of directory information and it may be viewed and released to the public, unless the student has placed an affirmative "confidentiality restriction" on its release.
The Office of General Counsel is charged with defining “directory information” at the University of Notre Dame. FERPA provides a list of data elements from which the University’s list is selected.
At the present time, the University of Notre Dame defines directory information as the following:
- A student's name
- Local and permanent address
- University e-mail address
- Local and Permanent telephone numbers
- Birth Date
- College, major, or level
- Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
- Weight and height of members of athletic teams
- Dates of attendance
- Full or part-time status
- Degrees and awards received
- Most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student
- Other similar information such as a photograph (not ID picture)
Before releasing directory information, you must check to see if the student has placed a restriction on the release of his/her directory information.
In general, a student has a right to access and review his/her education records, subject only to reasonable time, place and manner restrictions. However, a student does not have the right to see confidential letters of recommendation (those to which the student has waived access to in writing), confidential financial information of parents, those items not defined as education records, and records that contain information on more than one student. In the last instance, the student may see only those portions of the record that pertain to him/herself.
If there is any doubt about the student's identify, ask to see some form of identification before granting the student access to any file requested.
Students who wish to view their entire student file should contact the Office of General Counsel.
