Important FERPA Reminder for All Employees

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law designed to protect the confidentiality of students’ educational records. Information that must be handled in a secure and confidential way includes: student information displayed on a computer screen, student schedules, class rosters, class assignments, grades, grade rosters, transcripts, degree audits, or any printed material with the student’s identification or other personally identifiable information. It is our policy at Madison College that staff does not release grades and/or test scores over the phone, because the caller’s identity cannot be verified.

The College may release “Directory Information.” Madison College has identified the following as directory information:
• Student Name
• Major Field of Study (Program)
• Degrees and awards received
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height for members of athletic teams
• Dates of attendance (term start/end dates – not specific dates)
• Enrollment Status (full or part-time)
• Email address

If you receive a request to disclose student information, please contact the Enrollment Center.

Students have the right to restrict the disclosure of any information and may do so by filing a Request to Withhold Student Information form (PDF, 787 KB) in person with photo ID at the Enrollment Center or any regional or metro campus office. If a student has made this request, they will be identified with a FERPA indicator on: class rosters via Faculty Center, Student Center via Advisor Center and Student Services Center. In Blackboard, the student will be listed as a Buckley Student.

All Madison College employees requesting access to student records and/or to the Student Administration System must undergo training prior to accessing student information. Along with the rights to access comes the responsibility to maintain the privacy rights of students. If you have not completed your online FERPA training, it is important that you do so by signing on to Blackboard, going to FERPA Training, and completing the tutorial and quiz (it will take about 15 minutes).

Thank you for your attention to and cooperation with this important policy protecting the confidentiality of student information.

Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to dispose of sensitive materials (e.g., papers with student IDs, grades, etc.)?
Any sensitive materials should be shredded. You can check with your School or Regional office, or you can drop off papers to be shredded at the Enrollment Center at Truax or Downtown.

Can I write a letter of recommendation for a student?
Yes, so long as you have the student’s signed release. Faculty can find the Authorization to Disclose Academic Information and Grades (PDF, 681 KB) on the Forms database and Blackboard (Learner Success – Resources and Forms – Authorization to Disclose Academic Information and Grades). It is your responsibility to maintain the signed release.

Can I talk to a student’s parents about their performance in my class?
This can be a frustrating area for parents, especially if they pay for their child’s tuition. All FERPA rights transfer from the parent to the student when the student either reaches the age of eighteen or moves into post-secondary education, regardless of age. However, you can release information to the parents if you have the student’s signed release, in advance.

Can I post grades outside my office or leave graded papers outside of my office to be picked up?
No. FERPA does not permit the public disclosure of personally identifiable student information.

Can I email students their grade at the end of the semester?
We recommend that you use Blackboard to communicate in progress grades and the Student Center to communicate final grades. However, if you do communicate with a student via email, please ensure that you are communicating through your own Madison College email and sending directly to the student’s assigned Madison College student email.

At the start of the term, can I pass a class roster around during my class, so students can check their enrollment or attendance?
No. A class roster contains the student ID and should not be passed around.
Can I keep an anecdotal record on a student to help me advise or work with the student?
Yes. Records that are kept in your sole possession, are used only as a personal memory aid, and are not accessible or revealed to any other person, are not considered education records under FERPA.

If a faculty/staff member has access to computerized education records, is the person authorized to view all of the available records?
No. A school official should access a student’s education record only if a legitimate educational interest exists with respect to that particular student and that particular record. The confidentiality provisions of FERPA still apply.

Questions?
Contact jlhoege[at] matcmadison [dot] edu (Jennifer Hoege), Director of Enrollment Services, at (608) 246-6944.