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Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.

UMMC’s policies related to FERPA, Notification of Directory Information Under FERPA and Notification of Rights Under FERPA, can be found in PolicyTech.

Notification of rights

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

• The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the Medical Center receives a request for access.
  A student should submit to the executive director of enrollment management a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The executive director of enrollment management will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If records are not maintained by the executive director of enrollment management, he or she shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
• The right to request the amendment of the students education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the students privacy rights under FERPA.
  A student who wishes to ask the Medical Center to amend a record should write the executive director of enrollment management and clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the Medical Center decides not to amend the record as requested, the Medical Center will notify the student in writing of the decision and the students right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
• The right to provide written consent before the Medical Center discloses personally identifiable information from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
  The Medical Center discloses education records without a student's prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the Medical Center in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the Medical Center has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using Medical Center employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the Medical Center. Upon request, the Medical Center may also disclose education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by UMMC to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
  • Family Policy Compliance Office
    U.S. Department of Education
    400 Maryland Avenue, SW
    Washington, DC 20202-5901