Office of University Counsel & Regulatory Affairs
Davidson Hall, Room 101
(860) 832-3025

Contact Information

Stacy Votto
University Counsel & Vice President of Regulatory Affairs
Office of University Counsel & Regulatory Affairs
stacy.votto@ccsu.edu
Denise Hudgen
University Paralegal
denise.hudgen@ccsu.edu

FERPA

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

A federal law, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), affords students certain rights concerning their student education records. Students have the right to have some control over the disclosure of information from the records. Educational institutions have the responsibility to prevent improper disclosure of personally identifiable information from the records.

Common Questions

  • For Students

    • DO submit a written request to the Registrar’s Office if you want to review your education records.
    • DO request an amendment if you believe your records are inaccurate or misleading. You must clearly state what you believe is incorrect and why. Remember that factual information will not be changed.
    • DO provide written consent for disclosure if you’d like to share your education records.  Central generally cannot release personally identifiable information (PII) from your records without your written permission, except under specific FERPA exceptions.
    • DO learn and understand what directory information includes. Central may disclose certain information (e.g., name, major, enrollment status) unless you opt out. Know what qualifies as directory information.
    • Do submit a directory information Opt-Out Form If you do not want Central to release your directory information, you must notify the Registrar in writing. This opt-out remains in effect until you revoke it.
    • DO ask questions if you're unsure about your rights or how your data is used, contact the Registrar or visit Central’s  FERPA policy page.
    • DO NOT assume all information is private by default. Directory information can be shared unless you actively opt out and Central can share your educational record and personal identifying information in certain cases.
    • DO NOT Ignore FERPA when working as a student employee. If you handle student records in a campus job, you must follow FERPA rules just like staff and faculty.
    • DO NOT request grade changes through FERPA. FERPA does not allow you to challenge grades unless they were recorded inaccurately—not because you disagree with the evaluation.
    • DO NOT forget to update your opt-out status If your preferences change, you must notify CCSU to update your directory information disclosure status.

  • For Faculty

    • DO refer requests for information from the educational record of a student to the proper education record custodian. When in doubt about the proper custodian, contact the University Registrar or the University Privacy Officer.
    • DO keep only those individual student records necessary for the fulfillment of your teaching and advising responsibilities. Private notes of a faculty member concerning a student and intended for the faculty member’s own use are not part of the student’s educational records.
    • DO keep any personal professional records relating to individual students separate from their educational records. Private records of instructional, supervisory, and administrative personnel and ancillary educational personnel are to be kept in the sole possession of the maker and are not to be accessible or revealed to any other person, except a substitute.
    • DO change factual information regarding grades and performance in an educational record when the student is able to provide valid documentation that information is inaccurate or misleading. The substantive judgement of a faculty member about a student’s work, expressed in grades and/or evaluations, is not within the purview of students’ right to challenge their educational records.
    • DO NOT display student scores or grades publicly in association with names, Social Security Numbers, or other personal identifiers. If scores or grades are posted, use some code known only to you and the individual student. Even a partial Social Security Number should not be used. In no case should the list be posted in alphabetic sequence by student name.
    • DO NOT put papers, graded exams books, or lab reports containing student names and grades in publicly accessible places. Students are not to have access to the scores and grades of others in class in ways that allow other students to be identified.
    • DO NOT send a student their grades through electronic mail.
    • DO NOT request information from the educational record custodian without a legitimate educational interest and the appropriate authority to do so.
    • DO NOT share student educational record information, including grades or grade point averages, with other faculty or staff members of the University unless their official responsibilities identify their “legitimate educational interest” in that information for that student.
    • DO NOT share information from student educational records, including grades or grade point averages, with parents or others outside the institution, including in letters of recommendation, without written permission from the student.
    • DO direct routine questions concerning FERPA to your department chairs.
    • DO NOT respond to a subpoena seeking student education records. Upon being contacted about a subpoena, contact University Counsel immediately.
    • WHEN IN DOUBT, err on the side of caution and do not release student educational information. Contact the University Registrar or the Office of Regulatory Affairs for guidance.