IUPUI, in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), provides that, with the exception of directory information, all student records are confidential and available only to the student.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:
Access
Students have the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of the day the university receives a request for access. Students should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The university official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the university official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
Students also have the right to request amendment of contents of their education records that they believe are inaccurate or misleading. They should write the university official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the university decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the university will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her 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.
Right to File a Complaint
Students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Indiana University to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
Confidentiality and Disclosure
Students have the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in their education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the university has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; 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 responsibility. Upon request, the university may disclose education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student intends to enroll. Finally, “public information” may be released freely unless the student files the appropriate form requesting that certain public information not be released. This form is available online at registrar.iupui.edu/confiden.html or from the Office of the Registrar.
Public information at IUPUI is limited to:
- Name
- School or Division
- University E-mail Address
- Class Standing
- Major Field of Study
- Degrees and Awards
- Dates of Attendance
- Activities
- Admission or Enrollment Status
- Sports and Athletic Information
- Campus
Parental Access to Student Records
Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, parental access to student records may be granted if the student is under 21 years of age and the parent certifies in writing that the student is a dependent as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In the case of divorce, either parent (custodial or noncustodial) has access to the record of a dependent student. This exception is rarely used, but is available if deemed necessary. Instead, students are encouraged to use the third party access service available to them.
Third Party Access
In compliance with the Federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and the University Policy on Access to and Release of Student Education Records, the University is prohibited from providing certain information from your student records to a third party, such as information on grades, billing, tuition and fees assessments, financial aid (including scholarships, grants, work-study, or loan amounts) and other student record information. This restriction applies, but is not limited to your parents, your spouse, a sponsor, etc. While University officials are prohibited from releasing your confidential information, you may, at your discretion, grant permission to a third party to portions of your record via Self Service in OneStart. Please visit the third party access web site for more information http://registrar.iupui.edu/third-party/.
Availability of Public Information
Certain student information maintained in the Office of the Registrar is considered public. The complete list is available on the Registrar Web site at registrar.iupui.edu/confiden.html. The university maintains an online address book that allows a user to find a limited set of information for an individual student by searching on a student’s name or university network ID. The address book displays the student’s school, major, class standing, and, if available, the student’s e-mail address.
IUPUI uses a course management system called Oncourse. Through Oncourse, all students enrolled in a class will see the names of their classmates unless a student has filed a Restraint of Release of Student Information form in the Office of the Registrar (see below). The list of names is available only to the instructor and those enrolled in the specific class and does not provide a student’s complete course schedule. In Oncourse, only the student’s name is available to classmates and will not be available to anyone outside of the university. Only the name will appear unless the individual student releases additional information to fellow classmates through use of the Oncourse profile system. See the Oncourse Student Guide for additional information.
Restraint of Release of Student Information Form
If you do not want any or some information about you released to any person other than IUPUI faculty or staff, complete a Restraint of Release of Student Information form and return it to the IUPUI Office of the Registrar. A confidentiality flag will be added to your record by the Office of the Registrar. This restrainer will also block all information from appearing in the online address book or to classmates in Oncourse.
To remove the restraint, complete a Removal of the Restraint of Release of Student Information form and return it to the IUPUI Office of the Registrar.
These forms are available on the registrar homepage at registrar.iupui.edu/confiden.html or may be obtained in the Office of the Registrar
Disclosures
From time to time, IUPUI is served with a subpoena for portions of a student’s record. In these cases, IUPUI writes to the student or the student’s attorney (if known) to inform them that unless the student provides IUPUI with notification that the student will attempt to quash the subpoena, IUPUI will provide the information requested, even if the student has placed a restriction on his or her record.
Records of arrests and/or convictions and traffic accident information are public information and may be released to anyone making inquiry of University Police.
For additional questions regarding the policy on the release of student information, contact the Office of the Registrar. For a full copy of the university policy on student records, see Appendix 4 in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct.
IUPUI does not provide lists of students or an individual student’s address or phone number to outside businesses, agencies, students, or other parties. IUPUI does provide phone numbers in emergency situations and only following consultation with University Police. However, because IUPUI participates in federal programs, we are required by federal law to make available to military recruiters the name, address, age, and prior military service status of all students at IUPUI.
The university sponsors an Affinity credit card to IU students and alumni. A small portion of each charge is paid to the university, giving students and alumni the opportunity to demonstrate their support of the university. A list of students is provided to the vendor each year for purposes of solicitation for this credit card only. Under the terms of the contract, the vendor may not share the list of students or alumni with other vendors. Names of students who have filed a Restraint of Release of Student Information form will not appear on this list.
Zachary's Law
The state of Indiana maintains a registry of individuals who have been convicted of sex offenses committed against minors. As a number of degree programs and specific courses either prepare students to work with minors or place them in contact with minors as a part of the course, enrollment in those courses or programs is not available to anyone who appears on the Sex Offender Registry. Consult individual school sections to see if appearance on the registry will be a barrier to enrollment. For more information, visit registrar.iupui.edu/zachary.html.
Technology Access, Security, and Use
Indiana University has a rich information technology environment, and while some personal use of computers, networks, and telecommunications systems is permitted, access to these resources is provided primarily in support of academics, research, administration, and other university activities. Access to such an environment comes with responsibilities.
Use for personal commercial gain is not permitted under any circumstances, so students may not use IU resources to support a private business.
Students are responsible for ensuring that their personal computers are secure and free from viruses and other malicious programs. Information about security and related issues can be found at the Web site of the University Information Technology Security Office (www.itso.iu.edu).
Illegal acts will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Such acts include but are not limited to harassment, threats, pyramid schemes, trafficking in child pornography, and computer trespass or tampering.
Many common uses of computers, photocopiers, and other technologies can result in violation of copyright law. Downloading or distributing whole copies of copyrighted material for personal use or entertainment without explicit permission from the copyright owner is most certainly illegal. Copyright law applies to materials such as music, movies, games, or other software in both digital and analog format. File sharing applications are not illegal, but many of the files being shared through such applications are illegal copies being distributed by users who do not have permission to share them.
While Indiana University does not actively search for instances of copyright violation, the university is obligated to investigate complaints of illegal activities or inappropriate use taking place on the IU network. Copyright holders regularly notify IU of infringing activity using the procedures outlined in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998. When IU receives such a complaint, the university is legally required to take action to remove the offending material from the IU network. More information is available in the IU Knowledge Base (kb.iu.edu).
Those who commit an infringement may be held personally liable under the law; those who commit the infringement with university-owned resources also violate university policy and could face disciplinary actions. Students must make the effort to understand the copyright law that protects books, computer software, Web sites, multimedia files such as movies and music, and other works. Remember that a work need not include any copyright notice or other indication of copyright to have automatic legal protection. Copying short excerpts of works for limited distribution and access may be “fair use” and not an infringement. Students are responsible for learning about fair use and its application to their projects. Information about copyright and fair use can be found at the Copyright Management Center site (http://copyright.iu.edu/).
If the University receives any report of violations of law or policy perpetrated by any member of the IU community using IU resources, that report will be investigated and reported to the appropriate law enforcement and/or university office for possible action. Students should visit the Web pages of the University Information Technology Policy Office (http://protect.iu.edu/) to learn more about Indiana University information technology appropriate use policies, and the services of the Policy Office.