Academic Policies & Procedures
IU Columbus Policies
Confidentiality
Access, Confidentiality and Disclosure
of Student Records
IU Columbus, in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 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 (FERPA) 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.
Public/Directory Information
This is the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception which 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 or 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 their tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill their professional responsibility. Upon request, the University may disclose education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or 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 from the Office of Registrar Services.
Public information at IU Columbus is limited to:
- Name
- University E-mail Address
- Major Field of Study
- Dates of Attendance
- Admission or Enrollment Status
- Campus
- School or Division
- Class Standing
- Degrees and Awards
- Activities
- Sports and Athletic Information
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.
Release information from your student records to a third party
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 One.IU.
To pursue granting of Third Party Access:
- You must set up a separate record for each third party to whom you grant access to information from your student records.
- The information you designate will only be made available through the third party Access link in One.IU.
- This authorization does not authorize the third party guest to receive information from the University by any other methods, such as phone, email, or in-person visit. University officials continue to be prohibited from discussing your record with third parties.
When you click the "I Accept" button as part of the process, you are indicating that:
- You understand that any and all personally identifiable information is protected under FERPA.
- You further understand that you may waive that protection and give access to your records to individuals of your choice.
- You agree to waive your rights under FERPA and allow the individual(s) you name to access designated financial and academic records as they are available through the self service Third Party Access application.
- You understand that you are responsible for changing, amending or rescinding this authorization at any time.
- You understand that this access will be revoked when your access to self service expires.
- You are responsible for making clear to the third parties to whom you grant access that this does not allow for University officials to release any information. This access is strictly limited to the self service application.
Please note that your authorization to release information will expire when your access to self service expires. At that time your third party guest's access will also expire. However, you may revoke your authorization at any time by removing access permission from a third party guest viewer through One.IU. Access can be revoked by deleting the record assigning access to your third party guest.
Availability of Public Information
Certain student information maintained in the Office of the Registrar is considered public. The complete list appears above. The university maintains an on-line address book which 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, and, if available, the student's e-mail address.
IU Columbus uses a course management system called Canvas. Through use of Canvas, all students enrolled in a course section will see the names of their classmates unless a student has filed a restraint of information in the Office of the Registrar (see below). The list of names is only available to the instructor and those enrolled in the specific class and does not provide a student’s complete course schedule. A student’s course enrollment is available only to students enrolled in that course section and not 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 Canvas Profile system.
Restraint of Release of Student Information
If you do not want all or some of the information released to any person other than IU Columbus faculty or staff, complete a Restraint of Release of Student Information Form and return it to the Office of Registrar Services. A confidentiality flag will be added to your record by the Office of Registrar Services. The restrainer will also block all information from appearing in the on-line address book or to classmates in Canvas.
To remove the restrainer, complete a Removal of the Restraint of Release of Student Information Form and return it to the Office of Registrar Services.
Possible Federal and State Data Collection and Use
As of January 3, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education’s FERPA regulations expand the circumstances under which your education records and personally identifiable information contained in such records—including your Social Security Number, grades, or other private information—may be accessed without your consent.
- The U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities (“Federal and State Authorities”) may allow access to your records and personally identifiable information without your consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program. The evaluation may relate to any program that is “principally engaged in the provision of education,” such as early childhood education and job training, as well as any program that is administered by an education agency or institution.
- Federal and State Authorities may allow access to your education records and personally identifiable information without your consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain cases even when the institutions object to or do not request such research. Federal and State Authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security promises from the entities that they authorize to receive your personally identifiable information, but the Authorities need not maintain direct control over such entities.
- In connection with Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, State Authorities may collect, compile, permanently retain, and share without your consent personally identifiable information from your education records, and they may track your participation in education and other programs by linking such personally identifiable information to other personal information about you that they obtain from other Federal or State data sources, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice, military service, and migrant student records systems.
Disclosures
From time-to-time, the university is served with a subpoena for portions of a student's record. In these cases, we will write to the student or the student's attorney (if known) and inform them that unless we receive written notification that the student will attempt to quash the subpoena, we will provide the information requested, even if the student has placed a restriction on his or her record.
A number of IU Columbus degree programs prohibit enrollment to anyone listed on the Indiana Sex Offender Registry.
Records of arrests and/or convictions and traffic accident information are public information and may be released to anyone making inquiry of the University Police.
For additional questions regarding the policy on the release of student information, contact the Office of Registrar Service. For a full copy of the university policy on student records, see Appendix 4 in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct.
IU Columbus does not provide lists of students or an individual student's address or phone number to outside businesses, agencies, students, or other parties. We will provide phone numbers in emergency situations and only following consultation with university police. However, because IU Columbus 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 IU Columbus.
