Related Policies
Student Rights Under FERPA and Release of Student Information
IU Indianapolis, 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 (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. Education records are any information or data relating to a student recorded in any medium, including but not limited to: handwriting, print, tapes, film, microfilm, microfiche, and electronic media. Education records do not include records retained by a university official which are not accessible to anyone other than a substitute for that university official.
These rights include:
- The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the university receives a request for access.
- The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student's privacy rights under FERPA.
- The right to provide written consent before the university discloses personally identifiable information from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
- 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.
Student Access to Their Own Records
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. FERPA does not require the university to provide copies of education records to students unless failure to do so would effectively prevent the student from inspecting and reviewing the record. In all other cases, the university has the discretion to provide copies upon request.
Amendment to Education Records
Students also have the right to request amendment of contents of their education records that they believe are inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of privacy. They should submit a written request to the university official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why that portion of the record should be amended.
The chief student affairs official for the campus will conduct a hearing at which the student may be assisted or represented by any person of the student’s choosing, to present relevant evidence. The university will notify the student of the decision and the reason for the decision. If the contested information is determined to be inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of privacy, the record custodian will amend the record, and the written decision will notify the student of the amendment. If the university decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the written decision will notify the student of the right to place a statement in the student’s educational record that comments on the contested information and/or articulates any reasons for disagreeing with the decision. This statement will be maintained as long as the student's educational record is maintained, and the statement will be disclosed any time that the contested education record is disclosed.
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.
Access to Student Records by University Officials
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 to provide a service (such as an attorney, auditor, collection agent, learning management system vendor, or other contractor that has agreed to assume responsibility specifically for the security of student records in the capacity of a university official); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as residency, 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. The determination of "a legitimate educational interest" will be made by the university official responsible for the maintenance of the record. This determination must be made scrupulously and with respect for the individual whose records are involved.
Granting 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, or a sponsor such as an employer or other third party providing funding for your education.
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 the Third Party Access app at 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.
- Third party Users may also contact the University via phone or email for information though some records may not be available through all methods of communication.
The University reserves the right to remove Third Party Users at any time at the University's discretion. The University reserves the right not to disclose information to Third Party Users at the University's discretion.
You may revoke the authorization you have given to any Third Party User at any time through One.IU.
In addition, authorization you have granted to any Third Party User expires automatically when your own access to self-service expires.
By clicking the I Accept button as part of the authorizing process, you are verifying that:
- You understand that your education records (including academic and financial records) are protected under FERPA and that you may waive some or all of your FERPA rights.
- You agree that you are waiving your rights under FERPA by authorizing the University to allow access to the individual(s) identified in your Student Information Release Authorization ("Third Party User(s)") to the particular education records designated in the Authorization.
- You understand that Third Party Users may access your student records at any time with no notice to you from the University.
- You understand that you may change, amend or rescind this authorization at any time.
Please visit the third-party access web site for more information here.
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. However, while permitted under FERPA, Indiana University generally does not use this exception and in most cases will refer the students and parents to the third-party access tool.
FERPA does allow the university to disclose education records or identifiable information to parents of a student regarding the student’s violation of any federal, state or local law, or university policy governing the use or possession of alcohol or controlled substance if the university determines that the student committed a disciplinary violation and is under the age of 21.
Release of Education Records to Third Parties
FERPA authorizes the university to disclose education records or identifiable information to third parties (i.e., anyone not a “school official”) without the student's consent under the following circumstances:
- Appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency;
- Federal officers as prescribed by law;
- As required by state law;
- Officials of other institutions at which a student seeks to enroll;
- In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received;
- Accrediting agencies carrying out their functions;
- Research organizations conducting studies that seek to develop, validate, or administer predictive tests, administer student aid programs or improve instruction at the university, provided that there is a data agreement in place with the university and that the organization guarantees no personal identification of students;
- An alleged victim of a crime of violence of the results of any institutional disciplinary proceeding against the alleged perpetrator. Information may only be given in respect to the crime committed;
- In response to a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena, provided that the student is notified prior to compliance or provided that a reasonable attempt to notify the student has been made;
- Other law enforcement agencies in the investigation of a specific criminal case;
- The Attorney General of the United States (or designee) in response to an ex parte order in connection with the investigation or prosecution of terrorism crimes under the US Patriot Act;
- Veteran’s Administration officials;
- Representatives of the Department of Homeland Security or Immigration and Customs Enforcement for purposes of the coordinated interagency partnership regulating the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
Availability of Public Information
Certain student information maintained in the Office of the Registrar is considered public.
Directory information may be released freely unless the student files the appropriate form requesting that certain public information not be released (FERPA restriction). This form is available from the Office of the Registrar.
Directory information at IU Indianapolis is limited to:
- Student’s Name
- University E-mail Address
- Hometown city, state
- Major Field of Study
- Dates of Attendance
- Admission or Enrollment Status (admitted, full-time, part-time)
- Campus
- School or Division
- Class Standing (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate, professional, non-degree)
- Degrees and Awards (includes candidates for degrees and conferred/awarded degrees)
- Activities
- Sports and Athletic Information
- Photographs, video/electronic recordings, voice recordings (“recordings”) of students who are participating in public events and classroom activities where the student is not the focus of the recording.
IU maintains an online address book that allows users to find limited information for a student by searching on name or university network ID. The address book will display your name, campus, and (if available) email address.
In Canvas, IU’s course management system, only the instructor and the students enrolled in your course section will see your name in the roster unless you release additional information through your Canvas profile.
You can block all information from appearing in both the address book and Canvas by filing a restraint of release of student information form with the Office of the Registrar. This will prevent your directory information from being released to any person other than an IU Indianapolis faculty or staff member. If you change your mind later, you must file a removal of the restraint.
Restraint of Release of Student Information Form
If you do not want any or some information about you released to any person other than IU Indianapolis faculty or staff, complete a Restraint of Release of Student Information form and return it to the IU Indianapolis Office of the Registrar. A confidentiality flag will be added to your record by the Office of the Registrar.
To remove the restraint, complete a Removal of the Restraint of Release of Student Information form and return it to the IU Indianapolis Office of the Registrar.
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 Indianapolis 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 University Police.
For a full copy of the university policy on student records, see Appendix D: Policies in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct.
IU Indianapolis does not provide lists of students or an individual student’s address or phone number to outside businesses, agencies, students, or other parties. IU Indianapolis does provide phone numbers in emergency situations and only following consultation with University Police. However, because IU Indianapolis 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 Indianapolis.
A student’s education records will be maintained in accordance with retention standards applicable to the unit that maintains the record. However, if a student has requested access to a record, the record will not be disposed of before the student has been given access to it. The university official responsible for the maintenance of record will ensure that only pertinent records are retained.
For more information on FERPA protections, click here.