Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), St. Andrews University is permitted to disclose information from your education records to your parents/guardians if both or one of your parents/guardians claim you as a dependent for federal tax purposes. However, if you are not a dependent, you must provide consent if you wish your parents/guardians to access information from your education records. Please indicate below whether your parents/guardians claim you as a tax dependent and if not, whether or not you consent for the College to disclose information from your education records.
Under FERPA, a school may not generally disclose personally identifiable information from an eligible student's education records to a third party unless the eligible student has provided written consent. However, there are a number of exceptions to FERPA's prohibition against nonconsensual disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records. Under these exceptions, schools are permitted to disclose personally identifiable information from education records without consent, though they are not required to do so. Following is general information regarding some of these exceptions.
One of the exceptions to the prior written consent requirement in FERPA allows “school officials,” including teachers, within a school to obtain access to personally identifiable information contained in education records provided the school has determined that they have “legitimate educational interest” in the information. Although the term “school official” is not defined in the statute or regulations, this Office generally interprets the term to include parties such as: professors; instructors; administrators; health staff; counselors; attorneys; clerical staff; trustees; members of committees and disciplinary boards; and a contractor, volunteer or other party to whom the school has outsourced institutional services or functions.
A school must inform eligible students of how it defines the terms “school official” and “legitimate educational interest” in its annual notification of FERPA rights. A school official generally has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.” (FERPA Guidance, page 3)
Pursuant to the above FERPA Guidance, St. Andrews University designates the following (and any other individuals as may be designated by the CEO under special circumstances) as “school officials” having a “legitimate educational interest” in the information contained in a student’s education records in order to fulfill their professional responsibilities:
- President & members of the Administrative Council
- The University’s attorney
- Faculty and members of the staff of the VP for Academic Affairs (Assoc. and Asst. Deans, Registrar, Coordinator for Disability Services, Director of St. Andrews at Sandhills, and Director of the Center for Academic Success)
- Dean of Students & Assoc. Dean of Students
- Assoc. & Asst. Athletic Director
- Members of committees and disciplinary boards with a need to know
- Health Staff and Counselors
- Athletic Trainers are designated school officials for the sole purpose of treating injuries and dealing with athletic emergencies.
- Financial Aid personnel
Approved by the Administrative Council: October 18, 2011 |
