Family Education: Rights and Privacy

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Family Education: Rights and Privacy

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 is a federal law which states: (a) that a written institutional policy must be established; and (b) that a statement of adopted procedures covering the privacy rights of students be made available. The law provides that the institution will maintain the confidentiality of student education records. Annually, West Virginia University Institute of Technology informs students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This Act, with which West Virginia Institute of Technology intends to comply fully, was designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings.

At its discretion, West Virginia University Institute of Technology may provide Directory Information in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Directory information shall be defined in the annual notice sent to students, as required under the Act. West Virginia University Institute Technology designates the following categories of student information as public or “Directory Information.” This information may be disclosed by West Virginia University Institute of Technology for any purpose, at its discretion:

Name of student
Official address
Telephone number
Place of birth
Age of student
Names and addresses of parents
Major and minor fields of study
Class status (i.e., freshman)
Enrollment status (i.e., full time or part time)
Dates of attendance
Previous educational institution(s) attended
Degree(s) and date(s) conferred, including anticipated graduation dates
Awards
Honors
Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
Weight and height of members of athletic teams
Duties and responsibilities, including dates of service of student workers, interns, or student volunteers.

LIMITED USE DIRECTORY INFORMATION
Limited Use Directory Information will not be provided to external parties not contractually affiliated with the University. Use and disclosure of this information shall be limited to (1) publication on websites hosted by, on behalf of, or for the benefit the University, including the online directory (2) those officials within the University who have access, consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, to such information and only in conjunction with an official institutional purpose.

WVU Designates the following categories of student information as "Limited Use Directory Information:

University issued student electronic mail addresses ("Email Addresses"); and
Photographs, videos or other media containing a student’s image or likeness (collectively “Student Images”).

WITHHOLDING OF DIRECTORY INFORMATION
Currently enrolled students, using the Student Confidentiality Form, may withhold disclosure of Directory Information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. To withhold disclosure, written notification must be received in the Mountaineer Hub or mailed to the Office of the University Registrar at West Virginia University, PO Box 6878, Morgantown, WV 26506. Official forms are available on the Office of the University Registrar website under the Forms tab. Requests will be processed as soon as possible after receipt.

FERPA RELEASE
In compliance with FERPA, 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* assessment, financial aid (including scholarships, grants, work-study, or loan amounts) and other student record information. This restriction applies, but is not limited to, your parent(s)/ legal guardian(s), your spouse, or a sponsor.

You may, at your discretion, grant the University permission to release information about your student educational records to a third party by submitting a completed Student FERPA Release Form. Third parties to whom you grant access to information on your student records must be named on the release and given a FERPA Personal Identification Number (PIN). This is a number consisting of five digits of your choosing that they will use to identify themselves when gaining access to these records.

_{*
Tuition and fees are usually not the only educational expenses you may have while
pursuing a degree. You may have other costs such as books, supplies and living
expenses. Please see the
Estimate Costs and Aid webpage for how to estimate and plan for other potential
expenses.}

PARENT/GUEST ACCESS TO ONLINE RECORDS
The Parent/Guest Portal is the exclusive method by which a University student may grant a third-party access to his or her records. Information that is protected from disclosure pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), such as grades, financial aid details, and student account/billing information is maintained in a secure online environment. A student may grant permission to a parent or guest to access this information and make payments through this portal. Due to the protection of students’ rights under FERPA, a student may restrict the information that a parent or guest is able to access and revoke access at any time. For more information on the Parent/Guest Portal, please visit: http://parent-guest.portal.wvu.edu/.

For FERPA updates and more information on West Virginia University's FERPA policy, contact the applicable office:

Office of the University Registrar for the Morgantown location
Office of Enrollment Services for the Keyser location
Office of Enrollment Services for the Beckley location

For the further detailed information on FERPA, please visit http://ferpa.wvu.edu