You may download a Do Not Disclose Form.

The Family Educational Rights And Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 is a Federal Law which states that (a) a written institutional policy must be established and (b) 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.

Central Washington University accords all the rights under the law to students who are declared independent. No persons outside the institution shall have access to nor will the institution disclose any information from a student's education records without the written consent of students except to personnel within the institution, to officials of other institutions in which students seek to enroll, to persons or organizations providing students financial aid, to accrediting agencies carrying out their accreditation function, to persons in compliance with a judicial order, and to persons in an emergency in order to protect the health or safety of students or other persons. All these exceptions are permitted under the Act.

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 care 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 within the limitations of their need to know. 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.

At its discretion, the University may provide Directory Information in accordance with the provisions of FERPA to include: student name, university and permanent home address and telephone number, e-mail address, photograph, date of birth, dates of attendance, class, major field of study, previous institution(s) attended, awards, honors (includes honor roll), degree(s) conferred (including dates), participation in officially recognized sports and activities. Students may withhold Directory Information by notifying the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, CWU, 400 E. 8th Ave, Ellensburg, WA, 98926-7432, in writing within the first two weeks after fall quarter classes begin. Requests for non-disclosure will be honored by the institution for only one academic year, therefore, authorization to withhold Directory Information must be filed annually in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. A form to request non-disclosure of directory information is available in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, Bouillon Hall, Room 204, at the CWU Ellensburg campus.

The law provides students with the right to inspect and review information contained in their education records, to challenge the content and accuracy of those records, to have a hearing if the outcome of the challenge is unsatisfactory, and to submit explanatory statements for inclusion in their files if they feel the decisions of the hearing panel to be unacceptable. The Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management has been designated by the institution to coordinate the inspection and review procedures for student education records, which include admission, personal, academic, and placement records. Students wishing to review their education records should submit to the registrar, dean, or other appropriate official, a written request that identifies 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, the official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed. Only records covered by the Act will be made available within forty-five days of the request. Students may have copies made of their records with certain exceptions (e.g., a copy of the academic record for which a financial "hold" exists, or a transcript of an original or source document which exists elsewhere). These copies would be made at the student's expense at prevailing rates which are listed in the office of Registrar Services in Mitchell Hall.

Education records do not include records of instructional, administrative, and educational personnel which are the sole possession of the maker and are not accessible or revealed to any individual except a temporary substitute, law enforcement records, student health records, employment records or alumni records. Health records, however, may be reviewed by physicians of the students choosing.

Students may not inspect or review the following as outlined by the Act: financial information submitted by their parents; confidential letters and recommendations associated with admission, employment or job placement, or honors to which they have waived their rights of inspection and review; or education records containing information about more than one student, in which case the institution will permit access only to the part of the record which pertains to the inquiring student. The institution is not required to permit students to inspect and review confidential letters and recommendations placed in their files prior to January 1, 1975, provided those letters were collected under established policies of confidentiality and were used only for the purpose for which they were collected.

Students who believe that their education records contain information that is inaccurate or misleading, or are otherwise in violation of their privacy or other rights may ask the University to amend a record that they believe is 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 decisions are in agreement with the student's requests, the appropriate records will be amended. 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.

Student requests for a formal hearing must be made in writing to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, who, within a reasonable period of time after receiving such requests, will inform students of the date, place, and the time of the hearing. Students may present evidence relevant to the issues raised and may be assisted or represented at the hearings by one or more persons of their choice, including attorneys, at the student's expense. The hearing panels which will adjudicate such challenges will be appointed by the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. The decision of the hearing panel, based solely on the evidence presented at the hearing, will be final, which will consist of written statements summarizing the evidence and state the reasons for the decision, and will be delivered to all parties concerned. If the decision is in favor of the student, the education records will be corrected or amended in accordance with the decision of the hearing panel. If the decision of the University is still not to amend the student's education record, the student has a right to insert a statement in their record commenting on the information in the records, or statements setting forth any reasons for disagreement with the decisions of the hearing panel. This statement will be maintained as a permanent part of the record and must be included when such record is disclosed to an authorized party.

Students who believe the adjudications of their challenges were unfair, or not in keeping with the provisions of the Act may request in writing, assistance from the President of the institution, or designee. Further, students who believe that their rights have been abridged, may file complaints with The Family Policy Compliance Office, U. S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20202-4605, concerning the alleged failure of Central Washington University to comply with the Act.

Notice to Students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

Annually, Central Washington University (CWU) informs students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This act was designed to protect the privacy of education records; to establish the rights of students to inspect and review their educational records; and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students also have the right to file complaints with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act Office (FERPA) concerning alleged failure by CWU to comply with the Act.

Local policy explains in detail the procedures to be used by CWU for compliance with the provisions of the Act. Copies of the policy can be found in the following offices:

• Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, Bouillon Hall 204
• Office of Registrar Services, Mitchell Hall

Questions concerning the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act may be referred to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.

Public Notice Designating Directory Information

Central Washington University hereby designates the following student information as public or "Directory Information." Such information may be disclosed by CWU for any purpose, at its discretion, e.g., news media coverage of activities or awards.

Student name, university and permanent home address and telephone number, e-mail address, photograph, date of birth, dates of attendance, class, major field of study, previous institution(s) attended, awards, honors (includes honor roll), degree(s) conferred (including dates), participation in officially recognized sports and activities.

Currently enrolled students may withhold disclosure of information under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. To withhold disclosure, written notification must be received in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, CWU, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7432, during the first two weeks after Fall Quarter class begin. Forms are available in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and the office of Registrar Services.

Central Washington University assumes that failure on the part of any student to specifically request the withholding of any "Directory Information" indicates individual approval for disclosure.