INSTRUCTORS must not:
A) post grades publicly either by a student's names, institutional ID number or social security number without the student's written permission.
B) return papers or a student's work in any form via an open distribution system, e.g. stacking them on an open table or placing in a folder in a place of public access without a signed waiver from the student to the instructor.
C) release academic information without the written permission of the student to anyone except employees of Meredith who have an educational need to know . Such employees might include the vice president for academic affairs, director of academic advising, the student's academic adviser, the registrar or the dean of students. For parent/guardian exceptions please read the section under "Advisers" below.
D) release or discuss disciplinary actions. Refer questions concerning disciplinary actions to the Dean of Students.
ALL FACULTY: There are four limits to how all student information can be used by faculty.
1: The information cannot be passed on to another party.
2: The information is to be used for a stated purpose (educational need) only.
3: The information must be maintained in a confidential manner.
4: The information must be destroyed once the stated purpose no longer exists.
ADVISERS
must not release academic information to any party without the student's written permission naming who can have access. If the student is a dependent, parents or guardians may have access if they can prove that a student is a dependent by producing a copy of their most recent tax return. When available, a copy of the student's written permission or the parent's tax form will be sent by the registrar to the adviser for the student's advising folder. Advisers who do not have this documentation on file should refer any questions about a student's academic record to the registrar or appropriate vice president or dean.
All of these restrictions apply to complying with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. Be aware that another federal act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, protects the confidentiality of information regarding students' disabilities.
FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. The act gives students the right to inspect and review their educational records, to ask to have those records amended if they seem incorrect and to have some control over the disclosure of information in the records. The area in bold is the one that affects faculty as they collect student papers and record student grades.
DEFINITIONS
Educational records are records, files, documents and other materials which (1) contain information directly related to the student; and (2) are maintained by Meredith College or by a person acting for the College. Educational records do not contain directory information.
Directory information is defined as follows:
Name, address, telephone number and e-mail address
Date and place of birth and country of citizenship
Dates of attendance, academic major, degrees and awards received
Institutions attended
Weight and height of athletic teams
Participation in sports and activities
Students have the right to place blocks on their directory information.
There are two areas that must be defined when talking about faculty and educational records. One is what student records are faculty able to access and the other is what student records may the faculty release.
ACCESS:
FACULTY may access student directory information for students who have not placed a privacy block on their directory information.
INSTRUCTORS may access student directory information for all students in their current semester classes with or without a privacy block.
ADVISERS may have access to all of their advisees' directory information with or without a privacy block and to all of their academic records. They will also be notified of disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion.
If additional information is needed by a faculty member, that person should fill out a "Request for Protected Student Information" form and send it to the registrar's office.