The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. This includes, but is not limited to, the right to control the disclosure of their education records, the right to inspect and review their own education records, the right to seek an amendment to their education records.
Under FERPA, each institution of higher education must establish their own FERPA compliance policy and procedures. Under the University of California’s FERPA policy, each campus must also define its own campus-specific FERPA compliance procedures and definitions. At UC Davis, Policy 320-21 is among the key campus-specific policies (https://ucdavispolicy.ellucid.com/documents/view/397/active). These two policies are not an exhaustive list of FERPA-relevant policies at the University.
Presume that all student information is confidential, and do not disclose information without a student’s consent except to University officials who have a “legitimate educational interest” in the information, as that term is collectively defined in FERPA regulations, UC policy, and campus policy.
Resources
For more information on FERPA visit:
For more information on the University’s FERPA policies & procedures:
- https://registrar.ucdavis.edu/faculty-staff/privacy
- https://www.ucop.edu/uc-legal/_files/ed-affairs/ferpa101.pdf
Contact us
Consult with the Campus Privacy Office (privacy@ucdavis.edu) and the Campus FERPA Officer (studentprivacy@ucdavis.edu) to understand which information the University may properly disclose and for any other FERPA related questions.