Privacy of Student Information (FERPA)

FERPA applies to personally identifiable information in educational records. This includes items such as the student's name, names of family members, addresses, personal identifiers such as social security numbers, and personal characteristics or other information that make the student's identity easily traceable.

An educational record is any record in any medium which is maintained by Winston-Salem State University or an agent acting on behalf of WSSU, and which is directly related to a student and contains personally identifiable information.

Some types of information are not considered education records and are not protected by FERPA. These include:

• Campus law enforcement unit records.
• Employment records, except for those whose employment at WSSU is tied to their status as a student.
• WSSU student medical records.
• WSSU alumni records.

FERPA rights apply to qualifying students. You are a qualifying student if you are currently attending WSSU or have attended WSSU in the past. Applicants to the University or prospective students are not guaranteed rights under FERPA.

Under FERPA, a student has a right to:

• Inspect and review their education records.
• Exert some control over the disclosure of information from their education records.
• Seek the amendment of any of their education records that they believe are inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of privacy rights.
• File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Family Policy Compliance Office.

Students have the right to inspect and review their education records. Follow the procedures below.

• Students must submit a written signed request to the University Registrar's Office specifying which records need to be reviewed.
• The University Registrar's Office will arrange for access to the file and will notify you when and where the inspection may take place. Access will be granted as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days after the request was received in the University Registrar's Office.
• Students are entitled to an explanation of any of the information contained in their file. If you are unsure of something, please ask us.

You have the right to seek to amend any of your WSSU education records that you believe to be inaccurate, misleading, or that violates your right to privacy or any other of your rights.

• Contact the University Registrar's Office first. You may need to complete a form specifying which information you believe needs to be amended, and why.
• If the University Registrar's Office cannot informally resolve the problem, you may request a formal hearing.
• If the school still decides not to amend the record, the student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth their view about the contested information.

FERPA identifies certain information, called directory information, that may be disclosed without the student's permission. The university has designated the following information as directory information:

• Student's name
• Local and permanent addresses
• Telephone number
• Major fields of study
• Dates of attendance
• Enrollment status
• Degrees, awards, and honors received, including selection criteria
• Classification
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height, if a member of an athletic team
• Cumulative grade-point average of a student who is being considered for eligibility to honorary societies affiliated with the University

FERPA grants WSSU the right to disclose information from your education records without your approval to the following:

• University officials with a legitimate educational interest.
• Federal or state agencies, or organizations performing audits or official studies.
• Financial Aid Officers.
• Accrediting Agencies.
• Officials of other institutions in which you seek to enroll.
• Appropriate authorities in an emergency.
• Parties to legal actions through subpoenas and/or court orders.

Legitimate educational interest means that a university official has a justifiable need to view an education record to complete their job responsibilities, as defined by the university. At WSSU, only faculty, administrators, and staff who individually or collectively have a legitimate educational interest in the student records and are acting within the limitations of their need to know may access student educational records without prior consent of the student. This would include personnel in academic offices as well as student support offices (Admissions, Student Accounting, Financial Aid, University Registrar, etc.). This is true even if the student has been granted non-disclosure.

If non-directory information is needed to resolve a crisis or emergency, an educational institution may release that information if the institution determines that the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals.

Video: Understanding FERPA Management: A Guide for Parents & Families

How do I obtain my student's financial information?

If the student chooses to share their financial information with you, the University's Office of Student Accounts may release the finance-related educational records outlined below.

• Financial aid and scholarship records, including processing and eligibility status as well as award types and amounts. This information will not include specific parental income or asset information.
• Student account activity and statements, including charges and payments posted to that account and any refund amount processed.
• Housing and meal plan details, which may include amounts owed as well as amounts paid.

Before contacting the University's Office of Student Accounts, please ensure:

• You are connected with your student through WSSU’s Student Account Suite ACCESS.
• Student has granted access to the records in which you are inquiring.
• You have an Authorized User Login.
• You have your PIN.

Faculty and staff are required by law to handle students' education records in a legally specified manner. The following list should help clarify what is expected.

• Do not post grades by name, Banner ID Number, or any portion of social security number. The University discourages public posting of grades, even if identity codes are used. The University does not permit emailing grades. The Office of the University Registrar will post final grades at the end of the term and students use a secure website to retrieve that information.
• Do lock desks, file cabinets and rooms that contain student records before leaving them unattended.
• Do guard student records on your computer.
• Do not put transcripts, degree audits, grades, etc. in the trashcan. Shred any paper containing personally identifiable information.
• Do not leave graded papers with student names or Banner ID Numbers on a table for students to collect. You must not allow students access to other students' grades or personal information.
• Do keep your personal professional notes regarding students separate from education records. These "sole possession" notes must be kept private, not accessible by any other person except for a designated substitute.
• Do procure a written release from a student if you are accessing an education record to write a recommendation. If you will make reference to grade point average, or a particular grade in a course, etc., you must have a written release.
• Do not discuss student daily attendance, academic progress, or grades with a student's parent or guardian. Refer all such inquiries to the official proper records.
• Do refer all other third-party requests for information from education records to the proper records official.

When in doubt, err on the side of caution and do not release the requested information. Contact the Office of the Registrar if you require clarification of any portion of FERPA regulations.

The following requirements protect the confidentiality of academic information upon the death of a former student or alumnus of the university.

The Office of the Registrar will evaluate each request for the release of a transcript or other academic records of a deceased student on the individual merits of that request and reserves the right to deny the request in whole or to release only part of the academic records that are requested. The Office of the Registrar does not release academic records of deceased students to the news media or for research purposes.

The closest living next-of-kin may submit a written request along with the following notarized documents: 1) Birth certificate of requestor and 2) Death certificate of former student or alumnus.

If there is no living next-of-kin, academic records may be requested by the executor of the estate or holder of power of attorney for the deceased. A written request along with a notarized copy of the executor statement or power of attorney is required. Documents must be mailed to the Office of the Registrar.

Office of the Registrar
Cleon F. Thompson Jr. Student Service Center
Suite 202
601 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27110

The Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) is the office within the U.S. Department of Education responsible for administering and enforcing FERPA. FPCO provides guidance to institutions on how to comply with FERPA, reviews complaints related to the improper disclosure of student education records, and works with schools to ensure that student privacy rights are protected.

For additional information or technical assistance, you may call 202-260-3887 (voice). Individuals who use TDD may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

For more information about FERPA, you may contact them at the following address:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5920