3.11 Student Records
Amendment and Review of Education Records
All students who are attending or who have attended the University of
Northern Iowa have the right to inspect and review their education records,
as such records are defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act of 1974, as amended, and to obtain copies of the records at the students'
expense. A charge of ten cents per page will be made for copies of miscellaneous
educational records. An official copy of the students academic record
will be prepared for $5.
Request to inspect and review education records should be made first
to the custodian of the records. Custodians of records must respond to
such requests within 45 days from the date of the request. Students may
challenge the content of such records to insure that the records are not
inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the privacy rights
or other rights of students, and the University will provide an opportunity
for the correction or deletion of any inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise
inappropriate data contained in the records.
If a request to amend education records is refused, the student shall
be so informed and shall be advised of the right to a hearing and the
procedure to follow to obtain said hearing. A Student Records Hearing
Panel composed of two (2) students, two (2) faculty members, and two (2)
administrators has been established for this purpose. If, as a result
of a hearing, the University decides that the information challenged is
inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the privacy or other
rights of the student, it shall amend the education records of the student
and so inform the student. If the University decides the information is
not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the privacy or
other rights of the student, it shall inform the student of the right
to place in the education records a statement commenting upon the information
in the records and/or setting forth any reasons for disagreeing with the
decision of the University. Such comment or explanation by the student
shall be maintained, and, if the education records or the contested portion
thereof is disclosed by the University to anyone, the explanation also
shall be disclosed. Students requesting a hearing should address the request
to:
Chairperson
Student Records Hearing Panel
Registrar's Office
Room 227, Gilchrist Hall
University of Northern Iowa
Students may not inspect and review the following kinds of records:
financial statements submitted by their parents; confidential letters
and recommendations with respect to admissions, applications for employment,
or receipt of an honor or honorary recognition, provided the students
have waived their rights of inspection and a review; education records
which contain information about more than one student, in which case access
only to that part of the record which pertains to the inquiring student
will be permitted. The University will not 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 purposes
for which they were collected. The University will not provide copies
of academic records which have a "financial-hold" against them.
Confidentiality of Education Records
No personally-identifiable information (except Directory Information)
from a student's education records shall be disclosed without the prior
written consent of the student except as otherwise provided by the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, and Chapter 22
of the Code of Iowa. Such written consent must be signed and dated, must
specify the record or information to be released, and the reason for requesting
the release. Personally-identifiable information may be disclosed to other
school officials who have been determined to have a legitimate educational
interest. "Other school officials" are those persons employed
by the University in teaching, research, advisory, or administrative positions
who contribute to the information contained in the education records of
students. "Legitimate educational interests" are those which
have as their purpose the advising of students, assigning students to
classes, consideration of special student requests, the development of
curricula, research and examination, maintenance of records, or the determination
of eligibility for honors, prizes and awards, participation in curricular
and extra-curricular programs or activities sponsored or approved by the
University, and determination of whether the student should continue enrollment.
The University may release the following Directory Information to anyone
who requests it without the consent of the student unless the student
has requested that any or all of it not be released:
1. Student's name, University address, home address, and telephone numbers
2. Parent's names, address, and telephone number
3. Date and place of student's birth
4. College
5. Curriculum (major(s) and minor(s))
6. Classification (year in school)
7. Participation in recognized organizations, activities, and sports
8. Weight and height of members of athletic teams
9. Currently enrolled (class schedule)
10. Dates of attendance
11. Degrees and awards received
12. The most recent previous educational agency or educational institution
attended.
To restrict the release of any of the above Directory Information the
student must complete a suppression request form which is available from
the Registrar's Office.
The form must be completed by the end of the first week of classes to
be effective for that term. The form is valid for up to one (1) calendar
year or to the first day of classes for the next fall semester, whichever
comes first.
Except for disclosures made to the student, disclosures made pursuant
to the written consent of a student when the consent is specific with
respect to the party or parties to whom the disclosure is made, disclosures
to other school officials, and disclosures of Directory Information, the
custodians of education records shall maintain a record of each request
for and each disclosure made of personally-identifiable information from
the education records of a student. This record shall be kept with the
education records of the student as long as the education records are
kept, and shall indicate the identity of those who have requested or obtained
such information and the legitimate educational interests these persons
had in requesting or obtaining the information. Students have the right
to inspect the record of disclosure.
Parties to whom personally-identifiable information is disclosed shall
be informed that such disclosure is made only on the condition that such
party will not disclose the information to any third party without the
prior written consent of the student. Information disclosed to an institution,
agency, or organization may be used by its officials, employees, and agents,
but only for the purposes for which the disclosure was made.
The University will forward education records on request to a school
in which the student seeks or intends to enroll, and upon request, will
provide the student with a copy of the records transferred.
Filing of Complaints Under FERPA
Students have the right to file complaints alleging violations of their
rights under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended.
Such complaints are to be filed with:
Student and Family Education Rights and Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Education
Washington, D.C. 20202
A copy of FERPA is available on request in the Registrar's Office, 227
Gilchrist Hall, University of Northern Iowa 50614.
Custodians of Education Records
Education records are maintained in a number of University offices.
A list of these offices and the person responsible for student records
is available in the Registrar's Office.
Reports on Academic Status of Students
The Office of the Registrar is authorized to make reports on the academic
status of students at the end of each academic session. These reports
are available without the consent of students to designated staff members
such as department heads and academic deans, academic advisors, Director
of Financial Aid, and to organizations or individuals who are providing
financial assistance to a student and require a report on academic status
at the end of each semester.
Grade reports are not sent to parents routinely. The grade report will
be sent to parents only if the student authorizes it.
Transcripts
The University will furnish a transcript externally only at the specific
request of the student involved. A student's request for a teaching certificate
will be considered authorization to send the transcript and other related
information to the teacher certification authorities.
Transcripts will be furnished to accrediting groups without the student's
consent, but in such cases the student's name will be removed from the
transcript. Similarly, transcripts with the name removed may be released
for use in research projects, e.g., correlation of academic grades with
scores on standardized tests.
Placement Records
Registration with the Placement Center is optional. Students may choose
whether to have confidential or open references in their credential files.
The Student authorizes the release of records only to prospective employers,
and a specific request by the student is necessary before the records
are made available to anyone else. Follow-up information regarding the
address and employer of registrants is reported to UNI faculty and staff.
Counseling Records
Information received during interviews with the staff in the Counseling
Center is confidential and is available only to the staff of that Center.
Only under legal compulsion or specific authorization of the student would
information from the counseling records be released to anyone.
Medical Records
Health records, except under legal compulsion or with written consent
of student, are available only to the Health Center staff or to a physician
designated by the student.
Student Activities Records
It is the policy of the University not to collect information concerning
the beliefs of students, or their memberships in religious or political
organizations.
The University does maintain a record of the officers and advisors of
student organizations.
Pre-Matriculation Information - about individuals admitted to the University
but not yet enrolled is available only to the Office of Undergraduate
Admissions, the Office of Academic Advising, the Office of the Dean of
the Graduate College, the Office of the Registrar, the Financial Aid Office,
and a student's respective major department.
Disciplinary Records
Disciplinary actions become part of the student's disciplinary record
in the Office of the Vice President for Educational and Student Services.
Disciplinary records on file in the Office of the Vice President are administered
according to the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act.
Records are maintained in the Vice President's Office for a period of
four years after which the file records are purged. In extraordinary circumstances
(i.e., when a hold remains on a student's record, a student is suspended,
expelled or has multiple violations) the record may be maintained for
a longer period of time at the discretion of the Office of the Vice President
for Educational and Student Services.
Disciplinary actions affecting a student's enrollment status are noted
on his/her academic transcript or permanent record.
Vice President for Educational and Student Services Approved, 1/94 | 
