Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives students certain rights with respect to their education record.
ESU students have the following rights:
- To inspect and review certain education records
- To request an amendment of their education record believed to be inaccurate or misleading
- To have control over the disclosure of education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. The right to restrict access to information identified by the institution to be directory information available to the public without permission from the student.
- The right to extend third party access to education records to whomever is identified by the student in writing.
- To file with the U.S. Department of Education a complaint concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
Directory Information Items Recognized by The University
Certain student information contained in the educational record is considered directory (public) information. Directory (public) information may be shared by the University. A student may request the University Registrar to prohibit the disclosure of any directory (public) information by completing a FERPA Restriction Form.
Directory Information includes:
Student's name
Official ESU e-mail address
Degree sought and time
Major, Minor, dates of attendance, enrollment status (full-time, part- time --including credit hours), class year
Dates of attendance
Awards, honors (including Dean’s List), degrees conferred including dates
Past and present participation in officially recognized sports and activities
Physical factors (height and weight of student athletes)
Most Previous education agency or institution attended by the student
Fraternity and/or sorority and educational societies.
Annual Notification
Students are reminded of their FERPA rights annually while they are preparing to register for the fall semester. The Annual FERPA Notification will also be available in the University Catalog, Student Handbook and through other university-related publications.
FERPA Restrictions
If you wish to withhold the disclosure of directory information, please print, complete the FERPA Restriction form and submit to the Student Enrollment Center as soon as possible. An effective semester must be included. When this restriction is applied to your record, it also prevents your name from appearing on the dean’s list, graduation lists and other university-related publications. Please consider very carefully the consequences of any decision made by you to withhold your “Directory Information”. Any future requests from non-institutional persons or organizations will be refused should you decide to inform the university not to release the above items. ESU will honor your request but cannot assume responsibility to contact you for subsequent permission to release information.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify the university if restrictions are to be rescinded.
Questions about the Annual Notification or the FERPA Restriction form, should be directed to University Records & Registration at ferpa@esu.edu.
FERPA Release
Students can give permission for someone else to have access to their educational record. This is done only when the student completes the FERPA Disclosure form. This form can be found on the myESU Portal under the student tab