Trinity International University

FERPA

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Your Rights as a Student

FERPA governs and protects students’ rights to their individual educational records. The primary rights protected under FERPA are:

  • Students’ rights to review and inspect their educational records;
  • Students’ rights to have their educational records amended or corrected;
  • Students’ rights to control disclosure of certain portions of their educational records

Educational Records

Educational records are all the records maintained by Trinity International University (TIU) about individual students, with seven exceptions:

  • Personal notes of the TIU faculty and staff
  • Employment Records
  • Medical and counseling records used solely for treatment
  • Campus Security records
  • Financial records of a parent or spouse
  • Confidential letters and statements of recommendation placed in your records after January 1, 1975
  • Confidential letters and statements of recommendation for admission, employment or honorary recognition placed in your records after January 1, 1975, for which you have waived the right to inspect and review

Location of Your Records

Educational records are not stored in a central location on campus. Requests to review your records must be made in writing and presented to the appropriate office. That office will have up to 45 days to honor your request. For most students these offices will include University Records, Dean or School, Major Department, Financial Aid, Student Dean or Residence Hall.

Private Records

The following categories of information are considered private, or protected, by Trinity International University (TIU):

  • Social Security Number
  • University identification number
  • Place of birth
  • Residency status
  • Marital status
  • Married name or previous name
  • Parents’ names and addresses
  • High school units/credits
  • Transfer credits
  • Courses completed
  • Grades
  • Credits earned and grade points
  • Grade point average and rank in class
  • Current class schedule
  • Advisor’s name
  • Academic actions
  • Current disciplinary actions

 

Private Records are releasable only to the following parties:

  • Individual students
  • Deans’ Offices
  • Trinity International University (TIU) departments
  • Individuals with an educational need-to-know

Who can request access?

Under FERPA, prior written consent must be obtained before a student’s educational record may be disclosed to a third party, unless they are exempted from this provision. Information will be released without your prior written consent to the following groups or individuals:

  • Trinity International University (TIU) faculty and staff with legitimate educational need to know.
  • Representatives of agencies or organizations from which you have received financial aid, including banks or other lending agencies from which you have guaranteed student loans
  • Officials of other educational institutions in which you intend to enroll
  • Individuals or groups specifically exempted from the prior consent requirement
  • Federal and state officials, organizations conducting studies on behalf of Trinity International University (TIU) and accrediting organizations

 

Instances in which prior written consent is not required:

  • Requests in connection with an emergency, if such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other person
  • Requests in accordance with a lawful subpoena or court order
  • Requests for “public records’ information, if not restricted by the student

Restricting Access - Be Careful

VERY IMPORTANT:  You have the right to inform Trinity International University (TIU) that you do not wish Directory Information to be released.  When completing the FERPA Request to Withhold Directory Information form, please consider very carefully the following consequences of ANY decision to remove Directory Information categories from the lists of public information:

  1. Only the TIU student may submit, revoke, or modify a request to withhold student information.  Such a request will preclude TIU from releasing withheld information to anyone, including family members, even under emergency circumstances, without first having the student’s written consent.
  2. This request will remain valid until revoked or modified in writing even if you are no longer enrolled at TIU.  An oral revocation will not be accepted.
  3. TIU receives numerous inquiries for directory information from various sources including parents or relatives, prospective employers, graduate institutions, honor societies, government agencies, news media, licensing agencies, etc.  Additionally, TIU web-based directories may use directory information categories.  Should a student decide to inform TIU not to release ANY or ALL PUBLIC INFORMATION, all future requests for such information from any non-TIU parties will be expressly refused. For example:
    1. TIU could not release a student’s telephone number to a family member wishing to notify the student of a serious illness or crisis in the family
    2. A prospective employer requesting degree confirmation of a student’s major field of study, address or date of birth would also be denied access to such items
    3. The student’s name would not appear in the commencement brochure
  4. TIU will honor a student’s request to withhold any or all of the Directory Information categories, but cannot assume responsibility to contact a student for subsequent permission to release the information. Regardless of the effect upon a student, TIU assumes no liability for honoring a student’s request that such information be withheld. Students wishing to withdraw all public information in their educational record must file an appropriate request to the University Records Office.
  5. When you request a TIU transcript, your request will override this hold for any items of information ordinarily on the transcript, but only on that single occasion and for the purpose of complying with your request.
  6. If you have authorized the release of academic information to a parent or guardian, a request from them will override this hold for any items ordinarily on the TIU grade report, transcript or other items, but only on that occasion and only for the specified purpose.
  7. A student who is also a TIU employee (e.g. Graduate Teaching Assistant) and who wishes to withhold Directory Information may need to contact the Human Resources Office as their data may appear in other printed or web-based directories.

Questions

Questions? Please contact the University Academic Records Office for more information at [email protected] if you have further questions regarding the FERPA regulations. It is Trinity International University (TIU) policy to be fully and fairly in compliance with the Act.