This site will look much better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.

Skip Navigation skip menu and banner
University of Wyoming

FERPA Tips on Managing Student Records

 

DO review a copy of the FERPA faculty brochure before responding to a request for educational records.


DO NOT release directory information on a student without checking WyoWeb or contacting the Office of the Registrar to see whether the information has been flagged as confidential.


DO check with the Office of the Registrar before disclosing any student educational record information to third parties outside the institution.


DO refer all subpoenas or IRS summons or other legal process requests for education records to the Office of the Registrar.


DO obtain signed, written permission from the student before sharing educational record information, including grades and grade point averages, with parents or others outside the institution. (Exception: a parent who provides the Office of the Registrar a copy of his/her most recent federal income tax return or other evidence of the dependent status of the student may be given access to student record information.


DO NOT request information from an education record custodian, or access the student's records by computer, unless you have a legitimate educational interest and are authorized by the University of Wyoming to access the information.


DO follow the confidentiality provisions of FERPA by not sharing education records information with your colleagues unless a legitimate educational interest exists.


DO NOT put purely personal notes (for example, from a committee meeting recommending students for a particular program) in the student's file, because those notes will become accessible to the student.  Such records can be kept confidential only if they are kept in the sole possession of the maker and are not accessible or revealed to any other person.  Official committee minutes are likely to be considered accessible.


DO NOT post students' papers, scores, or grades in a public place on which names, Social Security numbers, or other personal identifiers are displayed.  You can post by W number if the list is randomly sorted.


DO remember that medical, mental health, and law enforcement records should not be put in the student's file with the student's educational records.  Medical and mental health records supporting an accommodation for a disability should be forwarded to University Disability Support Services in an envelope marked 'confidential,' and law enforcement records should be kept in the Dean of Students' Office or with Campus Police.


DO NOT release information about a student disciplinary matter without conferring with the Dean of Students or the Vice President for Student Affairs.

 

Please send comments or questions to registrar@uwyo.edu