FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. It is also known as the Buckley Amendment. FERPA, as amended, sets forth requirements regarding the privacy of student education records. FERPA governs the disclosure of education records maintained by an educational institution and access to those records.
FERPA Questions
The Act applies to all institutions that are the recipients of federal aid administered by the Secretary of Education. FERPA applies to postsecondary institutions (colleges and universities) as well as K-12 schools. FERPA applies to all current and former UCM students, regardless of their age or status with regard to parental dependency. This includes students enrolled as dual-credit high school students and those enrolled as continuing education and non-degree seeking students.
UCM students are covered under FERPA upon first enrollment in courses.
FERPA provides eligible students the right to:
The intent of the legislation is to protect the rights of students and to ensure the privacy and accuracy of education records.
With certain exceptions (noted below), an education record is any record (1) which contains information that is personally identifiable to a student, and (2) is maintained by the university. With the exception of information about other students, financial records of parents and confidential letters of reference to which the student has waived access, a student has the right of access to his or her education records.
Education records include any records in whatever medium (handwritten, print, e-mail, magnetic tape, film, diskette, etc.) that are in the possession of any school official. This includes transcripts or other records obtained from a school in which a student was previously enrolled.
A school official may be: an employee of a college (administrative, supervisory, academic, research, support or student staff); a person elected to the Board of Governors; a company or person employed/contracted by a college to perform a special task (i.e., attorney, auditor, or collection agency); a person or student serving on an official committee (i.e., disciplinary/grievance, scholarship) or assisting an official in his/her tasks.
Read UCM’s detailed guidelines, “Policy Implementing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act at the University of Central Missouri”, to learn more about how FERPA is handled at UCM. Copies of this document may also be obtained in the Registrar’s Office in Ward Edwards, suite 1000.
UCM's Annual Notification of Rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Visit the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers webpage.
Visit the U.S. Department of Education's FERPA webpage.
Directory information is not generally considered harmful or an invasion of privacy
if disclosed. The University does not sell student directory information; however,
unless a student requests in writing to the contrary, federal law permits the University
to release the following directory information to the public without the student's
consent:
Requests for directory information from off-campus entities for group student data may be directed to the following offices:
Directory Information Questions
Directory information may be shared, unless steps are taken to restrict that information. Students who wish to suppress public access to their directory information can do so by contacting the Office of the Registrar in the Ward Edwards Building, Room 1000 (660-543-4900 or registrar@ucmo.edu)
If directory suppression is chosen, no information will be released about a student to third parties without their signature. Any requests for such information from UCM will be refused. This includes, but is not limited to: prospective employers; the printed commencement program; submissions to hometown newspapers regarding Dean’s List designation or graduation announcements; requested lists of students for consideration for scholarships, memberships, etc.
This also means that the student will not be able to call and receive their own information
over the phone. Information about a student’s account will only be released to them in person, via
their UCM e-mail account, or with a signed release.
This request will be honored until the Office of the Registrar receives written authorization
from the student to revoke this request, even if no longer enrolled at UCM.
Please note: the law allows the university to release directory information, even
if a suppression of records is on file with the university, under certain circumstances.
Examples include a health or safety emergency or with a lawful subpoena or court order.
The No Call list is a list of residential telephone numbers of Missourians who have
indicated to the Attorney General's Office that they don't want to be called by telemarketers
at home. The law prohibits telemarketers from calling households that have been added
to the list, with some exceptions that have been written into the law. You can register
all your home phone numbers.
You may register by electronically submitting a form or by calling toll-free 1-866-NOCALL1 (1-866-662-2551). There is no cost to consumers
to get on the list. There --ill be a cost to telemarketers to get copies of the list.
The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. Most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days. If they do, you can file a complaint at this website. You can register your home or mobile phone for free. Click here to register.
With the exception of some specific instances (described below), non-directory information
and educational records cannot be released without prior, written consent from the
student.
Some examples of non-directory information include, but are not limited to:
• Student identification numbers (700 number)
• Social Security numbers
• Ethnicity/race/nationality
• Gender
• Religious affiliation
• Parent name and address
• Grades (student progress reports or final grades, grades on assignments/tests)
• Grade point averages (GPA - cumulative, UCM, major, minor)
• Class attendance records
• Course schedules (including classes enrolled in, number of credit hours enrolled
in)
• Central Degree Audit
• Academic Transcript
• Employment that is related to the student’s status as a student
Students who wish to give consent for the release of their academic information may fill out an Authorization for Release of Educational Records form and turn it into the Office of the Registrar in the Ward Edwards building, room 1000 (660-543-4900). The form may also be faxed to 660-543-8400 or e-mailed to registrar@ucmo.edu.
When the disclosure is (one or more of the following):
Students must sign a Transcript Request form or place a transcript order in MyCentral.
UCM sends official transcripts via paper mail, fax, and email. Transcripts are $10 per copy. Transcripts cannot be faxed outside of the United States. Faxed and emailed transcripts may not be considered official – please check first with the receiving institution before placing a transcript order. Requests for pdf transcripts may be made by fax, mail, e-mail, or in person. Unfortunately, our online ordering system does not accommodate requests for pdf transcripts.
See our instructions for ordering transcripts for more information. If you are placing your order by mail, fax, or e-mail please use our pdf request form. Online orders in MyCentral can be accepted for students who attended UCM 1982 or later.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a legal framework that sets guidelines for the collection and processing of personal information of individuals within the European Union (EU). The EU put these guidelines into effect on May 25, 2018 to replace and enhance previous legislation that regulated privacy. The GDPR affords individuals certain rights as to how their data is used and processed, and may give them rights to access, correct, or delete their data. The GDPR may apply to some personal information held by the University because, in some circumstances, we engage in activities that collect or process the personal data of individuals residing in the EU, such as EU resident applicants and students, or students studying abroad in the EU.
All UCM students will review the GDPR Consent Form prior to enrollment in their next semester. All UCM faculty and staff will review this information every fall semester in MyCentral.
Learn more about the GDPR on the European Commission website.
A list of the Countries of the European Union (EU)
Office of the Registrar & Student Records
Ward Edwards 1000
Warrensburg, MO 64093
Tel: (660) 543 - 4900
Fax: (660) 543 - 8400
registrar@ucmo.edu
graduation@ucmo.edu
transcripts@ucmo.edu
articulation@ucmo.edu