FERPA for Student Employees and Graduate/Teaching Assistants
As a student employee at Michigan Tech University, you will most likely encounter confidential student information in the course of everyday work. This confidential information includes, but is not limited to, transcripts, applications, personnel files, exam grades, personal and institutional information, and other written materials or electronic data. It also includes conversations about personal matters. You may have access to records or other forms of individually identifiable information. All of these items are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is a federal law that affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. To find out more, please review Michigan Tech's Disclosure and Release of Student Information policy.
The key aspects of FERPA that are important for student employees to understand are:
- Every educational institution that receives funds from the U.S. Secretary of Education must comply with FERPA. Michigan Tech receives funding in the form of federal financial aid programs and federal grants. Failure to comply with FERPA could result in the University loosing its federal funding.
- FERPA also allows the University to disclose "directory information" without a student's permission. Directory information is information that is generally considered not to be harmful or a violation of privacy if disclosed. Directory information includes student name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, hometown, age, college, major field of study, class status (senior, junior, etc.), student status (full/part time, not currently enrolled), student level (undergrad/grad/etc), dates of attendance, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, leadership positions at MTU, weight and height of members of athletic teams, specific athletic achievements, MTU job title, degrees and awards received, academic and other honors, most recent previous school attended, and parent/guardian names in conjunction with University awards/recognition Students also have the right to request that the University not disclose directory information, and may do so by contacting the Registrar. When confidentiality has been elected by the student it is recorded in the Banner Student System. The word 'Confidential' will appear on each screen of information accessed for that student.
- FERPA prohibits the release of information from a student's education record to any third party without a student's written permission. This means that our faculty, staff, and student employees cannot disclose personally identifiable information from a student's education record without the student's written permission. Exceptions to this rule (see policy for complete list) include the release of personally identifiable information from a student's education records for:
- individuals with a legitimate education interest. For example, advisors receive access to their advisee's academic information.
- certain governmental officials
- compliance with a judicial order or subpoena
- notifications for health or safety emergencies
The best practice for a student employee is to never discuss information learned through a work assignment with anyone, or to disclose any information unless you have permission from your supervisor to do so.
Disclosure of personally identifiable information is not only unprofessional and unethical, but it violates Michigan Technological University policy and federal law. Disclosure could result in sanctions under the Michigan Technological University Student Conduct Code, termination of employment with the University, and criminal and civil penalties. Be sure that you understand the requirements and standards for confidentiality for the office in which you work before you begin work.
All offices on campus are encouraged to have each student employee sign a Student Employee Statement of FERPA Understanding form
prior to their first day of work in their area.