In the information age, the nature of student records and information is complex and pervasive on a student campus. It is important for all staff and faculty who have access to student information to know what is defined as a student record and how to manage it to ensure we protect the privacy of our students and that we meet the standards of federal and state laws, and university policy.
Students鈥 enrollment, submitted assignments, received grades and other related information form part of their education record, which is protected by a federal law called the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Student records must be handled in accordance with that law by all those who have access to them.
Information about student records and the privacy policies and laws as they relate to FERPA is provided by each campus.
Campus FERPA Contacts
Campus FERPA Contacts
Things to Remember
Things to Remember
Under FERPA, any record that is maintained by the institution and is personally identifiable to the student forms part of their "education record.鈥 There are some exceptions, such as medical treatment records, law enforcement records, employment records and alumni records. Though exempt from FERPA, these kinds of records may be subject to other privacy restrictions or access requirements.
If you receive a subpoena related to student records, you should immediately contact General Counsel, (573) 882-3211.
University Policy
The University's student records policy covers the whole University system. Each campus also has information related to how to address FERPA related issues.
Generally, the University cannot release material contained in student records to anyone other than the student without the student's written permission, not even to a student's parents or spouse.
Teaching and FERPA
If you are involved in teaching, as a professor or a graduate assistant, make sure you understand how FERPA applies. For instance, FERPA prohibits the posting of grades by the student's name or ID number; and a system must be used in returning student tests and papers to prevent access and/or release to anyone other than the student. You should also password protect spreadsheets that contain student grades and information.
Education Records
Education records include student information in all forms and formats: whether electronic, paper, archived or imaged.
Education records are not considered the property of the university, but of the student: we are only the custodians of those records and must protect our students' privacy by limiting access to staff and faculty with a legitimate educational interest in seeing the information.