UW Annual FERPA Notice
Pre-Registration Required Review and Submission
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, which is administered by the United States Department of Education, is a federal privacy law. In addition to identifying a significant set of guidelines for the custodianship of education records, the law requires institutions to provide students with an annual explanation of the law and their rights under FERPA.
At the University of Washington, we require students to read and confirm that they have read the UW Annual FERPA Notice each quarter when they initially register as part of pre-registration. A copy of that notice is below.
UW Notification of Rights under FERPA for Postsecondary Institutions
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. (An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution at any age.)
Additional information about FERPA for students can be found on the Office of the University Registrar website. That page includes information about how to restrict the release of directory information, and other FERPA resources. Directory information at the University of Washington is defined as a student’s name, address, email address, telephone numbers, major, and minor field(s) of study (including pre-major or undeclared), class, date of birth, enrollment status (e.g. graduate, undergraduate, professional, post-baccalaureate, or non-matriculated student, full- or part-time), participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height if the student is a member of an intercollegiate athletic team, dates of attendance, degrees, honors, and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student. You may opt out of directory information about you being released using the tools available in MyUW. Opting out will not prevent information about you that falls within directory information from being released as otherwise allowed or required by law.
The rights provided by FERPA include:
- The right to inspect and review your education records within 45 days after the day the University of Washington receives a request for access. You should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department a written request that identifies the record(s) you wish to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify you of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the school official to whom the request was submitted, that official should advise you of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
- The right to request the amendment of your education records that you believe are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of your privacy rights under FERPA. This process cannot be used to challenge grades.
A student who wishes to ask the University to amend a record should write the school official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed.
If the University decides not to amend the record as requested, you will be notified in writing of the decision and your right to request a hearing regarding the request for amendment.
- The right to provide written consent before the University discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from your education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
The University discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. School officials include faculty, instructors, staff, student employees, volunteers, third party contractors, and any individual UW has determined to have legitimate educational interests in accessing education records. An individual has a legitimate educational interest when they need access to the education record to perform their official duties; not to satisfy curiosity or other non-job related interests.
Upon request, the school also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
Student Privacy Policy Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202
[ ] I have read the above FERPA Annual Notification.