FERPA and Student Privacy
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
It is important for all students at WCSU to be familiar with the laws and procedures that govern access to student records. FERP is a federal law that is designed to protect the privacy of and limit access to the education records of students. No one outside the university shall have access to nor will the university disclose any information from a student’s educational records without his/her written consent, with the following exceptions: students’ educational records will be open to personnel within the university, officials of other institutions in which the student seeks to enroll, persons or organizations providing financial aid, accreditation groups, persons in compliance with a judicial order, and persons in an emergency in order to protect the health or safety of students or other persons. Parents of a student who is officially documented as their dependent for income tax purposes may see a student’s record only at the discretion of the university.
A student may sign the Student Consent Form if they wish, but this is not required. The form can be found here: staging.www.wcsu.edu/stuaffairs/forms.asp . Once completed, please submit this to the Registrar’s Office on the first floor of Old Main.
Please note that if a student wants to release health records, mental health records, or disability documentation, this Student Consent Form cannot be used. Students must visit the university’s Health Services, Counseling Center, and/or AccessAbility Services office or website to complete their respective “release of information” forms.
A student can revoke his/her consent at any time by submitting a written request to the Dean of Students.
You can contact the Dean’s office 203-837-9700 to discuss these issues in greater detail.