As a student at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU Boulder), you have certain rights concerning your education records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). These rights include:

• The right, with some limitations, to inspect and review your education records within a reasonable period of time of your request.
  
  
  • If you would like to review a record the University maintains about you, you should submit a written request that identifies the record(s) you want to inspect to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate University official with responsibility for the record(s).
    
    
  • The University 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 University official to whom you submit the request, that official will help you identify the correct official to whom to address your request.
    
    
• The right to request amendment of your education records, if you believe that they are inaccurate.
  
  
  • You may ask the University to amend a record that you believe is inaccurate. You should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record you want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate. NOTE: this does not apply to disputes about grades assigned by faculty.
    
    
  • If the University decides not to amend the record as you request, the University will notify you of the decision and advise you of your right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedure will be provided to you when you are notified of the right to a hearing.
    
    
• The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in your education records, except to the extent the law authorizes disclosure without your consent.
  
  
  • FERPA generally requires the University to obtain your consent prior to disclosing your education records or personally identifiable information contained in your records. One exception, which permits disclosure without your consent, is information about you that the University has designated as “directory information.”
    
    

  • FERPA directory information is information contained in your education record that generally would not be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Under current CU Boulder policy, the following information is designated as directory information:

    • Student Name
      
      
    • Student address (including designated local mailing, permanent and billing addresses)
      
      
    • Local Telephone Number
      
      
    • Student e-mail address
      
      
    • Date of birth
      
      
    • Dates of attendance
      
      
    • Previous institutions attended
      
      
    • School/College or division of enrollment
      
      
    • Majors/Minors/Field of study
      
      
    • Class (Freshman, Sophomore, etc.)
      
      
    • Degrees, honors, awards conferred (including certificates, thesis and dissertation titles)
      
      
    • Enrollment status (e.g., full time or part-time student status)
      
      
    • Expected date of completion in enrolled course of study
      
      
    • Employment related to student status (e.g., teaching assistant, resident assistant, or tutor)
      
      
    • Participation in officially recognized sports, including height and weight of athletes
      
      
    • College Opportunity Fund application and authorization status for Colorado residents
      
      
    • Class seating assignment and roster for students enrolled in a common course
      
      
    • Student ID photo - Information about Buff OneCard Photo Access

    Although these items are designated by CU Boulder as directory information, only a limited amount of this information is routinely disclosed by CU Boulder officials and the University retains the discretion to refuse to disclose directory information if it believes such disclosure would be an infringement of your privacy rights.
    
    FERPA directory information as used in this policy should not be confused with the directory information CU Boulder lists in on-line or printed student directories. In an effort to protect student privacy, CU directories contain only a students name, email address, class and major field of study.
    CU Boulder may change the designation of directory information from time-to-time. You will be notified of changes through e-mail publication.

  • CU Boulder may change the designation of directory information from time-to-time. You will be notified of changes through e-mail publication.
    
    
  • You may ask the University not to publicly disclose directory information by submitting a request in writing to the Registrar‘s Office, Regent Hall, Room 105 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. You may restrict disclosure of directory information by electing either “full privacy” or “limited privacy” status. You may remove such a restriction at any time by submitting another written request to the Registrar’s Office.
    
    
  • “Full Privacy” Status: If you elect “full privacy” status, no information about you will be released to the general public, unless one of the FERPA exceptions applies. This means that the University
    
    
    • Will not include information about you in the printed or online campus directory(s) or telephone directory assistance
      
      
    • Will not release your student photo ID.
      
      
    • Will not include your name and address in lists or labels requested by off-campus requestors.
      
      
    • Will not acknowledge to any third party that you are or were in attendance at the University. University officials, employees, or others who receive external inquiries about you will respond, “We have no information about that individual.”
      
      
    • Will not list you in commencement materials, including but not limited to commencement ceremony programs, press releases or other graduation related materials.
      
      
  • “Limited Privacy” Status: If you elect “limited privacy” status, only limited directory information will be released to the general public, unless one of the FERPA exceptions applies. Compared to a student who has not elected any privacy status, a designation of limited privacy status:
    
    
    • Will prevent the release of your name and address to off-campus requestors who desire lists or labels.
      
      
    • Will prevent the release of your Buff One Card photo.
      
      
    • Will allow University officials to send you only vital but not general correspondence.
      
      
  • The University may also disclose your non-directory records without your consent to any University official who has a demonstrated need for access to a record or information in order to fulfill his or her designated responsibilities.
    
    
  • Upon request, the University will disclose education records without your consent to officials of another school in which you may seek or intend to enroll.
    
    
• If you have a concern about the University’s compliance with FERPA’s requirements or need more information about students rights visit:
  
  http://registrar.colorado.edu/regulations/ferpa_guide.html
  
  or call the Academic Records Department of the Registrar’s Office at 303 492-6907. You also have 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:

  Family Policy Compliance Office
  U.S. Department of Education
  400 Maryland Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC 20202-5920

Return to Top