The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their “Education Records.” BMCC’s Student Records Policy explains the terms used in the law, and the effect of the law on access to student records, and students’ rights concerning their Education Records.
A student’s affirmative consent is generally required to disclose personally identifiable information (“PII”) contained in a student’s Education Records to a third person. However, not all student records are “Education Records” protected under the law, and FERPA permits, and sometimes requires, the disclosure of PII from a student’s Education Records without a student’s affirmative consent if the disclosure meets certain conditions. For instance, the disclosure of certain specific limited information called “Directory Information,” is not generally considered harmful or an invasion of privacy under FERPA. One of the primary purposes of Directory Information is to allow the college to include this type of information in certain school publications, such as online directories, yearbooks, Dean’s list and other recognition lists, commencement programs, and sports activity materials. This information is subject to different restrictions in terms of disclosure to third parties.
The college may make the following “Directory Information” concerning current and former students available to those parties having a legitimate interest in the information:
- Name
- Attendance dates (semesters and sessions, not daily records)
- Photograph
- 8-digit student CUNYfirst ID number
- Enrollment status (full or part-time, undergraduate or graduate, etc.)
- Level of education (credits completed)
- Degree enrolled for and major field of study
- Participation in officially recognized activities and sports (teams)
- For members of athletic teams only, height and weight
- Degrees, honors and awards received
- Address, (12.) email address and (13.) telephone number are also Directory Information but may be released only to employees of the University and its constituent colleges for the purpose of conducting legitimate University business. Unless another exception applies, they may not be shared as “Directory Information” with individuals and/or organizations outside the University.
By submitting the “Nondisclosure of Directory Information form” to the Registrar’s Office, you may direct that, absent another applicable exception, Directory Information not be released to third parties.
By submitting the “FERPA Release Form” to the Registrar’s Office, you may also direct that certain “Education Record” information be released to a designated person. If the Education Record you want to give someone else access to is not maintained by the Registrar’s Office, the form should be provided to the college official who maintains the information.
These forms are also available in the Registrar’s Office webpage under Forms and may be filed, withdrawn, or (in the case of the FERPA Release Form) modified at any time.
