The Rensselaer Policy under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) relating to the confidentiality and permitted disclosure of student educational records. Also includes the Rensselaer policy on Parental Notification.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Section 438 of the General Education Provisions Act, Title IV of Public Law 90-247), as amended. This Act provides that students attending any post-secondary educational institution which receives federal funds are entitled to access to their education records kept by the institution in order to inspect and review those records. Students are entitled to petition the Institute for the amendment or correction of any information in their education records which they feel is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of their privacy or other rights. Guidelines are also provided for the conduct of informal and formal hearings at which a student may present evidence that the records are inaccurate or misleading and seek to have them amended or corrected. Rensselaer also intends to comply fully with provisions of the act which limit the disclosure of certain information contained in students’ education records to the following circumstances:
- with the student’s prior written consent;
- as an item of directory information* (as defined in the Institute’s compliance policies) which the student has not refused to permit the Institute to disclose;
- under the provisions of the Act which allow a university to disclose information without the student’s prior written consent (see the Institute’s compliance policies).
Directory Information: Rensselaer intends from time to time to make certain "directory information" available for public use and has designated, as is provided by the FERPA regulations, the following as directory information:
- Student’s name,
- Campus or Local address,
- Telephone numbers
- Photograph,
- Institute issued e-mail address,
- Major field of study,
- Level or class year in school,
- Participation in officially recognized activities and sports,
- Weight and height of members of athletic teams,
- Employment status within Rensselaer,
- Dates of attendance at Rensselaer,
- Degrees, honors and awards received,
- Current enrollment status.
By the second week of class in Fall semester, each student will be reminded of the opportunity to notify the Office of the Registrar that they refuse to permit Rensselaer to release specific items of directory information. The registrar will instruct the student as to the appropriate custodians the student must notify to prevent any further disclosures of those items without the student's written consent except to parties who have access, under other provisions of the FERPA regulations, without such consent. Student’s choice to release or restrict directory information will remain in effect unless revoked or modified.
A student who does not wish any of this information to be released for a given semester should notify the Registrar in writing by the end of the second week of classes. Directory information is published in various forms during the year and Rensselaer can withhold information only in those cases where written requests are received in accordance with the above-mentioned guidelines. Students must fill out a request to prevent disclosure of directory information for each semester they wish to withhold such information.
A copy of Rensselaer’s complete Statement of Policy and Procedures in Compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is available below. Any student who believes, after seeking correction through the internal grievance procedures specified in Rensselaer’s policy statement that the Institute has failed to comply with the provisions of this Act, has the right to file a written complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office, US Department of Education,400 Maryland Ave, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202.
