What Is Directory Information Ferpa.Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), directory information refers to certain types of personally identifiable information about a student that a school or educational institution may disclose without obtaining the student’s consent, unless the student has opted out of such disclosures.
What Is Directory Information Ferpa
Directory information typically includes:
- Student’s Name
- Address (typically limited to local or school-provided address)
- Phone number (typically limited to school-provided phone number)
- Email address (typically limited to school-provided email)
- Date and place of birth
- Photograph
- Major field of study
- Dates of attendance
- Enrollment status (full-time, part-time, etc.)
- Degrees, honors, and awards received
It’s important to note that while schools can disclose directory information without consent, they are required to provide eligible students with the opportunity to opt-out of such disclosures. This means that students can request that their directory information not be disclosed to third parties, such as for marketing purposes or public directories.
FERPA is a federal law that aims to protect the privacy of student education records and provides certain rights to students and their parents or guardians regarding access to and control over these records. The law applies to educational institutions that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education. It’s designed to balance the need for educational institutions to share information with various parties while safeguarding the privacy of students’ personal and academic information.
