Academic Policies

• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
• FERPA: Notification of Rights

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

Buckley Amendment

To comply with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (as amended), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University will not release education records or personally identifiable information contained therein, other than directory information, without the student's written consent.

Directory information at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University includes:

• student's name
• address(es)
• telephone number(s)
• major field of study
• whether a student is currently enrolled
• enrollment status (full-time, half-time, etc.)
• academic level and class
• anticipated date of graduation
• application for degree
• dates of attendance
• degree(s) earned, including date and level of distinction
• participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• weight and height of members of athletic teams

Directory information will be withheld upon the written request of the student. Such prohibition against release generally does not extend to record requests from other school officials at this institution who have an educational need to know, state and federal education authorities, courts or accrediting organizations. Questions concerning this policy may be referred to the Office of the University Registrar.

Note: Due to the laws covering confidentiality, it is illegal for anyone to release information (grades, course enrollment, class schedule, standing) about any student to anyone (including parents) without written permission from the student. Students who wish to grant such permission should contact the University Registrar's Office about completing and submitting a written waiver of their rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (also known as the Buckley Amendment).

Notification of Rights under FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include the following:

The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access. Students must submit to the Office of the University Registrar written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The university official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the University official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. They should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify what is inaccurate or misleading. If the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception which permits disclosure without consent is a disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisor, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the university has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Virginia Tech 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
600 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act indicates that students and former students should be granted the opportunity to change their names on education records upon the production of evidence showing that the name has changed. The following procedure applies to requests for changes to the name appearing on a student's education record:

• Complete Request for Change in Name form in the Office of the University Registrar
• Provide a photocopy of a Social Security card that reflects the new name and a valid drivers license or other form of photo identification
• Provide a photocopy of a birth certificate, marriage certificate or license, divorce decree, court order, or naturalization papers including certificate number, petition number, and registration number

Please note that all documentation used in support of this request should reflect the name for which you are requesting the change.

The Privacy Act of 1974 (U.S. Public Law 93-579, Sect. 7) requires that the university notify students that disclosure of a Social Security number is voluntary unless employed by the university or receiving federal financial aid. Pursuant to the 2003 State Code of the Commonwealth of Virginia, no student identification card may display the social security number as an identifier. Effective with students entering Fall 2003 and beyond, a generated identification number will be utilized as the default unique identifier. This generated number will be nine digits in length and will begin with the number, "9", nine. The generated student identification is defined as personally identifiable information by federal legislation, FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) (U.S. Public Law 93-579, Sect. 7), and is prohibited from disclosure except to education officials with legitimate educational interest.

For students who entered Virginia Tech prior to Fall 2003, the social security number was the default student identification number. Effective with the entering class of Fall 2003, a nine digit generated identifier is assigned to each student. Use this identifier when the student identification number is requested by a university official. Important note: disclosure of the social security number may be required by different university offices if required by the Code of the Commonwealth of Virginia or Federal statute.