FERPA for Faculty

Manhattan Tech is committed to the protection and confidentiality of student education records, adhering closely to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act guidelines. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of education records, establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records and provide guidelines for correcting inaccurate and misleading data through informal and formal hearings.

Training Resources

FERPA Tutorial: This tutorial is designed to provide a base-level knowledge of the rules governing the release of student information. The tutorial takes 20-25 minutes to complete. Manhattan Tech employees can access the FERPA tutorial here.

FERPA Presentation: This document is used for campus presentations on the basics of FERPA.

FERPA Training: The Registrar provides in-person training yearly. Please inquire about individualized FERPA training opportunities by sending an email to registrar@manhattantech.edu.

FERPA FAQ: Frequently asked questions regarding the protection of student records.

Campus Practices

Obtaining consent from students

Once a student begins attending an institution of post-secondary education, all privacy rights move to that student. The general principle is that student education records are considered confidential and may not be released to third parties (including parents) without the student's written consent.

Such things as progress in a course, deficiencies in a subject area, scores and grades on papers, exams, etc., are all examples of information that makeup part of the student's education record. This information is protected under FERPA and requires student consent for release. Faculty wishing to speak with a parent about a student’s academic performance should check with the student services office to confirm that the student’s consent to release academic information is on file.

Posting Grades

Publicly posting grades by a student's name or personally identifiable information (e.g., student ID number or SSN) without the student's written permission violates FERPA, even if the students' names are obscured. Please use CANVAS and EXi, which include the appropriate security controls, to post student progress and grades. Once grades are posted in EXi, they are available for students to view on MATC Online.

Returning graded papers and assignments

Distributing graded work in a way that exposes the student's identity or leaving personally identifiable graded papers unattended is no different from posting grades publicly. If the papers contain "personally identifiable" information, leaving them unattended for anyone to see is a violation of FERPA.

Sending FERPA-protected data via email

FERPA-protected data should never be sent via email, as this is not a secure method of transmitting sensitive data. Restricted information such as grades, GPA, or personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers should never be sent through email. Please take care not to forward or reply to emails sent to you containing sensitive data without removing such data before transmission. Consider using OneDrive if you need to transmit student education records electronically.

Crisis Situations/Emergencies

If non-directory information is needed to resolve a crisis or emergency situation, an education institution may release that information if the institution determines that the information is "necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals." In the case of an emergency, contact the appropriate individuals (e.g., The Vice President, Deans, or President) and describe the situation that led you to make the call. Document with whom you spoke, when you called or were called, and the details of your conversation.

Letters of Recommendation

Written permission of the student is required for a letter of recommendation if any information included in the recommendation is part of the "education record" (grades, GPA, and other non-directory information) or is an assessment of a student's performance, such as her/his rank in the class/ attendance. Statements made from personal observation or knowledge do not require a signed release.