Appendix A: Notification of Rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Notification of Rights Under FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords enrolled students certain rights with respect to their education records. A student is considered enrolled at Fordham University as of the first day of classes of the earliest term of the academic year in which the student is registered.

First time applicants to the University are not considered enrolled students until they are officially registered and attend the first day of classes. Requests for inspection of student records under FERPA cannot be considered until an individual is an enrolled student.

These rights include:

  1. The right to inspect and review your education records within 45 days of the day Fordham University receives a written request for access. If you want to review your record, you should submit a request to the Office of Academic Records. Indicate the record(s) you wish to inspect. A University official will make arrangements for access and notify you of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

  2. The right to request an amendment of your education record if you believe it is inaccurate or misleading. If you feel there is an error in your record, you should submit a statement to the University Registrar clearly identifying the part of the record you want changed, and why you believe it is inaccurate or misleading. A University official will notify you of their decision and advise you regarding appropriate steps if you do not agree with the decision.

  3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in your education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with "legitimate educational interests." A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official has a "need to know" of information from your education record in order to fulfill his or her official responsibilities. 

    1. Examples of people who may have access, depending on their official duties, and only within the context of those duties, include: Staff employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, 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, collection agent, contractor, consultant, volunteer, or technology provider), or other outside parties under the direct control of the University with respect to the use and maintenance of education records; a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student employed by the University or serving on an official committee, such as on a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

  4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Fordham University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is: 

Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO)
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5920
Phone: 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327)

FERPA also protects course recordings, as outlined in the Class Recording Notice and Related Policy.

A copy of the Act, more details about your rights, and any University policies related to the Act are available from the Office of Academic Records at this page.

Questions concerning FERPA should be referred to the Office of Academic Records or the Office of Legal Counsel.

Directory Information

Release of student record information is generally not done at Fordham University without the expressed, written consent of the student. There are, however, some exceptions.

For example, Fordham University, at its discretion, may release the following Directory Information without the student's consent: student's name, address, telephone number, electronic mail address, Fordham ID Number (FIDN), photograph, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, grade level, enrollment status (e.g. undergraduate or graduate; full-time or part-time), participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, degrees, honors and awards received (e.g., Dean's List recognition), and the most recent educational agency or institution attended, and other such similar information. 

Please note that you have the right to withhold the release of directory information. To do so, you must complete the Educational Record Sharing (FERPA) Block form, also available on the Fordham.edu "Students" page under "Electronic Forms." Please note two important details regarding placing a "No Release" (FERPA Block) on your record:

  • Fordham University receives many inquiries for directory information from a variety of sources outside the institution, including friends, parents, relatives, prospective employers, scholarship programs, the news media and honor societies. Having a "No Release" on your records will preclude release (block the sharing) of such information, even to those people.

  • A "No Release" applies to all elements of directory information on your record. Fordham University does not apply a "No Release" differently to the various directory information data elements.