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From: Office of the Registrar

Dear OSU Students,

I write to remind you of important protections of your education records that are required by university policy, as well as federal and state laws.

In compliance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, state law and OSU policy, students have certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:

  1. 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 should submit written requests to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, 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 a request should be addressed.
  2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education record that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Students should write the university official responsible for the record; clearly identify the part of the record they want changed; and specify why the record 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 their 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.
  3. The right to consent to disclosures of the personally identifiable information contained in the student’s educational record, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including health staff and members of the university’s law enforcement department); a person or company with whom the university has contracted; a person or company acting as consultant or volunteer for the university; a person serving on the university’s Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee. A university official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill their professional responsibility.
  4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Oregon State University to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

The name and contact information of the office that administers FERPA is:

Student Privacy Policy Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-8520
1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327)
Website: https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/   

The information provided here is for informational purposes only. The complete text of the Oregon State University Student Records Standards, which take precedence, is available here: https://policy.oregonstate.edu/UPSM/01-120_student_records.

For more FERPA resources please see the Office of the Registrar FERPA page.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Mathern, Ph.D., Associate Vice Provost – Academic Affairs and University Registrar

Send Date: 
Wednesday, January 18, 2023