Student Records Privacy Policy for Parents

Oregon Institute of Technology is concerned about the privacy of your student’s records. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) initially gave you and your student the rights to access and review your student’s academic records in elementary and high school. Now that your student is attending Oregon Tech, FERPA rights transfer ownership of the records directly to your son or daughter.

According to FERPA, students attending college are considered adults and given the right to determine who will receive any information regarding their academic records. While parents often have a vested interest in their student’s academic progress, they must have written consent in order to have access to a student’s records.

Definition of Education Records

Education records are those records directly related to a student and maintained by the university or by a party acting for the university. Some examples: records of grades, coursework, records indicating progress toward a degree, student financial account records.

Parent Rights

Parent access to education records is limited to information classified as Directory Information. Each university has its own directory information. The following information is Oregon Tech Directory Information:

• a student’s full name
• current address telephone number
• a student’s hometown
• dates of attendance by term
• degree program/major field of study
• date of graduation
• most recent/previous school attended
• participation in official activities/sports
• age, height, and weight of athletic team members

Below is a quick reference of frequently asked-for data, and whether it is or is not Oregon Tech Directory Information.

Directory Information?	Yes	No
Student’s full name	X
Oregon Tech ID number		X
Date of Birth		X
Current mailing address and telephone number	X
E-mail address		X
Parent names and/or addresses		X
Hometown	X
Dates of attendance by term	X
Degree program/major field of study	X
GPA or grades		X
Date of graduation	X
Current term credits or class schedule (CRNs, meeting times, locations)		X
Full-time, half-time or less than half-time enrollment status	X
Information on academic standing (probation, disqualification, etc.) or whether a student is eligible to return to school		X
Whether student has applied for graduation		X
Most recent/previous school attended	X
Participation in official activities/sports	X
Age, height, and weight of athletic team members	X
Accounts receivable balance		X
Financial records of parents		X
Student employment records		X
Copies of transcripts from other schools or colleges		X
Psychiatric or psychological records		X

Parental access to other education records is allowed when the student completes a File Authorization Form/Disclosure of Information and submits to the Registrar’s Office. Please keep in mind that the release of information over the phone is limited due to identity insecurity even after this form is turned in.

Parents are encouraged to read the Privacy Policy information provided under the Student Link.

Family Emergency Situations

During the 8:00-5:00 work week, if a parent, guardian, or other family member needs assistance in contacting an Oregon Institute of Technology student in an emergency, they should contact the Residence Hall Director, (541) 885-1087, if the student lives in university house, or the Office of the Dean of students, (541) 885-1013, if the student lives off campus. For emergencies after 5:00 PM, contact Campus Safety at (541) 885-1111.

Public Health or Safety Emergencies

Disclosure of information from education records is allowed under the Oregon Tech Student Records Policy and FERPA in connection with a health or safety emergency if the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or others. Factors the university considers in determining whether to make the disclosure include:

• The seriousness of the threat to health or safety;
• The need for the information to meet the emergency;
• Whether the individual(s) to whom the information is released is in a position to deal with the situation; and
• The extent to which time is of the essence

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1974 and has since had many amendments. Responsibility for oversight of FERPA compliance rests with the Department of Education’s Family Policy Compliance Office.