Annual Notice
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (“Rutgers”) complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) and makes public announcement of the law. This announcement shall be published as an “official notice” at least twice per year and will also be archived on the Privacy section of the website for the Office of Enterprise Risk Management, Ethics and Compliance. Students with questions about this notice or about FERPA generally should contact the University Director of Privacy at FERPARU@rutgers.edu (973) 972-8000).
FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their “education records” as that term is defined in the law. These rights include the following:
- The student has the right to inspect and review his/her education records within 45 days of the date Rutgers receives a proper request for access to such records.
- The student has the right to request amendment of education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading.
- Rutgers shall obtain the prior consent of the student before disclosing personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, EXCEPT to the extent FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
- The student may direct complaints concerning the alleged failure of Rutgers to comply with the requirements of FERPA to The Office of University, Ethics and Compliance, University Director of Privacy at (973) 972-8000(FERPARU@rutgers.edu), or to the U.S. Department of Education, c/o Family Policy Compliance Office, U. S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC, 20202-4605.
Inspection and Review
Students wishing to exercise their rights to inspect and review their education records should submit a written request to the appropriate official at the Rutgers office which is custodian of the records they wish to review. The Rutgers official will make arrangement for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. Students who do not know which Rutgers office is the custodian of the records they wish to inspect should contact their Dean of Students or University Director of Privacy at (973) 972-8000 (FERPARU@rutgers.edu).
Amendment of Records
Students requesting amendment of education records should first review the policies and procedures of their college or school and/or consult with their Dean of Students, or equivalent official. With regard to education records maintained at a Rutgers office other than one within the student’s college or school, the student should write the Rutgers official responsible for the record, identify the part of the record the student wants changed and specify why the student believes the record is inaccurate or misleading. If the record custodian denies the request to amend the record, the student will be notified of the decision and advised of his/her right to a formal hearing. A student will obtain additional information on the hearing procedure from the University Director of Privacy after an amendment request has been denied.
Disclosure of Student Information without Prior Consent
There are a number of exceptions to the general rule prohibiting disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records without prior consent of the student. More information concerning these exceptions is available from the Registrar or the website of the Office of Enterprise Risk Management, Ethics and Compliance under Privacy. Some common exceptions used by Rutgers are set forth below; however there are other exceptions where education records are released without prior consent not listed here.
- FERPA permits disclosure to Rutgers officials with legitimate educational interest in the records being sought. A Rutgers official is a person employed by Rutgers 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, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Governors or Board of Trustees, a student serving on an official committee such as a disciplinary hearing board, or a student who is assisting another school official in performing his or her job responsibilities. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her job responsibilities.
- FERPA allows the University to release student “directory information” without a student’s consent, unless the student has requested such information be kept confidential. Rutgers defines directory information as:
- name
- campus address
- campus post office address
- campus telephone number
- date of birth
- Rutgers e-mail address
- RUCS user name / NetID
- permanent (home) address
- permanent (home) telephone number
- school of attendance
- major field of study
- class year
- dates of attendance
- current credit load
- credit hours earned
- degrees received
- dates of degrees
- weight and height of intercollegiate athletes
- most recent previous school attended
- honors and awards
- participation in officially recognized activities
- internships (Applies only to RBHS graduate and professional schools)
- residency or other post-completion placements (Applies only to RBHS graduate and professional schools)
It is the practice of the University to not release a student’s date of birth except as required by law or as a validation of positive identification of a student when furnished by a person making an inquiry.
For more information on how to keep your directory information confidential, visit the Rutgers Online Directory or contact:
The Office of University, Ethics and Compliance
University Director of Privacy
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 335 George Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Phone: (973) 972-8000
Fax: (973) 972-7174
ferparu@rutgers.edu