Student records Directory Information/Tutorial
HCC considers the following items as directory information:
- name
- address
- telephone
- date of birth
- degrees earned and dates
- major field of study
- dates of attendance
- number of hours completed and in progress
- enrollment status
- student classification
- name of most recent institution attended
FERPA - Dos and Don'ts for Faculty/Staff
The Family Education Rights and privacy act of 1974 (FERPA) is to afford certain rights to students concerning their educational records. The primary rights afforded are the right to inspect and review the educational records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of information from the records.
HCC considers name, address, telephone, date of birth, degree earned and dates, major field of study, dates of attendance, number of hours completed and in progress, enrollment status, student classification, and name of most recent institution attended as directory information. This is the information that that can be given out to anyone making a request, provided that the student has not requested a confidentiality hold.
When a student reaches the age of 18 or begins attending a postsecondary institution regardless of age, FERPA rights transfer to the student. Parents may obtain only directory information as defined by the college. Parents may obtain non-directory information (grades, gpa, etc.) only at the discretion of the institution AND after it has been determined that their child is legally their dependent. Parents may also obtain non-directory information by obtaining a signed consent from their child or having a subpoena issued upon the institution.
Faculty and staff as employees of Houston Community College have a responsibility to protect all educational records in their possession. These include any computer printouts in their office, class lists on paper or on a computer desktop, computer display screen and notes taken during any kind of advising session with a student. Do not allow students to view, read or record another student's identification number while in your workspace.
To avoid violation of FERPA rules, faculty/staff should not:
- At any time, use students' identification/social security numbers in a public posting of grades
- Link the name of a student with that student's identification /social security number in any public manner
- Leave graded tests in a stack for students to pick up by sorting through the exams for all students in a class
- Circulate a printed class list with student names and student identification/social security numbers or grades as an attendance roster
- Discuss the progress of any student with anyone other than the student (including parents) without the consent of the student
- Provide anyone with lists of students enrolled in your sections for any commercial purpose
- Provide anyone with student schedules or assist anyone other than College employees in finding a student on campus
For any questions regarding release of student information, please call the System Registrar's Office at 713-718-8505.
To test your understanding of the information you just read, take the FERPA Quiz.
When in doubt, don't give it out!!!
