The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law, affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are: (1) the right to inspect and review education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access; (2) the right to request the amendment of the education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading; (3) the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent; and (4) the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University of Iowa to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The address of the Family Policy Compliance Office, which administers FERPA, is 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20202-4605.

Under FERPA, the University defines the following categories as directory information: name; local address; telephone number; HawkID and electronic mail address; hometown; major fields of study; college enrolled in; dates of attendance, including the current class or year; full-time/part-time status; degrees and awards received or applied for during the current academic term; height and weight of members of athletic teams; and information about participation in activities and sports. The University has authority under FERPA to release directory information regarding a current or former student to anyone without the consent of the student. For students who request confidentiality of directory information, the University will not release directory information to the general public. Students interested in restricting the release of directory information should contact the University Registrar, Room 1 Jessup Hall or place a restriction on your information via ISIS . To restrict your address using ISIS, go to the “change of address” option found on “myUiowa” option in “ ISIS ” and indicate your preference of “address,” “phone,” or “both.”

Directory information not restricted from release by the student is subject to public release and inclusion in the University directory. In early September, the University will release directory information to a designated publishing company for inclusion in the annual student, staff, and faculty directory. Information included in the published directory includes name; local address; telephone number; hometown; electronic mail address; and college enrolled in and current class or year.

Students are entitled to restrict the release of directory information, and former students may restrict address and telephone number. To avoid publication of any or all of this information in the University directory, a request must be submitted no later than 14 calendar days following the first day of classes of fall semester to the Office of the Registrar, 1 Jessup Hall. After the date in which the directory information is released to the publisher, the Office of the Registrar will process requests to restrict the release of directory information but such requests cannot be effectuated with respect to the information sent to the publisher. A request to restrict directory information will remain in effect until revoked by the student in writing.

To facilitate the disclosure of student education record information, FERPA information release forms are available in department offices which maintain student records. In lieu of signing a FERPA information release form, a student may elect to authorize disclosure via the web using ISIS . The combination of a student's HawkID and HawkID password at the University of Iowa is considered an electronic signature. The Office of the Registrar will respond to electronic requests for the release of transcripts and other personally identifiable information as long as each request is authenticated via the ISIS website or the Office of the Registrar website by logging in with a student's HawkID and HawkID password.

FERPA permits disclosure of education record information without the student’s consent to school officials who have a legitimate educational interest in the information. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or 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 Regents; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

Not all information related to students is defined as education records under FERPA. For example, law enforcement records, medical records, and alumni records are not accessible as education records. Education record information may be released, moreover, under specified circumstances, and the University reserves the right to release student record information without the student’s prior permission as authorized by FERPA. For example, a student’s consent is not required prior to the release of unrestricted directory information or certain financial aid information, or in the case of a health or safety emergency.

FERPA and Iowa law may permit the release of certain disciplinary information without the student’s consent, such as the final disciplinary results of a crime of violence committed by a student, or parental notification of an alcohol or drug violation committed by a student under 21 years of age. In addition, FERPA permits student record information to be released without prior approval to testing agencies, accrediting organizations, parents of dependent students, designated officials of the federal government or state government, or to individuals with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. With respect to interinstitutional disclosure, the University intends to forward education records, with or without the student’s consent, to officials of another school, upon request, in which the student seeks or intends to enroll. For the purpose of evaluating and improving high school instructional programs, Iowa high schools receive from the University a freshman year report containing first-year academic progress data on the school's graduates who are attending the University of Iowa .

Students taking collaborative courses that require the use of a course management system like ICON (powered by Desire2Learn), WebCT, or Blackboard may be asked to share their name and e-mail address with fellow classmates in order to facilitate electronic interaction. The University will manage the exchange of e-mail address information for such courses even for a student who has placed a block on directory information. A student who declines to authorize the release of information necessary to facilitate electronic interaction may not be eligible to complete the course. Before enrolling in a course, students are encouraged to determine whether the course utilizes a course management system.

In 1998, Congress enacted a law restricting student financial aid to persons convicted of certain illicit drug crimes (20 U.S.C. 1091(r)). The University, in complying with the requirements of this law, may disseminate certain information in the student’s record related to financial aid or criminal history to the Department of Education or other appropriate enforcement agency.

Student requests to inspect education records which are governed by FERPA should be submitted to the office which maintains the records at issue (e.g. registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official). The University official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

Students may also ask the University to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. The request should be made in writing to the University official responsible for the record and clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.

Under FERPA, students are not entitled to copies of education records in every case. Students may have copies made of their records if necessary to effect their right to inspect and review the record, or when a disclosure is made to another institution. When provided, the fee for copies will be 20 cents per page. Cases in which the University may deny a request for copies of records include, but are not limited to, situations where the student lives within commuting distance of the University of Iowa; where the student has an unpaid financial obligation to the University; where there is an unresolved disciplinary action against the student; or where the education record requested is an exam or set of standardized test questions. Where copies are provided, the documents will be redacted to protect the rights of other students.