F5. Student Records
Updated: May 11th, 2012
Policies regarding student records are subject to the requirements of the 1974 Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), current Health and Human Services regulations, state legislation on applicant records (Stull Bill), and the elements of access rights under California public records legislation. In 1977, the Office of the President incorporated the provision of these laws and guidelines into a document entitled “University of California Policies Applying to the Disclosure of Information from Student Records.” This policy was revised in Fall 2002. Each campus was asked to develop its own policy and all campus offices that maintain records on students were asked to develop their own procedures to implement the policy. Each department, school, college, office, program, or entity that maintains student records is required to give public notice of the categories of information designated as directory information (which may be released without the student’s prior consent). Departments or units are not required to include all data elements considered directory information by the campus, but may not designate as directory information anything additional to those elements.
The full text of the campus policy can be found on the Office of the Registrar website (http://registrar.berkeley.edu/GeneralInfo/ferpa.html).
If you have further questions regarding the disclosure of information from student records, please call the Office of the Registrar (642-2261).
Information maintained by the Graduate Division. The information concerning registered graduate students maintained by the Graduate Division falls into two general categories: (1) directory information (unrestricted) and (2) confidential (restricted). Directory information will be released unless the student has requested that the record be kept confidential. (See “Right of students to have information withheld” below).
Directory information is as follows:
Name of student
Academic Appointment (confirmation of a “yes” or “no” only)
Address, e-mail
Degrees/honors
Major field of study
Current registration status
University fellowship or grant administered by the Graduate Division (confirmation of a yes” or “no” only)
Note: Inquirers may contact the Office of the Registrar or the Financial Aid Office for information, as appropriate.
All other records, such as general correspondence, educational test scores, reports on examinations, etc., are confidential. Complete records of degree recipients are kept for five years after the degree is awarded and those of inactive students who have not finished their degrees are kept for 10 years after the last semester of registration.
Rights of registered students regarding their records. Registered students are entitled by law and University policy to examine and challenge information maintained about them by campus offices. Specifically, they have the right to:
- inspect and review records pertaining to themselves in their capacity as students, except as the right may be waived or qualified under federal and state laws and University policies;
- inspect records maintained by the University of disclosures of personally identifiable information from their student records;
- seek correction of their student records through a request to amend the records and subsequently, if requested by the student, through a hearing; and
- file complaints with the Department of Education regarding alleged violations of the rights accorded them by the Federal Act.
Rights of students to have information withheld. A student may request the University not to release personally identifiable information about herself or himself by returning a form which is available from the Graduate Services Office (318 Sproul Hall) or by sending a written request to the Dean of the Graduate Division (424 Sproul Hall, #5900). Other offices on campus, such as the Registrar’s Office and the student’s department, also maintain student records. Each campus unit must be separately contacted should the student want information withheld.
See All Topics in the Category: F. Degrees, Guide to Graduate Policy
