Student Data Privacy

Annual Notice to Students

As a CU Boulder student, it's important to understand your rights regarding access to and disclosure of information in your education record. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords you the right to:

• Inspect and review your education record
• Request amendment of your education record
• Consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information in your education record
• File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education (Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202)

To review or request an amendment to your record, contact the Office of the Registrar or the university office that maintains the record. This does not apply to grade changes, which are at faculty discretion.

Under FERPA, the university may release education record information if the disclosure is:

• To CU Boulder officials who have a legitimate educational interest
• To officials of another institution at which you seek or intend to enroll
• To authorized representatives of federal, state or local educational authorities
• To connection with financial aid you've applied for or received
• To an organization conducting studies for or on behalf of the university
• To your parents or guardians (if you are a dependent student for tax purposes)
• To an accrediting organization
• To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena
• In connection with a health or safety emergency or other exception under FERPA
• To fulfill a request for data that CU Boulder defines as directory information

Student data that is not directory information may only be released with your documented consent.

To authorize third-party access to your non-directory information, see CU Guest Access and FERPA Consent to Release. You may restrict the release of directory information by placing full privacy on your record.

Questions may be directed to the Office of the Registrar.

Directory Information

The following items of student information have been designated by the University of Colorado Boulder as public or "directory" information:

• student name¹
• hometown (city, state)
• campus email address²
• dates of attendance
• previous educational institutions attended
• school/college or division of enrollment
• majors, minors and fields of study
• classification level (e.g., first-year, sophomore, etc.)
• university-recognized honors and awards
• degree status (e.g., expected graduation date and/or conferral dates/terms)
• enrollment status
• employment related to student status (e.g., teaching assistant, resident assistant or work-study) and dates for positions held
• participation in officially recognized activities/sports, including height and weight of athletes.
• photos and videos taken or maintained by the university

Directory information shall not be provided to anyone outside of the CU community (except to vendors/organizations with which the university has contracted in order to provide goods or services to students). The university retains the discretion to refuse disclosure of directory information if it believes such disclosure would be an infringement on student privacy rights. In an effort to protect student privacy, CU directories may only contain a student's name, email address, class and major field of study.

Withholding Directory Information (Full Privacy)

Students have the right to request full privacy which withholds directory information from being released to inquirers. To request full privacy and restrict the release of directory information, students must bring a photo ID to the Office of the Registrar during business hours to complete a privacy form.

Student Consent for Release of Non-directory (Confidential) Information

Students may authorize the university to release educational records to parents, spouses or other third parties by granting consent in their student portal. The Privacy Settings webpage has more information about various options for granting and restricting access to student records.

Release of Disciplinary Information

Provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended by the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, govern access to a student's academic transcript or conduct file. The student and/or those university officials who demonstrate a legitimate educational need for disciplinary information may have access to the student's conduct file.

Parent(s) who provide proof that a student is a dependent as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (i.e., a copy of the last federal income tax return listing the student as a dependent) may have access to the student's conduct file without written consent of the student. In this case, parents may have access to a conduct file, even if the student has requested otherwise.

In addition, parent(s) may be notified if a student under 21 is found responsible for a violation involving use or possession of alcohol and controlled substances. All other inquiries, including but not limited to inquiries from employers, government agencies, news media, family, friends or police agencies, require a written release from the student before access to university conduct files is granted. Exception: information may be released pursuant to a lawfully issued subpoena and as provided by the Campus Security Act as amended by the Higher Education Amendments of 1992.

The Campus Security Act permits higher education institutions to disclose to alleged victims of any crime of violence (e.g., murder, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson) the results of the conduct proceedings conducted by the institution against an alleged perpetrator with respect to such crime. The Campus Security Act also requires that both the accused and the accuser be informed of campus conduct proceedings involving a sexual assault.