Janice Lozano
The privacy and security of student records at Howard University are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. FERPA is a federal law that governs the disclosure of student information and permits Howard faculty, staff, and representatives to discuss a student's education record with a third party only if specific regulations are met. Students at Howard University have the right to withhold directory information from non-institutional persons or organizations and can request amendments to their education records if they believe their privacy rights have been violated. Additionally, Howard University implements technical and organizational measures to ensure the security and confidentiality of personal information, and will delete personal information when it is no longer required.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Dominant federal law pertaining to student information | Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) |
| FERPA permits Howard faculty, staff and representatives to discuss the content of a student's education record with a third party | Only if specific regulations are met |
| FERPA affords a third party | The right to access their children's education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records |
| Official repository of academic records | Office of the Registrar |
| Office of the Registrar responsibilities | Recording and reporting grades, issuing transcripts, certifying enrollment, coordinating class scheduling, managing consortia and domestic exchange programs, and maintaining official student academic records |
| University compliance | Comply with certain federal and state regulations governing the disclosure of student information |
| University compliance with legal or regulatory obligations | Howard may share your personal information with Law Enforcement Agencies, Courts, Regulators, Government Authorities or Other Third Parties |
| University compliance with legal or regulatory obligations | Retain your personal information for a period of time that enables it to maintain its records and comply with record retention requirements under applicable law |
| University compliance with legal or regulatory obligations | Transfer, store, and process your personal information in a country that may not be regarded as ensuring an adequate level of protection for personal information under the laws of your country |
| University compliance with legal or regulatory obligations | Put in place appropriate safeguards, such as contractual commitments, in accordance with applicable legal requirements to ensure that your personal information is adequately protected |
| University compliance with legal or regulatory obligations | Process health and medical information to comply with obligations under social protection laws, for example, to provide disability accommodations |
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What You'll Learn
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
FERPA permits Howard University faculty, staff, and representatives to discuss a student's education record with a third party only if specific regulations are met. These regulations include the completion of the "Permission to Release Education Record Information" form, which must be returned to the Office of the Registrar. Students can also provide electronic consent for the release of records through the Manage Third-Party Permissions feature in BisonHub (powered by Workday).
FERPA also affords third parties, such as parents, the right to access their children's education records, seek amendments, and control the disclosure of personally identifiable information. However, once a student turns 18 years old or enters a postsecondary institution at any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student.
Howard University's "Student Privacy Rights Policy" outlines these regulations and provides frequently asked questions to help students understand their rights under FERPA. The university encourages open communication between students and their families and provides resources to facilitate this.
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Student control over third-party access
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that governs student information and privacy at educational institutions in the United States, including Howard University. Under FERPA, students at Howard University have certain rights regarding their education records and control over third-party access to their information.
According to FERPA, Howard University can only allow its faculty, staff, and representatives to discuss a student's education record with a third party if specific regulations are met. Students have the right to choose whether their directory information is made public or kept confidential. They can manage their privacy settings and indicate whether they consent to Howard University sharing their directory information with outside entities. This can be done through the "Manage My Privacy Settings" task in BisonHub (powered by Workday).
Additionally, students who wish to grant permission to specific individuals, such as parents or legal guardians, to access their education records can complete the "Permission to Release Education Record Information" form. This form can be submitted to the Office of the Registrar, which is the official repository of academic records at Howard University. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of student records, in accordance with applicable laws and the university's policies.
Howard University also complies with international laws and regulations regarding the protection of personal information. For students from countries with stricter privacy laws, such as those in the European Economic Area, Howard University has implemented appropriate safeguards to ensure the protection of their personal information. This includes contractual commitments and compliance with international legal requirements.
In summary, students at Howard University have control over third-party access to their education records through the provisions of FERPA and the university's own privacy policies. They can manage their privacy settings, grant specific permissions, and rest assured that their personal information is protected in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
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Health and medical information
Howard University collects and stores certain information about students' devices and their use of the website through "cookies" and other device-identifying technologies. This allows the university to analyse students' use of the website. While this data collection may raise privacy concerns, Howard University has implemented technical and organisational measures to ensure the security and confidentiality of personal information. These measures aim to protect the integrity and confidentiality of students' personal information.
In the United States, student health records are typically subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA protects personally identifiable information (PII) in students' education records, including health records maintained by the school. However, if a school's health services are funded, administered, or operated by a public or private health agency, then the school's health records are protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) instead of FERPA. HIPAA prohibits the disclosure of protected health information (PHI) without consent and requires appropriate privacy protections to be established.
It is important to note that both FERPA and HIPAA have exceptions that allow for disclosures in emergencies to protect the health and safety of individuals. Additionally, students have the right to register complaints with the appropriate data protection authority if they believe their privacy rights have been violated. Howard University is committed to maintaining the privacy and security of student information and has outlined its practices on its website.
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International student data protection
The protection of student data, especially in the context of international students, is a complex and evolving area of concern for educational institutions. With the surge in online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, universities face the challenge of safeguarding their students' data in a virtual environment. International students, in particular, may have unique data protection needs due to varying legal requirements across borders.
In the United States, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), also known as the "Buckley Amendment," grants students specific rights concerning their educational records. This federal law governs student privacy rights, ensuring that educational institutions obtain consent and maintain transparency in how they collect and use student data.
Universities like Princeton explicitly outline their data protection practices, assuring students that their personal data is respected and protected. Princeton's policies align with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which safeguards personal information shared while individuals are within the European Union.
At Howard University, the Office of the Registrar serves as the official repository of academic records. While Howard collects and stores student information, it also recognises the potential need to share this data with third parties, including law enforcement, courts, and government authorities, to fulfil legal or regulatory obligations or protect individual rights.
To address the complexities of international student data protection, organisations like the Council of International Schools (CIS) offer guidance and resources. The CIS emphasises the importance of policy review, training and education, and monitoring procedures to keep students safe online. Additionally, the Student Data Privacy Consortium works to establish clear steps and best practices for student data sharing between schools and research organisations, promoting interoperability and security standards.
As the landscape of education becomes increasingly globalised, with students crossing borders for educational opportunities, institutions must remain vigilant in their data protection practices to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of their students' personal information.
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Retention of records
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the dominant federal law that protects student information at Howard University. FERPA permits Howard faculty, staff, and representatives to discuss a student's education record with a third party only if specific regulations are met. Students at Howard University may choose to have their directory information marked as confidential by accessing the Manage My Privacy Settings task in BisonHub. Here, they can indicate whether they wish to have their directory information made public or not, and whether the university can share this information with outside entities. Students can also submit a "Request for Non-Disclosure of Student Information" form to the Office of the Registrar if they wish to keep their directory information confidential.
Howard University will retain student personal information for as long as it has a relationship with the student. Once the relationship has ended, Howard will continue to retain the student's personal information for a period that enables it to maintain its records and comply with record retention requirements under applicable law.
Howard University may share personal information with law enforcement agencies, courts, regulators, government authorities, or other third parties when necessary to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation or to protect its rights or the rights of any third party. The university has also put in place appropriate safeguards to ensure that personal information is adequately protected when transferred to or stored in a country that may not have the same level of protection for personal information as the student's home country.
The Office of the Registrar at Howard University is the official repository of academic records. It is responsible for recording and reporting grades, issuing transcripts, certifying enrollment, and maintaining official student academic records. The Office of Recording at Howard University acts in accordance with the university's policies governing the maintenance of student records, student rights regarding such records, and the release of information on students to third parties.
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Frequently asked questions
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 and its amendments protect student records at Howard University.
FERPA permits Howard faculty, staff, and representatives to discuss the content of a student's education record with a third party only if specific regulations are met. Students who wish to provide access for third-party individuals must update their permissions in BisonHub.
Student education records refer to records, files, documents, and other materials that contain information directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational institution or a person acting for said institution.
