Student Information

Rosalind Franklin University is committed to the privacy and security of our students. Rosalind Franklin University Student Records Policy complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) - sometimes called the Buckley Amendment - which establishes students’ rights and institutions’ responsibilities regarding the privacy of education records. It provides guidelines for maintaining the confidentiality of education records and monitoring the release of information from those records.

Your Rights Under FERPA

As a current or former university student, The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords you certain rights regarding your education records. They are:

• The right to inspect and review your records. You may request to review your records by submitting a written request to the university Registrar or other school official having custody of such records.
• The right to seek amendment of your records which you believe are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of your privacy rights. Requests for amendment of records must be in writing and must describe the specific portions of specific records that you wish to have amended, text or instructions as to the change desired, and the reasons why the change is justified.
• The right to restrict the disclosure of directory information.
• The right to file a complaint with the Department of Education's Family Policy Compliance Office concerning alleged failures by the university to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

Definition of Education Records

Education records are those records directly related to a student maintained by the university or by a party acting for the university.

Release of Education Records

Except as provided in FERPA (see below) or other applicable law, the university will not disclose personally identifiable information from your education records unless you provide a written release containing:

1. What information is to be released
2. To whom the information is to be released
3. The purpose for which it is to be released
4. Your signature and the date signed

Faculty and staff are responsible for protecting the identity of students and keeping student grades confidential. Grades or evaluations linked to personal identifiers (names, RFU ID numbers, or social security numbers) may not be publicly disclosed. Grades or evaluations may be posted only by using randomly generated codes or numbers. The return of graded papers or other assignments must also be accomplished in a manner that protects your identity.

Some records created and maintained by the university, although not covered by FERPA, may be subject to other federal and state laws or regulations regarding disclosure.

The exceptions under FERPA which allow the university to disclose personally identifiable information from your education record are stated in the full text of Rosalind Franklin University Student Records Policy. The most common exceptions to disclosure restrictions are disclosures to university faculty or staff -- "School Officials” -- with a legitimate educational interest, or disclosure of personally identifiable information designated as directory information.

Definition of Directory Information

Directory information includes:

• Student's name
• Local address
• Permanent address
• Email address
• Telephone listings
• Year at the university
• Dates of attendance
• Academic college and major field of study
• Enrollment status
• Participation in officially recognized activities
• Degrees, honors and awards received
• Most recent educational agency or institution attended
• Photographic or electronic pictures or images

Faculty, staff, student employees, or committees (when the members of the committee are appointed or elected to an officially constituted committee) who perform a function or task on behalf of, and at the request of, the university, its faculty, colleges, schools, departments or units are school officials for purposes of this policy. Additionally, agencies, organizations, contractors, consultants, volunteers and other outside service providers officially acting on behalf of the university and subject to the control of the university and that provide services, functions or conducts research the university would otherwise perform itself are considered school officials for the purposes of this policy (e.g., accountants, attorneys, degree or transcript services, testing services, computer security services, etc.).

Directory Information Restriction

You may choose to restrict release of your directory information. When the release of directory information is restricted, the fact that you are currently a student, or have ever been enrolled at Rosalind Franklin University, will not be released.

Once you restrict the release of directory information, in order to conduct any business with the university, you will need to go in person to the office involved, with photo ID, or, via mail or fax, provided a written request for release containing the following:

1. What information is to be released
2. To whom the information is to be released
3. The purpose for which it is to be released
4. Your signature and the date signed

No information will be provided via telephone. No information will be provided to anyone - parents, relatives, friends, other students, or prospective employers - who may wish to contact you or verify your student status at the university, without a written release from you containing the elements listed above.

Restricted directory information is made available only where an emergency is involved, at the direction of a court order, or to Rosalind Franklin University staff and faculty with a legitimate educational need to know.

Submitting a Directory Restriction Request

A Restriction of Directory Information form is available in the Registrar’s Office. Complete the form, including signature and date, and return it in person. Photo identification is required.

Your request to place or remove the restriction is effective no later than two working days after it is received in the Registrar’s Office.

Note: Submission of a Restriction of Directory form does not affect directory information already published or released.

Restriction Duration

The restriction of information is permanent until you request, in writing, that it be removed. The restriction will remain in place even after you have stopped attending or have graduated.

Requesting Letters of Reference or Recommendation from Faculty or Staff

Students who request letters of reference or recommendation from Rosalind Franklin University faculty or staff members need to do so in writing. Such letters or statements are most effective if they contain specific information about your academic or work performance; this type of information is considered "non-directory" information and cannot be released without the signed written consent of the student, according to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Rosalind Franklin University Student Records Policy.

The Registrar’s Office has composed a FERPA-compliant authorization to release form that may be used when requesting references/recommendations. The completed and signed Student Reference Request Form may be mailed, faxed, or sent as a PDF to the faculty or staff member from whom you are requesting the reference/recommendation.

Your request should contain the following:

• What information is to be released (be as specific as possible)
• To whom the information is to be released (name, address)
• The purpose of the release of the information
• Your signature and date

Requests that do not contain these four elements are not in compliance with FERPA.

Some graduate programs, scholarships or employer applications require the use of their own prepared packets and may include a form which provides a place for your signature authorizing release of non-directory information. If that completed form or a copy of it accompanies the pages to be completed by RFU faculty or staff members, no additional authorization is required.

RFU ID Number

The RFU ID number is a ten-digit number randomly generated and assigned at the time of first admission. RFU ID numbers are releasable only to you when you come in person to the Registrar’s Office with some type of photo ID. You may also mail or fax a written request for release to the Registrar’s Office containing the four elements listed in the section of this policy headed Release of Education Records. Over the years, the university has used other methods of creating and assigning ID numbers and for some time used Social Security numbers as ID numbers. Such numbers are no longer used. For this reason, former students who contact the university for information or service may be reassigned a new, randomly generated ID number.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1974 and has since had many amendments. Responsibility for oversight of FERPA compliance rests with the Department of Education's Family Policy Compliance Office.