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Appendix B

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

Annually, Texas A&M University informs students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This Act, with which the University intends to comply fully, is intended to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the rights of students to inspect and review their education records and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students also have the right to file complaints with the Family Policy Compliance Office of the Department of Education in Washington, D.C. concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Local policy explains the procedures to be used by the University for compliance with the provisions of the Act. Copies of the complete policy may be obtained at the Office of the Registrar, located at the Metro Centre, 3833 Texas Avenue, Suite 150, Bryan, Texas.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law which provides minimum standards for the management of student education records for universities receiving funds made available under any federal program administered by the U.S. Commissioner of Education. The Act provides, among other things, that an institution will maintain the confidentiality of student education records and that students will have the right to inspect most education records an institution maintains on them.

This Policy and the procedures included within it are designed to meet the FERPA provisions. Texas A&M University is committed to the good faith implementation of this Policy. Copies of the policy may be obtained at www.tamu.edu/registrar. Questions may be emailed to registrar@tamu.edu.

In case a student, the parent of a student or any other individual has a complaint that an official of the University is violating the FERPA, and the complaint cannot be satisfactorily resolved within the University, that person has the right to file a complaint with the Department of Education by contacting:

Family Policy Compliance Office

U.S. Department of Education

600 Independence Ave., S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20202-4605

(202) 260-3887

For the purposes of this Policy, Texas A&M University has used the following definitions of terms:

Student

Person who attends or has attended a program of instruction sponsored by Texas A&M University. The term does not include an individual who has not been in actual attendance at the University.

Education Records

Any records (in handwriting, print, tapes, film or other medium) maintained by the University, an employee of the University or agent of the University which is related to the student.

Directory Information

Under the "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)", the following directory information may be made public unless the student desires to withhold any or all of this information. The student's name, local address, permanent address, addresses for mail lists (includes email address), local telephone number, place of birth, dates of attendance, major, classification, enrollment status (hours) degrees awarded, honors/awards, rank in class, previous institution(s) attended, photograph (digitized image), color of hair/eyes, varsity sports participation, weight/height of athletes, parking permit information, academic standing and Association of Former Students Directory; also parent's name, address and telephone number.

Students wishing to withhold any or all of this information must complete the Hold Directory Information form available to all currently enrolled students in the Records section of the Office of the Registrar, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday or on the web at www.tamu.edu/admissions/records/Hold-Directory-Info.htm. Information on a student may be released unless a Hold Directory Information form is completed by the student and submitted to the Records section by the 12th class day of a fall or spring semester or by the 4th class day of a summer term (the official census day). The Hold Directory request remains in effect until the student revokes it in writing or is deceased. Only currently enrolled students may request directory information be withheld.