Eastern Oregon University > EOU Registrar > Records Privacy Information (FERPA)

Records Privacy Information (FERPA)

Student records are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), these are federal regulations which assign rights to students and responsibilities to educational institutions regarding students’ education records. The Act governs the maintenance and release of information from those records. The information provided on this web site is for informational purposes only. Questions should be referred to the Registrar’s Office at 541-962-3607 or by emailing registrar@eou.edu.

To see how FERPA regulations apply to you —

§ 99.30 (prior consent required)
§ 99.31 (prior consent not required)
§ 99.37 (disclosing directory information)

According to FERPA, a student is an individual who is enrolled in and actually attends an educational institution. The regulations provide that attendance includes attendance in person or via any other modality. Individuals who are accepted to an educational institution, but do not attend any classes, are not “students” for purposes of FERPA.

Directory

EOU Video/Photo FERPA Release Release form for faculty who want to use video or photos from classes.

FERPA does not prohibit instructors from making a recording of virtual lectures or class sessions available to students enrolled in the course. If the video is only of the lecturer and does not involve students, then that video may be used or shared with any class. However, recorded lectures or class sessions that include students are considered student education records. Therefore, sharing such recordings beyond students enrolled in the course would generally require prior written consent.

Definitions

Confidential Records

A students records can be marked as confidential. If records are marked as confidential they cannot be released to anyone, even the student who owns the records. A student identified as confidential will not show on a published deans list or other published material. If you need to mark you records as confidential, or remove the confidential flag from your record, please use this form Update Confidential Status Form.

Consent to Release Records

Students can release their records to parents or other individuals through Mountie Hub. Click on Proxy Portal Management in Mountie Hub.

Custodian 

Individual or unit that maintains any student-identifiable records.

Directory Information 

Term defined under FERPA; which allows certain information about students to be published or released by the institution without consent of the student.

Education Record(s) 

Education Records are the records, files, documents, and other materials that contain information directly related to a student and are maintained by any employee or contractual agent of the university [with certain exemptions as listed below].

  • Records that pertain to an individual’s attendance as a student, regardless of when they were created or received by the institution are Education Records.

The following categories of information are exempted and are not considered to be Education Records:

  • Records made by university personnel that are in the sole possession of the maker and are not routinely accessible or revealed to any other person.
  • Records created and maintained by the Office of Public Safety for law enforcement purposes.
  • Medical and counseling records used solely for treatment. (Medical records may be personally reviewed by a physician of the student’s choice.)
  • Post-enrollment records related to a former student that do not pertain to an individual’s previous attendance (alumni records).
EOU ID Number

The EOU ID number is a nine‐digit number randomly generated and assigned at the time of admission. Student’s EOU ID numbers will be imprinted on their student ID cards when they are issued by the Information Systems Office.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)

Federal law governing access to records maintained by educational institutions and the release of information from those records. FERPA requires the institution to send a notice to enrolled students annually.

FERPA Annual Notice (click to view the notice)

The FERPA notice sent out to active EOU students annually.

School Official

A School Official is defined as a person employed by the University, a person or entity (including a governmental entity) with whom Eastern Oregon University has contracted (e.g. National student Clearinghouse for degree verifications and term enrollments), a person serving on the University’s governing board or a student serving on an official committee or assisting another school official in performing his or her duties. School officials review education records when there is a legitimate educational interest based on their professional responsibilities for the University.

SSN or Tax ID number

Eastern Oregon University must obtain student’s correct taxpayer identification numbers (TIN) or social security numbers (SSN) for the purpose of filing certain information returns with the IRS and to furnish a year‐end statement to the student.

The Right to Inspect and Review Records

Students have the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days after the day EOU receives a request for access. A student should submit to the registrar a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the registrar, the registrar shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

~~NOTE FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS~~

FERPA prohibits EOU from giving parents access to student information without consent of the student. Students give records access through the Proxy Portal in Mountie Hub. Once that access has been given EOU may release student information to individuals who have been given access by the student. This is true regardless of the student’s age, or whether the student is a legal dependent of the parent, or whether the parent pays the student’s tuition and school expenses.

**FERPA does not allow us to give information such as grades or GPA over the phone or via e-mail, even to the student**

To access the consent to release page in Mountie Hub you must be logged in. Once logged in go to the “General Services” page and “Student Proxy Portal Management“.

FAMILY EMERGENCY SITUATIONS


During the 8:00‐5:00, Monday through Friday work week, if a parent, guardian, or other family member needs assistance in contacting an Eastern Oregon University student in an emergency, they should contact the Registrar’s Office at 541‐962‐3607. The Registrar’s Office will work with the student affairs office to contact the student and relay the information. For assistance after 5:00 PM, contact the La Grande police department at (541) 963‐1017 or dial 911.


PUBLIC HEALTH OR SAFETY EMERGENCIES


Disclosure of information from education records is allowed under the Eastern Oregon University Student Records Policy and FERPA in connection with a health or safety emergency if the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or others. Factors the University considers in determining whether to make the disclosure include:

  • The seriousness of the threat to health or safety;
  • the need for the information to meet the emergency
  • whether the individual(s) to whom the information is released is in a position to deal with the situation; and
  • the extent to which time is of the essence.