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Monday, February 26, 2018

FERPA Q&A

Q: I am an advisor and an instructor is asking me questions about one of my students. What information can I release to an instructor?

A: It depends on the instructors “legitimate educational interest” in the information. The instructor may, or may not, have a business need for the student’s prior course history, grades, or other information.

For example, if an instructor is teaching an upper-level course and is asking about a student's ability to successfully complete the course, or asking about the student's performance in a prerequisite to the course the instructor is teaching, the instructor has a legitimate need to know. Conversely, if the instructor is asking about performance in a course unrelated to the course they are teaching, that information should not be released as the instructor does not have a true need to know.

Except in specific, identified situations, instructors are not entitled to a full list of grades or a transcript of a student without that student's written consent. When in doubt about what information can be shared, ask why the instructor needs the private student data.

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