Question: If alumni use a personal email address to ask questions regarding their student record, can you correspond with them?
Answer: It depends. The part of an alumni's student record that was created while they were a student continues to be protected under FERPA after they graduate. The directory suppression level selected by them while they were a student also remains in place (unless they change it). If they provided a non-U of M email address as a way to contact them, it's wise to inform them how to reactivate their U of M account or to only share general, non-student specific information. If you do respond to a non-U of M email address, be sure to use caution when providing private student data, as some personal email addresses may be shared by spouses or other family members.
If you are unsure whether or not it is really the student, or you are uncomfortable using a non-U of M email address to correspond with alumni about their record, it is reasonable to ask them to call you so that you can verify their identity or ask them to contact the Technology Helpline to reactivate their U of M email account. Alumni of the University are eligible keep their U of M email accounts so long as they access the account every three months.
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