TO:    Campus Community
FROM:  Beverly Rivera, University Registrar
       Lynette Phillips, Associate Counsel
RE:    Confidentiality of Student Records
DATE:  October 30, 2002
The University complies with applicable federal and state laws to 
manage student records and protect the confidentiality and privacy of 
student information.  All members of the campus community are 
responsible to adhere to these policies and to follow good practices 
in handling paper or electronic student records.  As required by law, 
notice of this policies and of students' rights under federal law is 
given annually to the campus community and is posted in the 
Registrar's website.
Applicable regulations include:
  The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) also known 
     as the Buckley Amendment
  The USA Patriot Acts (amendments to the FERPA Act)
  NY State Law regarding the use of students' social security number 
  University Policy on Student Access to Academic Records (P507R) 

Highlights of the privacy laws:

· The University is authorized to provide access to student records 
to campus officials and employees who have legitimate educational 
interest in such access, without the student's written consent.  
These persons are those who have responsibilities in connection with 
campus academic, administrative or service functions and who have 
reason for using student records connected with their campus or other 
related academic/administrative responsibilities as opposed to a 
personal or private interest.  Such determination is made on a 
case-by-case basis by the Registrar?s Office.

· With the exception of "Directory (Public) Information" (see below) 
student information must not be transmitted by any University 
employee to anyone outside the University (including parents or 
spouses) without the express written release by the student (as is 
the case of recommendation letters or issuance of academic 
transcripts) or pursuant to a lawfully subpoena/order.  Students may 
complete a form authorizing the Registrar's Office to permit 
non-University individuals (e.g., their parents or spouses) to view 
their academic record.

· Public information is called directory information and it includes 
the student's name, local address and telephone, E-mail address, date 
and place of birth, major field of study, year in school, dates of 
attendance, degrees and dates awarded, awards and academic honors, 
most recent previous educational institution attended, participation 
in officially recognized activities and sports, height and weight of 
members of athletic teams. Students may complete a request to the 
Registrar?s Office to suppress even directory information from being 
divulged.

· In addition to FERPA, NY State legislation that became effective in 
2001 specifically bars the display of a student's social security 
number in a posting or public listing of grades, on class rosters or 
other lists provided to teachers, on student identification cards, 
and in student directories or similar listings.  

Only the Office of University Counsel coordinates responses to 
subpoenas, court orders or law enforcement requests for student 
records.  Employees receiving any such requests MUST contact 
University Counsel for immediate action.

For more information:
1. Complete FERPA regulation is posted in the US Department of 
Education website: www.ed.gov/offices/OM/fpco/ferpa.
2. Amendments to FERPA are available at:
www.ed.gov/offices/OM/fpco/pdf/ht_terrorism.pdf 
3. Copies of this policy are available at the University Registrar's 
Office, and it is published in the Undergraduate Bulletin and in the 
University Registrar's website: 
http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Prov/registrarweb.nsf/pages/ferpa
4. University Policy on Student Access to Academic Records (P507R): 
http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Admin/policy.nsf/pages/p507
5. State University Of New York At Stony Brook Responsible Use Of 
Information Technology Policy (P109:R):
http://naples.cc.stonybrook.edu/doit.nsf/pages/policy.
6. Questions about the University's interpretation of the FERPA 
guidelines should be referred to the University Counsel, 328 
Administration, 2-6110.