5. Faculty Responsibilities Regarding FERPA

Faculty must understand that once a student reaches 18 years of age, he or she, not the parents or guardians, holds legal privacy rights regarding grades, academic records, classroom performance, attendance, and matters of behavior and/or discipline. In other words, if a parent, guardian, spouse, or other claimant contacts a faculty member with questions—academic, disciplinary, social, etc.—about any Rochester Christian University student, the faculty member must not divulge any information in order to protect the rights of the eligible student. If the parent/guardian/spouse/other claims that the student in question has signed a release that allows the claimant access to protected information, then the faculty member must verify with the Office of the Registrar that such a document is on file before divulging any information or answering any questions. Failure to follow these guidelines could result in legal action against both the institution and the faculty member.