FERPA (The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act), is a federal law that protects the student education records and guides how student data is managed on campus.

More specifically, FERPA , sets forth requirements regarding the privacy of student records and affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. FERPA applies to those institutions that receive funding from the Department of Education and guarantees students three primary rights: to inspect and review their education records; to seek to amend education records; and to exercise some control over the disclosure of information from those education records.

Education records are those records which are directly related to a student and maintained by Northern Arizona University or by a person or authorized agent acting for Northern Arizona University, which include any information or data recorded in any medium, including, but not limited to handwriting, print, tapes, film, microfilm, and microfiche.

You may share Directory Information, NAU processes and procedures, as well as web content, that is public information with a third party. If education records are requested, please direct the requestor to the Lumberjack Family Hub to obtain a FERPA Release.

Interoffice sharing of Personally Identifiable Information must be through an approved modality and adhere to NAU’s Data Classification and Handling Policy.

Directory information is deemed by FERPA as “public” information a university may share without student consent. If the student has not restricted access to “directory” (or public) information, you may release the following:

• Name
• Address (local and permanent)
• University E-mail address
• Telephone number
• Major field of study
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Dates of attendance (enrollment verification)
• Enrollment status (undergraduate or graduate, freshman, etc., full-time or part-time)
• Degrees, honors, and awards received
• Institution most recently previously attended

To find out if a student has restricted Directory Information, you make view the “Release Info” tab in Salesforce or look for the “window shade” icon on  the “Advisee’s Student Center” page in PeopleSoft.

Do Not Release Without the Student’s Written Authorization (*Can be found in The Lumberjack Family Hub):

• Student ID number
• Student ID Photo
• Grades*/Exam Scores
• Grade Point Average*
• Social Security Number
• Parent Address/Phone
• Detail of Registration Information (i.e., courses, times)*
• Race, Ethnicity, or Nationality
• Gender
• Total Credits*
• Number of Credits Enrolled in a term
• Emergency Contact

A FERPA release is the opportunity for a student to provide access, to specific education records (listed below), to a third party. What may or may not be shared is located in the Lumberjack Family Hub.

• Class Schedule/Enrollment
• Campus Living Information
• Student Conduct Information
• Grade(s) Information
• Admitted Student Next Steps
• Financial Aid Information
• Account Balance
• Holds on Account
• Dining Plan
• Financial Aid Requirements
• Disability Resource Information

Before sharing education records, you must determine if a student has a FERPA Release in the Lumberjack Family Hub. The presence of an RA6 Service Indicator is the first step in confirming a student has a FERPA Release on their account. If there is no RA6 service indicator then the student has not approved the release of their information.

Below are two pathways to determining if a student has a FERPA Release in the Lumberjack Family Hub:

Log into Salesforce (complete User Guide)

1. Search for the student
2. Viewing the section titled “FERPA and release of information authorized”
3. A green check mark will indicate a FERPA release on file as either RA6 (all records may be discussed with the individual) or RA6 Com (only information approved by the student in The Lumberjack Family Hub may be released)
4. Click on the link to the Lumberjack Family Hub
5. Search for the student
6. Enter the PIN provided by the requestor
7. View approved items

Log into PeopleSoft (complete User Guide)

1. Navigate to “Manage Service Indicators” (with proper security access)
2. Search for the student
3. View the service indicator code (RA6) and the “Reason Description”
4. The reason description will indicate a FERPA release on file as Registrar’s Office (all records may be discussed with the individual) or FERPA data exists in Campus ESP (only information approved by the student in The Lumberjack Family Hub may be released)
5. You may access The Lumberjack Family Hub by clicking on the RA6 link
6. Click the link in the description to log into the Lumberjack Family Hub
7. Search for the student
8. Enter the PIN provided by the requestor
9. View approved items

No, FERPA Releases on file prior to the Lumberjack Family Hub remain active and all records may be discussed with the individual.

However, if both RA6 Service Indicators are present, only the Lumberjack Family Hub Service Indicator is valid.

Please see the difference in the chart below:

The records below are not viewable through the Lumberjack Family Hub. A student may grant a third party access to these records, however, individual units may require additional information prior to disclosing the records.

1. Housing Information – Campus Living
2. Student Conduct Information – Office of Students Rights & Responsibilities
3. Disability Resource Information – Disability Resources

Please email Support@CampusESP.com if there are any issues, for you or the individual you are working with, accessing or viewing the content and connections in the Lumberjack Family Hub.

Easily preventable FERPA violations can include sharing:

• A student’s personally identifiable information with someone other than the student. This could be verbally, in writing, or in an electronic communication.
• A student’s empl ID with someone other than the student.
• A student’s grades with someone other than the student.
• A student’s FERPA protected information without determining if the student has a FERPA release in the Lumberjack Family Hub or a legacy release RA6 Service Indicator; and that the individual you are sharing the information with has been identified in the FERPA release.

The public posting of grades either by the student’s name, student ID number, or social security number without the student’s written permission is a violation of FERPA. This includes the posting of grades to a class/institutional website and applies to any public posting of grades in hallways and in departmental offices for all students including those taking distance education courses. This includes leaving graded materials in hallways.

If an instructor wants to post grades, then a system needs to be put in place that ensures FERPA requirements are met. The instructor may also obtain the student’s written permission or use code words or randomly assigned numbers that only the instructor and individual student know.

Notification of grades via e-mail is in violation of FERPA. There is no guarantee of confidentiality on the Internet. The institution would be held responsible if an unauthorized third party gained access, in any manner, to a student’s education record through any electronic transmission method.

If you suspect or are aware of a FERPA violation please email Registrar@nau.edu. Please include the individual(s) affected, day and time of the violation (if known), the nature of the violation, and any steps taken to remedy the violation up to the point of reporting.

For in-depth FERPA training or assistance with a FERPA violation, or suspected FERPA violation, please contact Joseph Wright, Associate Registrar.