Dec 10, 2024  
2023-2024 Academic Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)



The University of Bridgeport has designated the following types of information as direc­tory information which may be disclosed without consent: Student’s full name and alias, if applicable; address; University as­signed email address; telephone listings; major field of study; degrees and awards received; dates of attendance; classification; participation in officially recognized sports or activities; weight and height of members of athletic teams; photographs; and enroll­ment status (undergraduate or graduate, full-time or part-time).

Parents or eligible students have the right to refuse to permit the University of Bridge­port to designate any or all of those types of information as directory information with respect to a particular student, thereby preventing its disclosure as directory infor­mation. Forms indicating the intent of the parents or eligible students to request infor­mation be withheld can be obtained in the Office of the Registrar, and must be submit­ted within the first five class days to be ef­fective to avoid disclosure.

Notification of Rights Under FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. Among these rights are:

  1. Among these rights are to inspect and review the educational records within 45 days of the day the University receives the request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The University Registrar will make arrangements for access and no­tify the student of the time and place where records may be inspected. If the Registrar does not maintain the records requested the Registrar will advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
  2. The right to request the amendment of their educational record that he/ she believes is in accurate or mislead­ing. Students should ask the University to amend the record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the Registrar, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or mis­leading. If the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his/her right to a hearing re­garding the request for amendment. Ad­ditional information regarding the hear­ing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
  3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information con­tained in the student’s education re­cords, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational in­terests. A school official is:
    • A person employed by the Univer­sity in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position, including health or medical staff.
    • A person elected to the Board of Trustees.
    • A person or entity employed by or under contract to the University to perform a special task, such as securi­ty, building and grounds, information technology, food service, an attorney, auditor, collection agency, or other outside vendor.
    • A student serving on an official com­mittee, such as a disciplinary or griev­ance committee, or who is assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

A school official has a legitimate education­al interest if the official is:

  • Performing a task that is specified in his or her position description or contract agreement, or is customarily performed by such person at the uni­versity.
  • Performing a task related to a stu­dent’s education.
  • Performing a task related to the disci­pline of a student.
  • Providing a service or benefit relat­ing to the student or student’s family, such as health care, counseling, job placement, or financial aid.
  • Maintaining the safety and security of the campus.

Upon request, the University discloses edu­cation records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

The Dean of Students or designee has the authority to notify parents or guardians when dependent students under the age of 21 are found to be in violation of the Uni­versity alcohol and/or drug policies for: 1) possession of a keg or large volume, 2) dis­pensing alcohol to a minor, 3) possession or distribution of controlled substances, 4) under age possession or open container in a public space for a second time; or in cas­es where a student is subject to residence hall separation, suspension, expulsion or required emergency medical care because the student became ill from the consump­tion of alcohol and/or drugs. The notifica­tion is permissive and at the discretion of the university. The notification of parents or guardians is indicated when: 1) the vio­lation involved harm or threat of harm to persons or property, or 2) the violation in­volved an arrest in which the student was taken into custody.

Nothing in these guidelines shall prevent university officials from notifying parents or guardians of a health or safety emergency, or when a student, under the age of 21 is found to have violated university policy with respect to the use and/or consumption of alcohol or drugs. Whenever possible, students will be informed that parental no­tification is planned in advance of their par­ents receiving the notice. The notification of parents is simply an act of notice and is not subject to appeal.

The Dean of Students or designee may dis­close the name and a summary of the in­formation regarding the final outcome of a hearing if the student is found to have com­mitted an act of violence.

Students may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning al­leged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
US Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20202-4605

FERPA: Notice for Directory Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that the University of Bridgeport with certain excep­tions, obtain your written request prior to the disclosure closure of personally identi­fiable information from a student’s educa­tional records. However, the University may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent. Ex­amples include:

  • The annual yearbook;
  • News releases;
  • Honor roll or other recognition lists;
  • Graduation programs; and
  • Sports activities sheets, such as weight and height of team members

Directory information which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks.

If you do not wish the University to disclose directory information without prior written consent you must notify the University by the 10th day of class in a semester. The student must contact the Registrar’s Office, located on the Garden Level of Wahlstrom Library and fill out the appropriate paper­work. If a student makes such a request, the University has the option or either (1) withholding all information of the types specified and omitting the student’s name from any published list involving such in­formation or (2) seeking the student’s writ­ten permission to release the information.

The University of Bridgeport has designated the following information as directory infor­mation:

  • Student’s name
  • Address
  • University electronic mail address
  • Telephone listing
  • Date and place of birth
  • Hometown
  • Citizenship
  • Family relations
  • Marital status
  • Previous schools or training
  • Academic year
  • Dates of attendance and/or gradua­tion
  • Major field of study or academic spe­cialty
  • Instructors and courses
  • Participation in sports and other offi­cially recognized activities (including position, role, or function)
  • Membership in officially recognized honorary, professional, academic, or social organizations
  • Academic honors or achievements
  • Special awards or recognitions re­ceived, scholarships, fellowships, as­sistantships
  • Offices or honorary positions to which elected or appointed
  • Eligibility for and performance re­cords in athletics or other recognized forms of competition
  • Height and weight of members of ath­letic teams
  • Place and nature of employment
  • Post-graduation plans
  • Positions or achievements
  • Hobbies, interests, and community activities
  • Publications or papers presented
  • Title of honors or graduate thesis
  • For students seeking employment on job interviews, such additional information as has been furnished or cleared by the student with the understanding that it will be used in connection with applications or em­ployment inquiries Religious affilia­tion, if volunteered by the students, will be revealed to the campus min­istry, local churches, synagogues, and mosques.

Disclosure Information and Complaint Procedure

U.S. Department of Education Consumer Disclosure Requirements can be accessed at http://www.bridgeport.edu/finaid/finan­cial-aid-information-all-students/us-de­partment-education-consumer-disclosure-requirements/.

As an academic community, the University of Bridgeport seeks to practice constructive criticism. The University invites its students to bring issues of concern to the Dean of Students and/or the University’s academic officers. Students also may bring unresolved complaints to the State of Connecticut, Of­fice of Higher Education. The contact for that office is as follows:

Connecticut Office of Higher Education

www.ctohe.org
Sean Seepersad, PhD
Associate Director, Academic Affairs and Student Services
Office of Higher Education
450 Columbus Blvd, Ste 707, Hartford, CT 06103-1841
(860) 947-1837

Further Information

Further information can be found at: www.sheeo.org