Editors Note: Each year Ball State University produces a university directory with personal information regarding students, faculty and staff. Although addresses and phone numbers are listed in the book, students have the right to withhold certain information from the book. Below is a statement from the Registrar's office about students' rights regarding the university directory.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), as amended, affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:
(1) The right to inspect, review and/or request a copy of the student's education records.
(2) The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student's privacy rights under FERPA, or to include a comment in the student's education record if the request for an amendment is denied.
(3) The right to provide written consent before the University discloses personally identifiable information from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
(4) The right to file with the U.S. Department of Education a complaint concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the government office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, United States Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202
Under the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended, you have the right to withhold the disclosure of any or all of the "Directory Information." The BSU Telephone Directory (or B-Book) sets forth Directory Information and includes: student name, class level, local telephone number, local address and home address. Please consider very carefully the consequences of any decision by you to withhold any category of "Directory Information." Should you decide to inform the institution not to release any or all of the "Directory Information," any future requests for such information from non-institutional persons or organizations will be refused.
Request forms to prohibit the release of information are available in the Office of the Registrar, Room B43, Lucina Hall. The items listed which a student can request to be removed from the BSU Directory, News Media, or any other request are: name, address (local and home), telephone number (local and home), electronic mail address, photograph, video and electronic image taken or maintained by the university, date of birth; major field of study; dates of attendance, class level, enrollment status (undergraduate or graduate, full time or part time), participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams; degrees, honors, and awards received, and previous educational institution(s) attended. The completed request form will need to be submitted to the Office of the Registrar before 5:00P.M. on September 12, 2008, to be assured that information will not be printed in the BSU Telephone Directory (or B-Book).
If your local or home address has changed, you need to update your address using menu item Change Your Address at www.bsu.edu/studentservices or submit a change of address form to the Registrar's Office, Room B43, Lucina Hall.
As noted herein, FERPA gives the student the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent 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 defined by FERPA as a person employed by Ball State University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, or support staff position; a person or company with whom Ball State University has contracted such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent or other agent acting for Ball State University; a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate education interest if the official needs are to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. In accordance with FERPA, the National Student Clearinghouse is designated by Ball State University as a school official with legitimate educational interests. The National Student Clearinghouse is a contracted agent of Ball State University an Authorized Certifying School Official for providing enrollment verification.
You can obtain a copy of the Records Policy from the Office of the Director of Systems Technology in the Administration Building, Room 231. The Records Policy is also located in the Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities on the Student Rights and Community Services webpage. www.bsu.edu/sa/srcs/ferpa
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