What is FERPA?

The Family Educational Right and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 (Public Law 93-380), as amended, Oregon Revised Statutes 351.065, and their implementing regulations, afford students certain rights with respect to their educational records and require Portland State University to assure that those students' rights are not abridged.

Student Record Privacy

FERPA protects the privacy of all "education records," in any medium, maintained by Portland State University. Although the law was written in 1974, its coverage is not limited to paper copies. All student education records, including records about students contained in computer databases, are protected.

It is important to respect the privacy of students. Even though a record is not protected by FERPA, it does not mean that the record can be freely released. For example, other laws protect employment and medical records. Medical records used to accommodate a disability should be kept separately from a student's "education records."

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