Release of student information
The Federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), also known as the "Buckley Amendment," directs CSU Monterey Bay to keep certain student records private from third parties and to make others available for inspection and copying by students. Under the federal regulations implementing the act, every student in attendance at the university or who has been in attendance here has a right to inspect and review their "educational records." This includes a right to a response for explanations and interpretations of records and the right to obtain copies of the records.
Releasing student information
The university may not disclose information from a student's record without first obtaining the written consent of the student, several exceptions are noted below. Parents of university students do not have the right to have access to these records and are treated as any other member of the public unless the student has given written consent for release of such records to them.
Release without student consent may be done under certain limited circumstances. Some of those circumstances are:
- Release of public (directory) information regarding a current or former student. CSUMB has designated the following items as public information: name, home and local address and telephone, school or college, class level, major field, dates of attendance at CSUMB, any degree received and date awarded, honors and awards received, participation in recognized activities, previous school attended, and height and weight of members of intercollegiate athletic teams. However, a student has a right to refuse to have such information released. In such an event, the student must file with the university's registrar a request that such information not be released.
- Select student records may be disclosed to staff members who demonstrate a need to know consistent with their official functions for the university and consistent with normal professional and legal practices.
- The information may be released to state or federal educational authorities.
- The information may be used to determine the eligibility of the student for financial aid.
- The information may be released to organizations conducting studies for or on behalf of the university to develop, validate, or administer predictive tests, administer student aid programs, or improve instruction.
Information protected under FERPA is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).