This FAQ was created to aid students and parents in understanding their rights regarding student records. The information contained in this FAQ was taken from the U.S. Department of Education's Web site and Northern Michigan University's student handbook.

Directory information is considered to be a matter of public record and will be disclosed unless the student specifically objects in writing. All other student records are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Directory information includes the following: Name of student; Students local address; Student’s local phone; Student’s permanent address; Student's E-mail address; Date of birth; Whether or not the student is currently enrolled; Program level (undergraduate, graduate); Class (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior); Major; Current term candidacy for degrees and/or teaching certification; Honors, degrees earned, and dates; Participation in officially recognized University activities and sports; and Weights and heights of athletic team members.

The U.S. Department of Education describes FERPA as, “The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.” From: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa.

In accordance with FERPA, NMU cannot provide access to a student’s education records to anyone but the student. Some conditions exist that allow individuals and organizations other than the student access to student records. These conditions are discussed later in this FAQ.

According to the FERPA, when a student attends a school beyond the high school level the rights to a student’s education records are transferred to the student.

According to the FERPA, when a student attends a school beyond the high school level the rights to a student’s education records are transferred to the student.

In certain circumstances, a student’s records may be made available to authorities and organizations without the consent of the student. For a complete listing of eligible parties and conditions, please see the FERPA Web site.

If a student provides written permission to NMU, individuals other than the student can be granted permission to a student’s education records. Please contact the Dean of Students Office for more information at 906-227-1700 or dso@nmu.edu.

For more information regarding a student’s records, please refer to the NMU Student Handbook or U.S. Department of Education’s Family Policy Compliance Office.

According to the student handbook, a parent or legal guardian of a student who is under 21 years of age will be notified when a student has had either:

  • a serious alcohol or drug violation of the Student Code, e.g. required medical treatment or had another violation such as destruction of property or disorderly conduct in combination with the alcohol or drug offense, or
  • more than one violation of the alcohol or drug regulations of the Student Code. Parental notification for a serious alcohol or drug violation will be at the discretion of the Dean of Students.

NMU’s student handbook can be found here on the Dean of Students Web site.

If you have a specific question that you cannot find the answer to, please contact the Dean of Students Office at 906-227-1700 or dso@nmu.edu.