Student Records Policy
The School of Medicine seeks to protect the civil, personal, and property rights of those using its student records resources and seeks to protect the confidentiality of those records stored in the office of the registrar.
In accordance with federal regulations and university policies the following procedures will be observed when a student requests an opportunity to review the contents of his or her educational file stored in the Office of the Registrar, School of Medicine.
Certain materials are excluded from review as specified in FERPA. Among these are:
- Records that are created by, and that are sole possessions of, faculty, staff, and other personnel, and that are not accessible to any other persons except a substitute.
- Records created and maintained by law enforcement purposes that are not made available to persons other than law enforcement officials of the same jurisdiction.
- Records created and maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other professional of paraprofessional acting in that capacity in connection with the provision of treatment to a student. Such records can, of course, be reviewed by a physician or other appropriate professional of the student's choice.
- Employment records of a student made and maintained in the normal course of business.
- Financial records of a student's parents, or any information contained therein.
- Confidential letters and statements of recommendation placed in the file before January 1, 1975.
- Records for which the student previously waived his or her right to access.
- Records that contain only information about a person after that person is no longer a student, such as alumni records.
The registrar's office will seek to provide a photocopy of requested items from student files as long as the request does not exceed three items and as long as those items are not mentioned above.
The registrar's office will arrange an appointment (usually after 24 hours but not to exceed 45 days) for the student to review the file in the presence of a member of the office staff. This review should not exceed fifteen minutes in duration due to the personnel availability within the office.
If during the course of this review the student questions the accuracy of a record contained in the file, the staff member will attempt to resolve the problem informally. Should this attempt at resolution be unsuccessful, a formal hearing will be arranged and a decision will be made by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. At this hearing, the student will be given a full and fair opportunity to present evidence relevant to the issue under consideration, and the decision will be given in writing within a reasonable period of time after the hearing.
If as a result of the hearing the School of Medicine decides that the issue in question is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the privacy or other rights of the student, it will amend the educational records accordingly.
If as a result of the hearing the School of Medicine decides that the issue in question is not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the privacy or other rights of the student, it will inform the student of the right to place in the educational records a statement commenting on the information in the records or setting forth any reasons for disagreeing with the school's decision.
Additional information regarding access to files, release of personally identifiable records, student records, and directory information may be obtained by contacting the Office of the Registrar.
FERPA Policy
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) contains several provisions that are important to medical students, such as access to educational files, the release of personally identifiable records, directory information and transcripts.