Student Records and Student Rights

In carrying out their assigned responsibilities, many offices at the University of Michigan collect and maintain information about students. Although these records belong to the University, both University policy and federal law accord you a number of rights concerning these records. The following is designed to inform you concerning where records about you may be kept and maintained, what kinds of information are in those records, the conditions under which you or anyone else may have access to information on those records, and what action to take if you believe that the information in your record is inaccurate or that your rights have been compromised.
Because the University does not maintain all student records in one location, this document contains general information related to student records. By direction of the Regents, however, each office that maintains student records is required to develop a written statement of its policies and procedures for handling those records. For more information about FERPA, visit the University of Michigan Office of the General Counsel's web page.

Additional Student Records and Student Rights Information

The University of Michigan-Dearborn complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the federal law that governs release of and access to student education records.

Definitions

As a Student, you have the following rights concerning your Education Records:

  1. The right to inspect and review your Education Records except:
    • financial information furnished by your parents in support of an application for financial aid or an application for in-state tuition,
    • confidential letters of recommendation that were placed in your file prior to January 1, 1975, and
    • confidential letters of recommendation concerning admission, employment, or honorary recognition, for which you have waived access. (The University may not require you to sign a waiver in order to obtain services, but a person writing a recommendation may insist on a waiver as a condition for his or her writing it.)
      Education Records are maintained in a number of University offices. Requests to review records must be made in writing to the UM-Dearborn Office of the Registrar ([email protected]). The Office of the Registrar will comply with the request within 45 days of its receipt.
  2. The right to request an amendment of your Education Records that you believe are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of your privacy rights. If you wish to request an amendment, you must submit a statement to the University official responsible for the record or send an email to [email protected], clearly identifying the part of the record you want changed, and explaining why you believe it is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of your privacy rights. That office will review your request and notify you of its decision.  If it determines not to amend the records as requested, that office will advise you regarding appropriate next steps, which include the ability to request a hearing.
  3. The right to consent before the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your Education Records, except in the case of Authorized Disclosures.
  4. The right to opt-out of the disclosure of your directory information. Please note, the University does not routinely disclose directory information to third parties for marketing purposes.  If you do not want the University to release those items designated as directory information, you must file a written request to that effect with the Office of the Registrar. However, you should carefully consider the consequences of that action before making the decision to do so. Information is not withheld selectively. If you choose to have directory information withheld, all items designated as directory information will be withheld from everyone who inquires unless disclosure is authorized under another FERPA exception. If you have requested non-disclosure of directory information and wish to repeal that request, you must file a written request to that effect with the Office of the Registrar.
  5. The right to file a complaint to federal officials if you believe that there has been a violation of the rights afforded you under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. The complaint must be submitted in writing within 180 days of the alleged violation to: 

    Family Policy Compliance Office
    U.S. Department of Education
    400 Maryland Avenue, SW
    Washington, DC  20202

Questions about the policies and procedures of any unit should be directed to the head of that unit. Questions about the University's "Policies on Student Records and Student Rights" or about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 should be directed to: 

Tracy Vogt
University Registrar
1169 James C. Renick University Center
4901 Evergreen Road
Dearborn, MI 48128

313-583-6500
[email protected]