Student Records

Maintenance of Records

Education records are maintained in the Office of Student Affairs. All university personnel involved in the handling and maintenance of education records are instructed concerning the confidential nature of such information and their responsibilities regarding it, pursuant to university policy and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

See Ohio University's Student Records Policy.

Persons Authorized to Place Materials in Records Files

Only the following qualified persons are permitted to place information in an education records file: personnel in the office or agency responsible for maintaining the files and the individual student or others at the request and consent of the student.

Committee on Student Progress Guidelines to Student Record Access

The Heritage College adheres to university policy concerning the collection, maintenance, review and release of student records (See Ohio University Procedure No. 12.020 Student Records: Collection, Maintenance, Review and Release and the Ohio University Office of the Registrar Student Records Release Guide). The Procedure No. 12.020 states in Section 3 Release of Student Records, that ". . . except with the prior written consent of the student, or as otherwise stated below, no information in any student education record file may be released to any individual or organization." One of the exceptions, outlined in the same Procedure Section 3 includes, “University officials demonstrating a legitimate educational interest may have access to student education records protected by FERPA. A university official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the university has contracted to perform a service on behalf of the university; a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another university official in performing his or her tasks. A university official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.”

In the case of the Heritage College, requests for access to student files for routine review (such as letters of recommendation for scholarship, postgraduate training or membership) will be accommodated through a process in Student Affairs, which requires the student to complete a form giving permission to the faculty/staff person to review the file. The file cannot be removed from the Student Affairs office. In other cases in which a faculty/staff member is requesting access to student files, the written request will be made to the CSP. Most situations in which a faculty/staff member might seek access to a student’s academic records, other than letters of recommendation, are probably pertinent to CSP business and should be supported on a need-to-know educational basis. The CSP will review the request and make recommendations to the dean concerning permission for access for specific information in the student’s file, which will be handled in accordance with Ohio University policies.

For more information, please contact Marie Barone.