FERPA Quiz

Faculty have the right to inspect and review the education records of any student
True
False

An advisor does not have to allow a student to inspect and review her personal notes about the student that are held in a file in the desk of the adviser’s office.
True
False

We should provide data to an accounting firm which asks for a list of all the accounting students who are in the top 10 percent of the senior class.
True
False

Tom Faculty has posted the grades of all the students in his class on the wall outside his office.  This is a violation of FERPA.
True
False

A student’s degree can be confirmed to some external (outside of BSU) source without first obtaining the permission of the student because BSU identifies “degree” as directory information.
True
False

A student has a right to inspect information in his or her file in the Registrar’s Office and in his or her major department.
True
False

Student representatives on committees (e.g. honors, judicial, etc.) have the right to see other students’ education records during the deliberations of that committee if they have been designated as school officials.
True
False

An institution must give its students the opportunity to withhold the release of any or all designated items of directory information.
True
False

It is permissible to distribute graded examinations by placing them on a table for the students to pick up after class
True
False

In writing a letter of recommendation, it is permissible for a faculty member to include a student’s grades and GPA without obtaining the student’s written permission since the student requested the faculty member to write the recommendation and provided a copy of her resume with the requested information to the faculty member.
True
False

A student’s written permission is required before an institution releases information to a national research organization conducting a study on the advantages and disadvantages of selective admissions. 
True
False

An institution must release any information identified as directory information by the institution to anyone upon request.
True
False

A former student has the same right to inspect and review his record as a student who is currently attending the institution.
True
False

A faculty member comes into your office and asks one of the staff for the names of all the graduates in his program since its beginning in 1980.  Which of the following statements is true?
a) The faculty member can legally obtain this information under FERPA as long as he has written permission from the dean or designee
b) The faculty member cannot legally obtain this information since it is excluded from FERPA
c) The faculty member must provide a valid reason before obtaining the information
d) The faculty member is not entitled to all of the information since FERPA does not permit release of this information on students not currently attending the institution.

As defined in FERPA, “legitimate educational interest” refers to:
a) A faculty member’s need to provide feedback to students in the form of grades/evaluations
b) The registrar’s need to obtain education record information from faculty to produce a student’s transcript
c) A school official’s right to obtain information only about students he is advising or teaching during the current year
d) A school official’s need to review student education record information to fulfill a responsibility as part of the official’s duties

FERPA rights:
a) Pass from the parent to student when the student attains the age of 18
b) Pass from parents to student when the student begins attending an institution of higher education
c) Are shared equally by parents and student at the higher education level
d) Apply only to parents of students attending colleges and universities
e) Apply only to students attending institutions of higher education
f) A and b only
g) A and e only
h) B and e only

The FERPA rights of a student begin:
a) When the application for admission is received
b) When the student is formally admitted
c) When the student is formally admitted
d) When the student is “in attendance” as defined by the institution

To be an “educational record”, a piece of information must be:
a) Personally identifiable to the student
b) Maintained by the institution
c) Kept in the registrar’s Office
d) Made available to the law enforcement unit
e) A & B only
f) A, B, C only
g) A and D only

Which of the following is required from students by FERPA before releasing information about them?
A. Verbal consent to release the information
B. B written permission unless the release is covered by any exception listed in FERPA
C. Verbal consent from the student advisor
D. Written consent from the parents of dependent student

A student has the right to review which of the following information about him that is maintained by the institution
A. Parental financial information
B. Letters of recommendation
C. Law enforcement unit records
D. Admissions records related to the denial of his application into another college of the institution
E. All of the above

All of the items listed in the following questions are found in various offices of the institution.  Please answer whether or not they would be considered education records.

Are the following information considered education records?

a) Class roster with all students names on it
Yes
No

b) A traffic violation of a student kept in the institution’s security office
Yes
No

c) The honor roll list
Yes
No

d) The annual giving record of an ex-student
Yes
No

e) A note made in the student record by a faculty member of an advising session with a student
Yes
No

f) Notes taken by the institution’s Affirmative Action officer when interviewing students regarding a sexual harassment charge made against a faculty member
Yes
No

g) Student photographs on a department’s bulletin board identifying the majors of that department
Yes
No

h) Medical records made and maintained by the university’s contracted doctor related to the treatment of a student
Yes
No

i) The employment records of an individual who is a full-time employee of the institution and is also a part-time student
Yes
No

j) Scores of a student who took the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Yes
No

k) Test scores of a group of students identified only by ID number and kept in a faculty member’s office files only 
Yes
No

l) A faculty member’s note about a student having an epileptic seizure in one of his classes and kept in his locked office files.
Yes
No

m) Financial information on a student’s parents filed in the Financial Aid office.
Yes
No

Thank you for successfully completing the quiz on student privacy and FERPA procedures.  Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Office of Registration and Academic Progress.