Annual Notification of Rights under FERPA

FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. It's a U.S. federal law that protects the privacy of your educational records at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). This law gives students greater control over their educational records.

FERPA gives you certain rights over your education records at UMGC. Here's what you can do:

• Review your records: You have the right to see what information UMGC keeps about your education.
• Request corrections: If you believe there is a mistake in your records, please contact us at studentrecords@umgc.edu for a request to review and update as appropriate.
• Control who sees your information: In many cases, UMGC needs your written permission before sharing your education records with anyone outside the school. There are some exceptions, though (see "Can UMGC disclose my records without my consent?" below).

These are any records that directly relate to your education and are kept by UMGC or a company working on UMGC's behalf. A record can be information recorded in any way, including but not limited to paper or electronic records, photos, or videotapes.

Here are some examples of information that FERPA doesn't cover:

• UMGC Security Department records
• Medical records for the purpose of providing medical treatment
• Employment records (unless being a UMGC student is a requirement for your UMGC job)
• Information about you after you're no longer a student (unless it relates to your time as a student)
• Admission application records, until the student enrolls in their first UMGC course (at which point these records become Education Records) 

In some limited cases, UMGC can share your records without your permission. This might happen if the person requesting the information has a legitimate educational interest, like a school official helping you with your studies, for example, or if the disclosure is required by law. Information from a student’s education record designated as “Directory Information” may be disclosed to third parties without prior consent, unless a student has submitted a FERPA Directory Opt-In/Opt-Out & Confidential Hold Request to the University. 

For a list of all instances in which your consent is not required and for a list of the information deemed “Directory Information”, see the UMGC Policy III-6.30 FERPA and Disclosure of Student Records.

• Review your records: Contact the Office of the Registrar to request a copy.
• Request corrections: If you believe your education records are inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of your privacy rights, submit a written request to the Office of the Registrar explaining the error and what you want changed. For more information, review UMGC Policy III-6.30 FERPA and Disclosure of Student Records. 
• Give permission for sharing: Fill out the Student Records Release Form (DocuSign) to allow UMGC to share your records with someone specific.
  For another person to initiate services for you as a student, a power of attorney indicating the person's ability to act on your behalf is required. You may submit your power of attorney documentation to the Office of the Registrar. 

• Opt-out of directory information sharing: Submit a FERPA Directory Opt-In/Opt-Out & Confidential Hold Request if you don't want UMGC to share your directory information with third parties. (This means your name won't appear in commencement materials, for example.) UMGC may still share your directory information with third parties without your consent when another FERPA consent exception applies.