Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Students at West Virginia University and its divisional campuses (“WVU” or “University”) benefit from the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This Act, with which West Virginia University intends to comply fully, was designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings.
Designation of Directory Information
Directory Information is public and may be disclosed at West Virginia University's discretion for any purpose. WVU designates the following categories of student information as “Directory Information.”
- Name of Student;
- Official Address;
- Telephone Number;
- Place of Birth;
- Age of Student;
- Names and Addresses of Parents;
- Major and Minor Fields of Study;
- Class Status (i.e., freshman);
- Enrollment Status (i.e., full time or part time)
- Dates of Attendance;
- Previous Educational Institution(s) Attended;
- Degree(s) and Date(s) Conferred, including anticipated graduation dates;
- Awards;
- Honors;
- Participation in Officially Recognized Activities and Sports;
- Weight and Height of Members of Athletic Teams; and
- Duties and Responsibilities, including Dates of Service, of Graduate Assistants, Student Workers, Interns or Student Volunteers.
Designation of Limited Use Directory Information
Limited Use Directory Information will not be provided to external parties not contractually affiliated with the University. Use and disclosure of this information shall be limited to (1) publication on websites hosted by, on behalf of, or for the benefit for the University, including the online directory available at http://directory.wvu.edu; (2) those officials within the University who have access, consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, to such information and only in conjunction with an official institutional purpose.WVU Designates the following categories of student information as "Limited Use Directory Information:
- University issued student electronic mail addresses ("Email Addresses"); and
- Photographs, videos or other media containing a student’s image or likeness (collectively “Student Images”).
Withholding Directory Information
Currently enrolled students, using the Official Form, may withhold disclosure of
Directory Information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.
To withhold disclosure, written notification must be received in the WVU Hub or mailed to the Office of
the University Registrar at West Virginia University, PO Box 6878, Morgantown, WV
26506. Official forms are available on the OUR website under the forms tab. Requests will be processed as soon as possible after receipt.
Students who do not request withholding of Directory Information by submitting a Confidentiality Form are assumed to have approved disclosure of this information. Additionally, a request to withhold Directory Information shall have
no effect on previous disclosures, if any, made by WVU before the receipt
of a request to withhold Directory Information; nor will a student’s request to
withhold Directory Information revoke an otherwise valid written FERPA release
already on file with the University. Students may reinstate disclosure of Directory Information by completing the Release Confidentiality Form.
Parent/Guest Access to Online Student Records
The University provides online portals by which a University student may grant a third-party access to his or her records. Information that is protected from disclosure pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), such as grades, financial aid details, and student account and billing information is maintained in a secure online environment. A student may grant permission to a parent or guest to access to some or all of this information by the following means:
- To view grades, financial aid, schedule details, holds, contact information, and to call with questions (including those about billing) – students must grant access via this Parent/Guest Portal.
- To view charges and pay bills online – students must also grant access to the new WVU MyAccount Portal.
Due to the protection of students’ rights under FERPA, a student may restrict the information that a parent or guest is able to access and revoke access at any time. For more information on the Parent/Guest Portal, please visit: http://parent-guest.portal.wvu.edu/.