To better protect students from unsolicited, commercial exploitation, the University of Nebraska’s Board of Regents is considering approval of new policies related to the handling of Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act directory information.

Employees who work with student records and the release of student record information need to note the changes and abide by them.

Under current FERPA statutes “Directory Information” is details that can be released without student permission, unless the student specifically requests that it be withheld. Under the new, proposed policy, “Directory Information” will be split into two groups —that which can be shared with the public and that which can be shared only internally within the university system.

Directory information that can be shared with the public includes: student name, year at the university, dates of attendance, academic college and major field of study, enrollment status, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, degrees honors and awards received, and the most recent educational agency or institution attended.

Directory Information that cannot be shared with the public includes: local address, permanent address, telephone listings and university email address.

These changes will be considered for approval at the regents’ Oct. 5 meeting.

Learn more about these changes online or contact Richard Morrell, University Registrar and designated FERPA compliance officer for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, at richard.morrell@unl.edu or 402-472-2025.