The 1974 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, also known as the Buckley Amendment, is a federal law (20 U.S.C. 1232g) that protects the privacy of a student's education record. FERPA applies to all educational institutions receiving funds from the United States Department of Education, from kindergarten through university level.
At the University of North Florida, the privacy of academic records is also protected by Florida Statute, Section 1002.221 (2009) and University Policy 2.0620P.
The U.S. Department of Education summarizes the rights afforded to students by FERPA as follows:
- The right to inspect and review their educational records.
- The right to request an amendment to educational records due to inaccuracies
- The right to restrict any or all information from public access
- The right to file a complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office if they feel their FERPA rights have been violated.
FERPA requires universities to provide students with annual notification of these rights. UNF's annual notification is published in the University catalogs, the student handbook, and our Web site. Students also receive a yearly email. Students who suspect that a FERPA violation has occurred may contact the Family Policy Compliance Office within the U.S. Department of Education.