Talking Stick - March/April 2009 - 37

feRPa ReviSed In December 2008, details of FERPA law were clarified. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act attempts to delineate the situations in which student records can or cannot be disclosed by an institution of higher education. Previous FERPA rules were restrictive in favor of student privacy. Many of them were vague, and institutions and parents sometimes found the rules binding and confusing. Not wanting to violate FERPA regulations, colleges and universities were often reluctant to release student information. The recent revision comes in response to 120 comments from higher education associations, institutions, and other interested parties. The more confusing parts of FERPA have now been clarified, and the new take on the law allows institutions a bit more leeway with regard to individual circumstances. In the first incarnation of the law, information was only to be disclosed in an “emergency,” and this circumstance was narrowly defined. Now institutions can disclose student information “if there is an articulable and significant threat to the health or the safety of the student or other individuals.” Administrators also have more latitude when they decide which records to release and to whom this information should be given. The law also covers issues such as accessibility of directory information, the use of Social Security numbers, and the release of academic records. The regulations took effect on January 8, 2009. The U.S. Department of Education has provided a guide on FERPA, 2.0 which is available online: edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/ pdf/E8-28864.pdf. by-month and educates them about common problems that students face throughout the year. The program also includes active shooter training, which provides information to parents and students about responding to a campus shooting. “In the past, we didn’t want to talk about bad things and ‘what ifs,’” notes Frazee. “We don’t want to hide that problems could happen here. Parents say they want to hear the potential issues, not just the positive things.” At Quinnipiac University, Boucher believes there are simple ways, such as in a parent orientation program, to build a stronger relationship between parents and schools, since they are already united by a mutual interest in the student: “We talk about how we can make a smooth transition for their kids, but they need to tell us about any issues first. We encourage them to communicate problems and make sure they know where to go, and those that we connect with seem to make it.” ducating staff and parents is an effective way to extend information about mental health care beyond the confines of a counseling center; however, the most important focus of mental health education and advocacy is the students themselves. The University of Minnesota instituted a campaign called Support Our Students (SOS) to destigmatize mental health issues. Like its University Parent Program, it offers educational podcasts and information about resources. Recognizing the low numbers of students who use the counseling center, Savage notes that “Students with problems don’t want to get help because they don’t want their parents to know, or they had previous issues they don’t want to deal with now that they’re in college. We have a campus-wide initiative to destigmatize these issues.” coNTINuES 55 E StudentS UniversiTy of MinnesoTa, Twin ciTies Parents who wish to see campus life for themselves get a tour of Minnesota’s campus. March + april 2009 37

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-28864.pdf http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-28864.pdf

Talking Stick - March/April 2009

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