What is FERPA?

And why is it important?

As the video states, FERPA is a federal law that applies to any educational agency and institution that receives funds under any program administered by the Secretary of Education, and further, applies to persons employed by those institutions.

There are consequences to non-compliance, that could include:

• Institutional loss of federal funding

• Fines imposed on the institution

• Negative publicity

And for graduate assistants specifically, consequences could include:

• Graduate College Discipline Council referral

• Dismissal from assistantship, internship, or residency

• Expulsion

Considering the severity of the negative consequences, it is clear why adherence to FERPA guidelines is important.

But there is also a positive reason to follow FERPA protocols:

STUDENT SERVICE

It is a central tenet to the role of any instructor at the University, and the right thing to do. From our GA Handbook, Graduate Assistants must have the dispositions to “provide quality instruction, create educational opportunities, foster collegiate success, and promote a just and inclusive campus attending to and serving students as a human beings and not simply passive receivers of knowledge”