Certain kinds of educational re搜索 are limited by laws related to FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The information on this page was assembled by the 科罗拉多大学 Registrar's Office, which can always be contacted directly (719-389-6610) if re搜索ers have additional questions.

FERPA is a Federal law administered by the US Department of Education (34 CFR Part 99). FERPA applies to all educational agencies and institutions that receive federal funding. FERPA is intended to protect the privacy of student educational records. Educational records include any record containing personally identifiable information directly related to the student. Personally identifiable information includes student names as well as indirect identifiers. Examples of personally identifiable information include:

• Documents with a student's name, ID number, or other identifier
• 班级花名册或年级表
• 出生地点
• 种族
• 居留权
• 顾问的名字
• 课程表
• 所修课程
• 成绩
• 纪律记录
• Student information as displayed on a computer screen

在很多情况下, student education records are accessible to and used by professors, 其他老师, and administrators for the purposes of conducting the duties of their jobs. 例如, professors' jobs require them to have access to student assignments, 考试成绩, and attendance records in order to evaluate performance and ultimately assign a grade. However, the same professor cannot use this access for other itents and purposes such as re搜索. If a professor wants to use student data for re搜索 purposes, FERPA applies and student consent is required unless one of FERPA's exceptions to consent is met.

Even when IRB approval and the permission of the relevant students has been obtained, FERPA-covered information that is part of the student's educational record should be requested in writing directly from Phil Apodaca, 科罗拉多大学 Registrar and FERPA-designee (papodaca@lfkgw.com). This applies even if the re搜索er has direct access to the information as professor and/or administrator; it also applies if the re搜索er is a student.

Use of educational records for re搜索 purposes requires consent. 同意书必须:

• Specify the records to be disclosed,
• State the purpose of the disclosure,
• Identify the party to whom the disclosure is to be made, and
• Include a dated student signature.

The dated student signature may be in an electronic format if the format:

• Identifies and authenticates a particular person as the source of the electronic consent, and
• Indicates the particular person's approval of the information contained in the electronic consent.

There are exceptions within FERPA, which allow for the use of educational records for re搜索 purposes without consent. These exceptions include the following:

• The only personally identifiable information falls under what would be considered "directory information" and the student whose information is being sought has not opted out of having their information included in the directory. 在CC, the Registrar's Office maintains the list of students who have opted out of having their information included in the directory.
• The information release is to an authorized representative of state or local educational authorities for an audit or evaluation of federal or state-supported educational programs, or for the enforcement of or compliance with federal legal requirements related to those programs. Re搜索ers must provide the IRB with evidence that they are acting as authorized representatives of a state or local educational authority and that their audit or evaluation meets the conditions described here through the development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between parties. Please note that this will not include most re搜索 projects of interest to CC professors or students (including MAT students).
• The release is to organizations conducting studies for or on behalf of educational agencies or institutions to develop, 验证, 或者进行预测性测试, to administer student aid programs, 或者改进教学. 书面协议, 例如谅解备忘录, 符合FERPA标准的, must be drawn up and approved by 科罗拉多大学 and the educational agency or institution.

There are no exceptions to the consent rule for re搜索ers at 科罗拉多大学 who are not conducting systems-wide studies. 例如, an exemption cannot be made for an instructor interested in using grades or assignments for a particular class or major. Student consent for the use of the personally identifiable information is required, as is the consent process and materials described above.