The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (also called the Buckley Amendment) is the federal law that governs student education records. It gives students the right to see their records, ask for corrections, and decide who else can see them. UNM's policy is to comply fully and fairly with the Act.

• Covers records UNM keeps about you as a student
• A few facts (directory information) are public unless you opt out
• This policy is also published in the UNM Pathfinder

Send a written request to the office that keeps the record you want. Offices try to respond quickly, but by law they have up to 45 days.

• Up to 45 days to fulfill your request
• You can ask for copies to help you review
• Copies of exams need your instructor's permission
• Copies may be withheld while you owe UNM money
• Copies cost the standard campus rate, or may be free

Yes. Some records fall outside FERPA's definition of an education record, or are specifically excluded from your right to review.

• Private notes that faculty or staff keep to themselves
• UNM Police law-enforcement records
• Counseling records used only for treatment
• Employment records unrelated to being a student (student jobs are covered)
• Your parents' financial records
• Recommendation letters from before 1975, or ones you waived the right to see
• Records created after you're no longer a student, like alumni news

There's no single central file. Each office you work with keeps its own records, so start with the office that handled what you need.

• Admissions
• Records & Registration
• Student Financial Aid
• Cashiers & Student Accounting (Bursar)
• Dean of Students
• Graduate Studies
• Housing Services
• Career Counseling & Placement
• Your college or department office

In most cases, no one. UNM needs your written consent, with a few exceptions allowed by law, mainly UNM officials who need the information to do their jobs.

• UNM employees with a legitimate educational interest
• Collection agents, only for debts owed to UNM
• UNM legal counsel
• NCAA and Mountain West, only for athletic eligibility
• Contractors doing work for UNM
• Honor societies and chartered student groups checking eligibility
• Approved research studies
• Other schools where you're enrolling or enrolled
• Financial aid providers, accreditors, court orders, and health or safety emergencies

Once a student attends UNM, FERPA rights belong to the student. Beyond public directory information, family members generally need the student's written consent. [Confirm UNM's consent form and any dependent-student policy.]

• Directory information may be shared unless the student opts out
• Everything else needs the student's written consent

Yes. UNM offices keep a record of requests for and disclosures of your information, and you can review it.

• Not logged: directory info, releases you approved, and UNM officials
• Anyone who receives your information can't pass it on without your consent

Under the federal Solomon Amendment, recruiters can request some contact and academic information about students 17 and older. If you've opted out of directory information, nothing is released.

• May include name, address, phone, age, and date and place of birth
• Also education level, major, degrees, and most recent school
• This list differs from UNM's directory information

If UNM holds a disciplinary proceeding about a violent crime allegedly committed by a student, the alleged victim can request the results.

No. UNM never requires students to waive their FERPA rights to receive services or benefits.

Submit a written request to the Office of the Registrar, in person, by mail or by fax. Once the privacy flag is on, UNM won't release directory information to anyone outside the university.

• Your name won't appear in the Commencement program
• The flag stays after you graduate until you remove it
• To remove it, send a signed written request by mail or fax
• Include your name, Social Security number and signature

You can challenge information you believe is inaccurate, misleading, or a privacy violation. Start with a written request for a hearing to the dean, director or chair of the office that keeps the record.

• Grades can be challenged only if they were recorded incorrectly
• You can add your own written statement to the record
• The office's decision is usually final
• You may appeal in writing to the Associate Provost or VP for Health Sciences on significant policy or legal questions

Contact the Office of the Registrar first. They'll resolve the issue or route it to the right UNM office. You can also file a written complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.

Recordings that capture students can become education records. Review the Registrar's guidance before recording lectures or live interaction.

FERPA allows disclosure without consent for research that develops tests, administers aid, or improves instruction, when done for or on behalf of UNM.

• Requires a school official with legitimate interest, or a study on UNM's behalf (34 CFR § 99.31)

Yes. The Registrar offers a workshop on students' rights and your responsibility to keep their records confidential. Questions about your specific area are welcome.