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Privacy of Student Records

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Santa Clara University staff is committed to abiding by the guidelines of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. FERPA stipulates that each college and university in the United States maintain the privacy of student records, notify students of the location of all official records kept by the university on students, and make adequate provisions for students to examine their own records upon formal request.

Directory Information

  • Student's full name
  • Local, campus, and/or permanent address
  • Telephone number
  • Birth date
  • Birth place
  • Gender
  • Major field of study
  • Dates of attendance
  • Most recent prior school attended
  • Classification
  • Degrees, as well as honors, conferred, and
  • Past or present participation in officially recognized activities.

NOTE: For intercollegiate athletes, height and weight are also considered directory information.

No other information may be released concerning a student without the written authorization of that student. This is an especially important issue affecting the request and release of a student's transcript. The Office of the Registrar, the official repository for student records, cannot prepare or release a transcript except by way of a student's signed request. Telephone requests and requests by other family members or friends cannot be honored. This is not just a Santa Clara University policy, but a federal legislative provision enacted under FERPA.

If a student prefers not to have any information about herself/himself released to anyone as stipulated by FERPA, then that student must fill out a non-disclosure form obtained from the Office of the Registrar or submit a written request for non-disclosure. Once filed, a request for non-disclosure remains in effect until the beginning of the next academic year, or a shorter period, if designated by the student.