Privacy

Student Rights Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

As required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the University has established policies governing privacy and release of student record information.  FERPA rights begin for students when they enroll in and attend classes, and continue for the rest of their lives.  The primary policy governing privacy of student information may be reviewed here: University FERPA and Privacy Policy.  The University Registrar's Office is authorized to enforce this policy, in consultation with the Chief Privacy Officer and the Office of the General Counsel. 

Directory Information

Under FERPA, the university can designate information as directory information, which may be released to third parties. Wayne State University considers the following information to directory information:

  1. Name
  2. University-provided e-mail address
  3. Major
  4. Classification (freshman, sophomore, etc.) 
  5. Enrollment status (full-time, three-quarters-time, half-time, less-than-half-time, withdrawn)
  6. Dates of Attendance
  7. Participation in officially recognized university activities, including sports
  8. Height and weight of members of athletic teams
  9. Degree(s) received from Wayne State
  10. Honors and/or academic awards received

Wayne State does not release directory information to third parties for commercial or non-educational purposes.  Requestors are expected to explain the benefit to our students.

You may opt in or opt out of the release of directory information by filing a Request to Restrict Release of Directory Information form with the Records and Registration office. 

The University will release student information made under the Solomon Amendment (10 USC Section 983) by Department of Defense recruiters.  Accordingly, students may not opt out of this type of release. 

Right to Review and Amend Records

You have the right to inspect and review your educational records, seek corrections to what you believe to be inaccurate or in violation of your privacy rights, and consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in your records (except to the extent that the law authorizes disclosure without consent.) 

The University Registrar coordinates all requests to review your records.  Therefore, requests to review or amend your records should be addressed to:

Academic Records
Wayne State University
5057 Woodward, Fifth Floor
Detroit, MI 48202
registrar@wayne.edu

We are required by law to respond within 45 days of having received your request.

Disclosure of Student Records Information

The university may disclose education records without your prior written consent under an exception allowing disclosure to school officials with a legitimate educational interest.  A school official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic or support staff position (including law enforcement personnel and health system staff) or a person or company with whom the university has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using university officials. (Examples of this include collection agencies and the National Student Clearinghouse.)  

A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities to Wayne State University. 

Students may authorize specific other people or entities to have access to their education records by filing an Authorization to Release Academic Records form and returning it to the Records and Registration Office. 

Other Rights

Students have the right to file a complaint regarding alleged failures of the university to comply with FERPA.  Complaints should be addressed to:

Family Compliance Office
US Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202

Important information and documents