The University’s procedures regarding the inspection and review of education records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) are as follows:
1. All students who are or have been in attendance at the University have the right to inspect and review their education records subject to the limitations and exceptions set forth in FERPA and its related regulations, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g and 34 CFR Part 99.
2. “Education records” include all information maintained by the University that is directly related to a particular student. For this reason, academic calendars, course syllabi, general announcements, and other materials related generally to the germane academic program or course of study are not subject to FERPA review. Additionally, although students will have access to personal electronic data printed in an appropriate format, the University will not create custom documents, summaries, or reports from such systems or databases.
3. To facilitate the gathering and inspection of student records, all requests must be submitted in writing to studentlife@uchicago.edu or the Office of Campus and Student Life, 5711 S. Woodlawn Ave., Chicago, IL, 60637. Requests to other University offices or verbal requests will not be fulfilled.
4. If a student’s request is unclear or insufficiently specific, a representative from the Office of Campus and Student Life may discuss the request with the student to assure that the appropriate records will be gathered for the student's review. The representative from the Office of Campus and Student Life will then coordinate with relevant University offices to gather the requested records; review the records to confirm that they are complete and redact any FERPA-waived recommendations, information about other students subject to FERPA privacy obligations, or any other information protected from disclosure by FERPA or other applicable law; finally, the representative will make arrangements with the student to inspect the records.
5. Education records belong the University and, although students have the right to review and request amendments as set forth below, students are not authorized to photocopy, photograph, or otherwise image or duplicate University records. Students may, however, take personal notes regarding their educational records. Students should be mindful of the risks of sharing personal information from their educational records with those who are not subject to FERPA’s privacy requirements.
6. A student's medical records, maintained separately by UChicago Student Wellness, are subject to strict confidentiality except as authorized by applicable law (e.g., HIPAA and/or the Illinois Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act). Student medical records are not considered to be part of a student's education records within the meaning of FERPA. A student should continue to consult their physician or mental health professional about how to obtain their medical records.
7. Parental statements of financial resources will remain confidential. Where parents indicate a willingness for the information in such statements to be shared with the student, the statements will be made available to the student upon request.
8. University students who apply for admission to another University professional school or graduate program have no right to access records of that school or program unless the student has been admitted to and begins attending that school or program.
9. Personal notes written by a member of the faculty, an adviser, or other University employee concerning a student that are generated and maintained for the exclusive use of the writer are not considered part of the student's education record under FERPA.
10. Access to a student's education records will be provided within a reasonable period of time, but in no case will an offer to review the records be made more than forty-five days after the request. If, after reviewing their educational records, a student believes that certain records encompassed by the request were not made available for inspection, the student should submit a follow-up request clarifying the additional records the student believes exist.