I learned that:
1. FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records
2. students have the right to access and request changes to their education records.
3. Staff and faculty notes that are maintained in a student's shared file are considered an educational record and must be shared with students upon request. However, notes that are maintained in the "sole possession" of an employee are not part of the student's educational record.
4. Institutions must permit access to that part of the record which pertains only to the inquiring student, cannot destroy any documents that are pending a request for access, and may charge fees for providing copies of records as long as it does not restrict access. When a student requests access to their education records, institutions must protect any sensitive information while also ensuring the student's right to access is not denied.
