Feb 17, 2025

News/Notes for Undergraduate Academic Advisors: Spring 2025 Career Fair | What to Know about FERPA - Part 1

Spring 2025 Career Fair
  • All students are invited to attend the Spring 2025 Career Fair on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 from 11:00-3:00 in the McLeod Center sponsored by UNI Career Services.
  • This year's event features 143 organizations - many of whom are seeking all majors - with a list attached to this email.  All faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. 
What to Know About FERPA - Part 1
  • The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) was enacted to protect the privacy of students' education records, to establish the rights of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide students with an opportunity to have inaccurate or misleading information in their education records corrected.
  • Key Summary Points:
    • What is an Educational Record?
      • An “education record” is any record that is directly related to a student and maintained by the university.
      • Education records include records in whatever medium (handwritten, email, print, digital, etc.) that are in the possession of any school official.  See What Faculty and Staff Need to Know for examples of exceptions/not included as educational records.
    • Student Rights
      • Be notified of their FERPA rights at least annually
      • Inspect and review their records
      • Seek amendment to an incorrect record
      • Limit disclosure of directory information
      • File a complaint with the Department of Education concerning an alleged failure by the institution to comply
    • What is Directory Information?
      • Directory information consists of information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if publicly available. However, most directory information falls within the confidential records listed in section 22.7 of Chapter 22 of the Iowa Code (Examination of Public Records), which maintains the following public records shall be kept confidential: "Personal information in records regarding a student, prospective student, or former student maintained, created, collected, or assembled by or for a school corporation or educational institution maintaining such records."
      • Students who want to ensure their directory information is not released in any situation (with the exception of to a school official with a legitimate educational interest) may restrict access by updating their personal information in MyUNIverse.
      • See What Faculty and Staff Need to Know for a list of directory information and additional guidelines and scenarios.
  • See the FERPA webpage from the Office of the Registrar for detailed information and additional resources
 
Institutional Academic Advising Vision & Mission Statement (revised Spring 2016) [See Academic Advising Mission, Vision, Goals & Outcomes webpage]
  • Vision Statement: UNI aspires to create the best possible advising experience for each student.
  • Mission Statement: Academic Advising is a critical component of the teaching and learning environment at UNI. Advising is a personalized educational experience, empowering students to explore, articulate and achieve their academic, career and life goals.