Student Planner 2007-2008
Confidentiality Policy
The Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act of 1974
These statements are set forth as guidelines and procedures
to implement the University of Missouri policy on student
records developed from The Family Educational Rights & Privacy
Act of 1974.
The University of Missouri-St. Louis as charged in the Act
will annually inform its eligible students by including in
the Student Planner and the University of Missouri-St. Louis Bulletin:
Undergraduate, Graduate, and Professional Catalogue the
following information:
- "Educational Records" are those records, files, documents,
and other materials which contain information directly related
to a student and are maintained by the University. Those
records, made available under The Family Educational Rights
and Privacy Act of 1974, are student financial aid, the
student's cumulative advisement file, student health records,
disciplinary records, the admissions file, and the academic
record.
Confidential letters and statements of recommendation
which were placed in student credential folders at the
Office of Career Planning and Placement after January
1, 1975, are also made available, if the student has not
waived the right to view these recommendations.
The University of Missouri-St. Louis "Educational Records"
do not include:
- records of instructional, supervisor, and administrative
personnel and educational personnel ancillary thereto
which are in the sole possession of the maker thereof
and which are not accessible or revealed to any other
person except a substitute;
- the records of the University of Missouri Police Department
which were created for a law enforcement purpose and
are maintained by the police department;
- in the case of persons who are employed by the University
but who are not in attendance at the University, records
made and maintained in the normal course of business
which related exclusively to such persons and their
capacity as employees where the records are not available
for any other purpose;
- all records on any University student which are created
and maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist,
or other recognized professional or paraprofessional
acting in a professional or paraprofessional capacity,
or assisting in that capacity, and which are created,
maintained, or used only in connection with the provision
of treatment to the student, and are not available to
anyone other than persons providing such treatment,
provided, however, that such records can be personally
reviewed by a physician or other appropriate professional
of the student's choice.
- The University of Missouri-St. Louis recognizes "Directory
Information/Public Information" to mean a student's name,
address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major
field of study, participation in officially recognized activities
and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams,
dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the
most recent previous educational agency or institution attended
by the student. All students must inform the Registrar's
Office before the end of the two-week period following the
first day of classes that any or all of the information
designated as Directory Information should not be released
without the student's prior consent. The information listed
above will become Directory Information or Public Information
as of the first day of classes following the end of the
two-week period in a regular semester and the first day
of classes following the end of the one-week period during
the Summer Session.
- University of Missouri-St. Louis students have access
to the educational records identified in Paragraph 1 above.
In accordance with Pub. Law 93-380 as amended, the University
of Missouri-St. Louis will not make available to students
the following materials:
- financial records of the parents of students or any
information contained therein;
- confidential letters and statements of recommendation
which were placed in the educational records prior to
January 1, 1975, if such letters or statements are not
used for the purpose other than those for which they
were specifically intended;
- confidential recommendations respecting admission
to the University, application for employment and receipt
of honor, or honorary recognition, where the student
has signed a waiver of the student's rights of access
as provided in 6.0404, the University Policy on Student
Records.
- The Director of Financial Aid, the appropriate academic
dean, the Coordinator of the University Health Services,
the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, the Director of
Career Services, the Director of Admissions, and Registrar
are the officials responsible for the maintenance of each
type of record listed in paragraph 1.
- Students may, upon request, review their records and,
if inaccurate information is included, may request the expunging
of such information from their files. Such inaccurate information
will then be expunged upon authorization of the official
responsible for the file.
- Students desiring to challenge the content of their records
may request an opportunity for a hearing to challenge the
content of their educational records in order to ensure
that the records are not inaccurate, misleading or otherwise
in violation of the privacy or other rights of the student,
to provide an opportunity for the correction or deletion
of any such inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise inappropriate
data contained therein, and to insert into such records
a written explanation respecting the content of such records.
- The University official charged with custody of the records
will attempt to settle informally any disputes with any
student regarding the content of the University's educational
records through informal meetings and discussions with the
student.
- Upon request of the student or the University official
charged with custody of the records of the student, a formal
hearing shall be conducted as follows:
- the request for a hearing shall be submitted in writing
to the campus chancellor who will appoint a hearing
officer or a hearing committee to conduct the hearing;
- the hearing shall be conducted and decided within
a reasonable period of time following the request for
a hearing. The parties will be entitled to written notice
10 days prior to the time and place of the hearing;
- the hearing shall be conducted and the decision rendered
by an appointed hearing official or officials who shall
not have a direct interest in the outcome of the hearing;
- the student shall be afforded a full and fair opportunity
to present evidence relevant to the hearing;
- the decision shall be rendered in writing within a
reasonable period of time after the conclusion of the
hearing; and
- either party may appeal the decision of the hearing
official or officials to the campus chancellor. Appeal
from the chancellor's decision is to the president.
Appeal from the president is to the Board of Curators.
- The University of Missouri-St. Louis will mail grade reports
only to a student's permanent mailing address. Grades will
not be mailed to parents unless the students in question
have completed the necessary authorization in the registrar's
office.
- The University of Missouri-St. Louis may permit access
to or release educational records, without the written consent
of the student, to the parents of a dependent student as
defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.
- If any material or document in the educational record
of a student includes information on more than one student,
the student may inspect and review only such part of such
material or document as relates to the individual student
seeking the review or be informed of the specific information
contained in such part of such material.