FERPA Privacy Rights Procedures

This page provides instructions and resources for exercising your FERPA rights on how to:

How to Opt Out of Directory Information Sharing 

Students may opt out of having their Directory Information shared with third parties. To opt out, submit a written request to One Stop Student Services at OneStop@UConn.edu or visit One Stop Student Services in person at Wilbur Cross Building, Room 104. 

What happens when I opt out of Directory Information Sharing? 

Choosing to opt out means the University will not release any directory information about you without your written permission.  

This may result in: 

1. No confirmation of your enrollment or attendance to employers, scholarship providers, or third parties. 
2. Exclusion from commencement programs, honor rolls, awards, and public recognition. 
3. Third parties may be informed that no information is available when they inquire about you. 
4. Additional steps to verify your identity when requesting services. 

To opt in, contact One Stop Student Services and complete a self-verification process to reinstate the release of your Directory Information. When possible, please submit your request using your UConn email address. Additional information may be required to verify your identity. 

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 Inspect and Challenge Education Records Process  

The University shall provide a student the opportunity to challenge the content of his or her Education Records where the student believes the record(s) to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of privacy rights, and to correct, delete, or insert written statements of explanation into such record(s). This does not give a student a right to contest or challenge an assigned grade. Although disagreements may be settled through informal meetings and discussions, either the student or the University may request an administrative hearing to resolve the dispute.  The student or University administrator seeking the hearing shall make his or her request in writing. 

Send a written request to: 

Chief Privacy Officer
University of Connecticut
Office of University Compliance
28 Professional Park Unit 5084
Storrs, Connecticut 06268-5084 

The Hearing Process

1. The hearing shall be conducted and decided within a reasonable period of time following the request, and the student shall be given notice of the date, time, and place reasonably in advance of the hearing.  Normally, the hearing will be conducted within ten (10) business days following the date the hearing request has been received.
2. The student will have, at the formal hearing, the opportunity to present evidence and argument to a Hearing Body in support of his or her contention that the records are inaccurate, misleading or otherwise inappropriate. The student may, at his or her own expense, be assisted by one or more individuals of his or her own choice, including an attorney. The student may present evidence and question witnesses.  The burden shall lie with the student to show that it is more likely than not (preponderance of the evidence) that the University department should have made the student’s requested changes to his or her records, and/or that a violation of the student’s rights under FERPA has occurred.
3. The University department with whom the student has the conflict may present a case in rebuttal with the same aforementioned procedural rights. The University department shall be provided an opportunity to present evidence relevant to the issues raised by the student;
4. The hearing shall be conducted by a Hearing Body who will hear all testimony, review all evidence presented at the hearing and render a decision.  The Hearing Body shall be appointed by the Vice President of Student Affairs for the Storrs and Regional Campuses, or by the Dean of Students for each school (Medical and Dental) at UCHC,  provided that person(s) does not have a direct interest in the outcome;
5. The Hearing Body shall ensure that the decision is rendered to the student in writing within a reasonable time after the conclusion of the hearing, is based solely upon the evidence presented at the hearing, and shall include a summary of the evidence and the reasons for the decision.  The decision of the Hearing Body shall be final.
6. If the matter is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student, the student may draft a written response to be included with the Education Record(s) in question that details the student’s issue(s) with the Education Record(s) in question, and a description of why the student believes the Education Record(s) in question to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of privacy rights.