FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974..FERPA.  This is a federal law regarding the privacy of the students and access to educational  records.  Did everyone get the schoolwide e-mail on this one?  Do you all remember going to the Southern Welcome and them talking about FERPA and how they can't even tell your parents anything, BUT they will make your directory information available to the general public.  This would include things like: your name, student id number, your address, telephone number, your e-mail address, your major or field of study any activities or sports that you are involved in, when you go to school, your enrollment status such as full or part-time, any honors or awards you may have received, where you may have gone to school previously, date and place of birth, your photograph, grade level and your next of kin.  Hello, where is the privacy!  It didn't take me but a few short strokes across the keyboard and I had all my information blocked.  This is crazy..they call this a privacy act.

I wanted to make sure they got the paper that I e-mailed them and just for peace of mind I printed the form and personally handed it in at the Regisrars office so that I knew they got it.  Here is my problem with this..I have an ex-husband who attends MSSU also, who did not know that I did and our paths, unfortunately, passed last week, the day before the e-mail came out and yes you can say that I was in panic mode.  He has remarried since and I am glad for that, but there is alot of unresolved tension between the two of us and why would I want him to have access to all my information freely at the touch of a button, when I went to extreme measures at the bank, electric, gas and water companies to put security codes on my accounts so he could not access them or find out where I lived and the school is just going to give it out..WOW.

Is it just me or does anyone else see a problem with this policy.  The Registrars office told me that with the block on the directory I can not have my name in the paper for the honor roll if they publish it and my name won't appear on the graduation list for commencement..give me a break, I'm a Freshman, I don't think that I have to worry about it for a while.

I do not have a relationship any longer with my parents and they have absolutely no idea where I live, if I go to school, but I'm sure my ex told them, they speak, or anything about me or even where I work.  I make sure that I keep myself as private as I can, and I do not feel that it is anyone's business to be in my business unless I choose to give out the information.  I would hate to think that I would have to get restraining orders because the school told them everything they wanted to know about my life.  I wonder what the witness protection program is like, do they have a directory clause also? 

I am a private person and I like to be a private person.  There are people that I share my life stories or concerns with but I do that by choice and on my own terms and I am not going to let the school where I should feel safe to get an education and a degree take that away from me. 

I guess the reason that I am so upset is that they preached to us about the FERPA and how they can't your parents anything but let them tell everyone else, not to mention the fact that now that my ex knows I go there he makes it a point now every morning that I have class to be near where my friend and sit before class and everyday he gets bolder and closer to me.  I do not like confrontation and do not want any, what a way to start my mornings, not to mention that I watch everywhere that I go to see if he is around, it makes me sick to my stomach to know that he is probably watching every move that I make,  it shouldn't bother me right?  I mean after all he is married now and I am happy with my life, but there is tht little voice in my head that just won't shut up.

Did you know that students have certain rights under FERPA, but guess what, we have to put it in writing and request it and the request can be denied, to look at my own school records, are you kidding me.  Tell me there isn't something wrong with this whole situation.

Well I guess I am done for now, but I hope that it makes some of you think about what is yours isn't the case so much, respect yorself and your privacy, unless it doesn't bother you and you can withdrawl your request for privacy at anytime, but you have to fill out a form to get it to start with. 

This blog could have been filled with so many not nice things to say and some really bad words because it makes me extremely angry to think that I have no control over my own information and they call this a Privacy Policy.  Whatever!!!!