Office of the Registrar

Under FERPA, Appalachian State University may disclose student information defined as directory information by the university without the student’s written consent.

• Student Name
• Academic Classification (i.e., senior, junior, sophomore, freshman)
• Enrollment Status (i.e., part-time or full-time)
• Field(s) of Study
• Dates of Attendance
• Degrees, Honors and Awards Received
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight, height, athletic statistics and photographic representations of members of athletic teams

Disclosure of other information (e.g., student identification number, grade point average, etc.) requires a signed consent from the student. Students may choose to grant parents or guardians access to their information via AppalNet. Students may also choose to restrict disclosure of directory information by contacting the Registrar's Office.

Disclosure of Non-Directory Information:

Appalachian State University will disclose information from a student's education records only with the explicit written consent of the student, EXCEPT that records may be disclosed without written consent when the disclosure is:

1. To other school officials, including teachers, within the university whom the school has determined to have legitimate educational interests. This includes contractors, consultants, volunteers, or other parties to whom the school has outsourced institutional services or functions, provided that certain conditions are met.

2. To Appalachian State University officials who have a legitimate educational interest in the records. An Appalachian State University official is defined as:

• a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position, including health and medical staff.
• a person employed by or under contract to Appalachian State University to perform a special task such as an attorney or auditor.
• a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or who is assisting another school official in performing employment tasks.
• a person who is employed by Appalachian State University's Office of Public Safety/University Police.
• a member of the Appalachian State University Board of Trustees, acting in his or her official capacity.
• a representative of the General Administration of the University of North Carolina, acting in his or her official capacity.
• a member of the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina, acting in his or her official capacity.

3. An Appalachian State University school official has a "legitimate educational interest" if that official is:

• performing a task that is specified in his or her position description or contract agreement.
• performing a task related to a student's education.
• performing a task related to the discipline of a student.
• providing a service or benefit relating to the student or student's family, including, but not limited to, healthcare, counseling, job placement, or financial aid.
• maintaining the safety and security of the campus.

4. To officials of another school where the student seeks or intends to enroll, or where the student is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer.

5. To authorized representatives of the U. S. Comptroller General, the U. S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or State and local educational authorities, such as a State postsecondary authority that is responsible for supervising the university’s State-supported education programs. Disclosures under this provision may be made in connection with an audit or evaluation of Federal- or State-supported education programs, or for the enforcement of or compliance with Federal legal requirements that relate to those programs. These entities may make further disclosures of PII to outside entities that are designated by them as their authorized representatives to conduct any audit, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity on their behalf.

6. In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received, if the information is necessary to determine eligibility for the aid, determine the amount of the aid, determine the conditions of the aid, or enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.

7. To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the school, in order to: (a) develop, validate, or administer predictive tests; (b) administer student aid programs; or (c) improve instruction.

8. To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions.

9. To parents of an eligible student if the student is a dependent for IRS tax purposes.

10. To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena.

11. To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency.

12. Information the school has designated as “directory information”.

13. To a victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense. The disclosure may only include the final results of the disciplinary proceeding with respect to that alleged crime or offense, regardless of the finding.

14. To the general public, the final results of a disciplinary proceeding if the school determines the student is an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or non-forcible sex offense and the student has committed a violation of the school’s rules or policies with respect to theallegation made against him or her.

15. To parents of a student regarding the student’s violation of any Federal, State, or local law, or of any rule or policy of the school, governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance if the school determines the student committed a disciplinary violation and the student is under the age of 21.

Federal and State Data Collection and Use

As of January 3, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education's FERPA regulations expand the circumstances under which your education records and personally identifiable information (PII) contained in such records — including your Social Security Number, grades, or other private information — may be accessed without your consent. First, the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities ("Federal and State Authorities") may allow access to your records and PII without your consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program. The evaluation may relate to any program that is "principally engaged in the provision of education," such as early childhood education and job training, as well as any program that is administered by an education agency or institution. Second, Federal and State Authorities may allow access to your education records and PII without your consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain cases even when we object to or do not request such research. Federal and State Authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security promises from the entities that they authorize to receive your PII, but the Authorities need not maintain direct control over such entities. In addition, in connection with Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, State Authorities may collect, compile, permanently retain, and share without your consent PII from your education records, and they may track your participation in education and other programs by linking such PII to other personal information about you that they obtain from other Federal or State data sources, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice, military service, and migrant student records systems.