The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) grants students rights regarding access to their education records. In simple terms, FERPA gives students more control over their educational records and protects certain student information from being disclosed without written consent. Once a student enters a postsecondary institution, or anything above the high school level, the rights under FERPA transfer to that student. At Doane University, these rights take effect on the first day of class. As such, all students enrolled in the Fall 2025 semester are now protected under FERPA.
This means that everyone, including parents, needs permission from the student before accessing any information. However, students can grant access by providing proxy access through Doane’s self-service platform. This can be done by clicking the “View/Add Proxy Access” button under the User Options section. For a detailed guide on this process, students should refer to the email from the Registrar sent on Aug. 25. Once someone is granted proxy access, they will be able to view FERPA-protected information such as grades, tuition and financial aid.
An educational record includes handwritten notes, computer files, generated information, printed materials, video/audio recordings, photos and any information maintained about the student. It does not include records made by staff or faculty for their own use, personal observations, university law enforcement records, medical or mental health records or alumni records. This is what the rights and guidelines under FERPA apply to.
Doane is also permitted to share “directory information,” which is defined as information that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy. Designated directory information includes the student’s name, student ID, addresses (both on-campus and off-campus), email, hometown, high school, fields of study, degree sought, expected graduation date, degrees granted, awards/honors, enrollment status, previous institutions, dates of attendance, participation in official activities and sports, weight and height (for athletes) and photographs. Doane maintains that they are very cautious with who and how this information is shared. Additional questions should be sent to the Registrar’s office at registaroffice@doane.edu, or in the lower level of the Padour Walker building, which is the glass building located behind Merrill Tower.
