Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Effective Starting in Academic Year 2026
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA affords you certain rights with respect to your education records. These rights include:
1. The Right to Inspect and Review Your Education Records
You have the right to inspect and review your education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access. To exercise this right, submit a written request to the Registrar, Dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate University official that identifies the record(s) you wish to inspect. A University official will make arrangements for access and notify you of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the University official to whom the request was submitted, that official will advise you of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
2. The Right to Request an Amendment of Your Education Records
You have the right to request an amendment of your education record if you believe it is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of your privacy rights under FERPA. To request an amendment, write to the University official responsible for the record in question. Your written request must clearly identify the portion of the record you want changed and specify why the record should be changed. If the University decides not to amend the record as requested, the University will notify you in writing of the decision and of your right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to you when you are notified of the right to a hearing.
3. The Right to Provide Written Consent Before Disclosure
You have the right to provide written consent before the University discloses personally identifiable information from your education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
The University may disclose information to school officials with a legitimate educational interest without your prior written consent. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement personnel and health center staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using University employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.
A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the University.
4. The Right to File a Complaint
You have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Delaware Valley University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
Student Privacy Policy Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20202-8520
Directory Information
FERPA permits an exception to the non-disclosure of private, confidential information from a student's education record. This exception applies to what is known as directory information — information contained in an education record that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed.
Delaware Valley University has designated the following as directory information:
1. Student's name
2. Telephone listing
3. Electronic mail address
4. Photographs
5. Place of birth
6. Dates of attendance
7. Expected date of graduation
8. Date and description of degree, honors, or awards conferred
9. Enrollment status (undergraduate or graduate; full- or part-time)
10. Class standing
11. Academic major(s) and field(s) of study
12. Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
13. Weight and height of members of athletic teams
14. Previous educational institution attended
The University's Practice on Release of Directory Information
Although FERPA permits Delaware Valley University to release the above categories of directory information without your prior consent, the University exercises its discretion under FERPA to limit release. The Office of the Registrar releases directory information only when doing so serves a legitimate University purpose — for example, verifying enrollment or degree completion for prospective employers, publishing commencement programs, or supporting official University publications, athletic rosters, honors announcements, and communications.
The University does not sell student directory information, and we do not release directory information in bulk to commercial third parties.
How to Opt Out of Directory Information Disclosure ("FERPA Hold")
If you do not want Delaware Valley University to disclose any directory information from your education records without your prior written consent, you may place a FERPA Hold (also known as a "No Release" flag) on your record.
Please Carefully Consider the Consequences of Withholding Directory Information
Placing a FERPA Hold on your record affects all directory information categories — the hold cannot be applied selectively to individual items. Before requesting a FERPA Hold, please consider the following:
• A FERPA Hold applies to ALL directory information. You cannot choose to withhold only some categories. The hold is all-or-nothing.
• The University will not confirm your enrollment or degree status to third parties. This includes prospective employers, background check companies, licensing boards, scholarship organizations, graduate schools, honor societies, insurance companies, and lenders. You will need to provide this verification yourself, typically through official transcripts or letters you request.
• You will not appear in University publications. This includes the commencement program, dean's list and honor roll announcements, athletic rosters and media guides, university news releases, alumni magazines, and other official publications recognizing student achievements.
• The University cannot release your information to friends, family, or the news media who inquire about you — even in cases where you might otherwise want them to receive it. A FERPA Hold overrides the University's ability to respond to inquiries from parents, relatives, prospective employers, the news media, and honor societies.
• The hold remains in effect after you leave the University unless you submit a written request to rescind it. This means enrollment and degree verifications for former students with an active FERPA Hold will continue to be refused after graduation or withdrawal.
• The University assumes no liability for any consequences that result from honoring your request to withhold directory information. Please weigh the benefits of increased privacy against the potential inconvenience of being unable to receive routine recognitions, verifications, and communications.
• You may rescind a FERPA Hold at any time by submitting a written request to the Office of the Registrar. Be aware that the release may take up to a full semester to process.
Certain limited disclosures are permitted or required by FERPA even when a FERPA Hold is in place — for example, disclosures to school officials with a legitimate educational interest, disclosures required by court order or subpoena, and disclosures in connection with a health or safety emergency.
To request a FERPA Hold, contact the Office of the Registrar:
• Email: registrar@delval.edu
• In person: Lasker Hall, 2nd Floor
• Deadline: Requests should be submitted within two weeks of the annual FERPA notification to ensure your information is withheld from University publications for that academic year. Requests submitted after the deadline will be honored going forward but may not affect information already published or released. A FERPA Hold remains in effect until you submit a written request to remove it.
Questions?
For additional information regarding Delaware Valley University's FERPA policy, or to discuss whether a FERPA Hold is right for you, please contact the Office of the Registrar:
• Email: registrar@delval.edu
• Phone: 215-489-2378
• Office location: Lasker Hall, 2nd Floor
• Hours: 9am-4pm
This notice is issued annually by the Office of the Registrar in accordance with 34 CFR § 99.7.