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Pepperdine University

Student Records Policies

What is FERPA?

FERPA stands for Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (sometimes called the Buckley Amendment). The purpose of FERPA is to afford certain rights to students concerning their education records. Faculty, staff, students, and parents are encouraged to review the provisions of the law from the AACRAO Online Practical Guide.

FERPA Notification to Students

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 provides, generally, that (1) students shall have the right of access to their educational records, and (2) educational institutions shall not release educational records to non school employees without the consent of the student, subject to the exceptions provided by law. "Students" as used in this notice includes former students but does not include applicants who have not attended Pepperdine University.

Right of Access

With exceptions provided by law, students at Pepperdine University may see any of their education records upon request. Access must be granted no later than 45 days after the request. Students further have the right, under established procedures, to challenge the factual accuracy of the records and to enter their viewpoints in the records.

Disclosure of Student Records

With several exceptions provided by law, Pepperdine University cannot release information concerning students to prospective employers, government agencies, credit bureaus, etc., without the consent of the student. Students applying for jobs, credit, graduate school, etc., can expedite their applications by providing the University with written permission to release their records, specifying which records may be released and to whom the release should be made. The student's written consent is not required for information to parents of students who are dependents for federal income tax purposes. Parents requesting information may generally be granted access upon submission to the University of evidence of federal income tax dependency.

The University has designated the following categories of information as "directory information," which may be released to the public without consent of the student: student's name, CWID#, address, telephone number, major field of study, enrollment status, classification, photograph, theses titles/topics, electronic mail, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees, honors and awards received, and the most recent previous educational institution attended by the student.

The student may request that certain categories of directory information not be released to the public without the student's written consent. Such request shall be submitted in accordance with the Student Record Policy of the University to the Office of the University Registrar.

Request to Withhold Directory Information

Further Information

This notice is not intended to be fully explanatory of student rights under FERPA. You may follow this link to the Pepperdine University Student Records Policy (Revised 01/12), which contains detailed information and procedures regarding these rights. Any student alleging failure of the University to comply with FERPA may file a complaint with Family Policy Compliance Office, US Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-5920. Students are encouraged to resolve complaints prior to contacting outside agencies.

Spring 2024 FERPA Notification Letter

Other Policies

Pepperdine University is committed to protecting the privacy of students' records. To that end, we will provide general information in response to inquires from students' private email accounts but will perform services and provide personal information in response to requests sent via your Pepperdine email account only.