Student Rights and Privacy

Student records are protected by FERPA. Students have certain rights under FERPA to inspect, review, and amend their records. Students can also chose to restrict their public information.

Student Right to Access Information

Pursuant to the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the California Information Practices Act, the University of California Policies Applying to the Disclosure of Information from Student Records, and UCLA Policy 220, students at UCLA have the right to:

1. Inspect and review records pertaining to themselves in their capacity as students, except as the right may be waived or qualified under federal and state laws and University policies
2. Have withheld from disclosure, absent their prior written consent for release, personally identifiable information from their student records, except as provided by federal and state laws and University policies
3. Inspect records maintained by UCLA of disclosures of personally identifiable information from their student records
4. Seek correction of their student records through a request to amend the records or, if such request is denied, through a hearing (see UCLA Procedure 220.1)
5. File complaints with the U.S. Department of Education regarding alleged violations of the rights accorded them by FERPA

Public Information

UCLA, in accordance with federal and state laws and University policies, has designated the following categories of personally identifiable information as “public information” that UCLA may release and publish without a student’s prior consent:

• name
• e-mail address
• telephone numbers
• major field of study
• dates of attendance
• number of course units in which enrolled
• degrees and honors received
• most recent previous educational institution attended
• participation in officially recognized activities (including intercollegiate athletics)
• name, weight, and height of participants on intercollegiate athletic teams

As a matter of practice, UCLA does not publish student telephone numbers in the online campus directory unless released by the student. The term “public information” in this policy is synonymous with the term “directory information” in FERPA.

Restriction Options

Students who do not wish certain items (i.e., name, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, major field of study, dates of attendance, number of course units in which enrolled, and degrees and honors received) of this “public information” released and published may indicate this through MyUCLA.

Setting Privacy through MyUCLA

Privacy for some public information items can be set through MyUCLA. These include telephone number, official e-mail address, and all public information.

Telephone Number Privacy

UCLA does not publish or disclose student telephone numbers unless released by the student. By default, this option is set to withhold the telephone number from publication and public release. Unless the telephone number is released, only the student name and e-mail address (if released) appear in the online campus directory.

E-Mail Address Privacy

UCLA publishes student official e-mail addresses in the online campus directory. Students have the option of withholding this information from publication and public release. If the e-mail address is withheld, only the student name and telephone number (if released) appear in the online campus directory.

Telephone and E-Mail Privacy

If a student withholds both their telephone number and e-mail address, only their name appears in the online campus directory.

All Public Information Privacy

Students have the option of withholding all public information—including name, telephone number, and official e-mail address—from being released to the public and published in the campus directory and commencement materials. When this is selected, none of this information is released without student consent.

FERPA Restriction Privacy

The most restrictive privacy option is a FERPA restriction, or full FERPA block. It overrides all other privacy options and restricts the release of all public information without student consent. The FERPA restriction prohibits publication of the student name and any student information in the online campus directory and commencement materials, prohibits UCLA staff from making any statement that implies that the person with the FERPA restriction is a student, and prohibits UCLA staff from even acknowledging that UCLA has information about the person. Students can apply or remove a FERPA restriction only through the Registrar’s Office, in person or using the Message Center.

Students should check their privacy and FERPA options through MyUCLA before they graduate. The name of a student with a FERPA restriction will not appear in UCLA online or print directories, or in commencement publications.

Inspection of Records

Student records that are the subject of federal and state laws and University policies may be maintained in a variety of offices, including the Registrar’s Office, Office of the Dean of Students, UCLA Career Center, UCLA External Affairs, Graduate Division, and the offices of a student’s College or school and major department. Students have the right to inspect their student records in any such office subject to the terms of federal and state laws and University policies.

Inspection of student records maintained by the Registrar’s Office is by appointment only and must be arranged three working days in advance. To arrange an appointment, send e-mail to reginfo@registrar.ucla.edu or come to 1113 Murphy Hall. The student must complete and submit a Student Record Inspection Request, with photo ID, at 1113 Murphy Hall. An inspection request takes approximately five business days to process.

The Registrar’s Office does not maintain admissions application records. Requests for this information should be directed to the appropriate admissions office.

Many student records have been converted from paper to digital format, so hard-copy versions are not available to maintain or review. Most digital records are available to students at their convenience.

A copy of federal and state laws, University policies, and the print UCLA Telephone Directory may be inspected in the Information Practices office, 107 UCLA Wilshire Center. Information concerning students’ hearing rights may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of Students, 1206 Murphy Hall. See the complete text of UCLA Policy 220, Disclosure of Information from Student Records.

Third-Party Access

Students may authorize a third party, such as a parent or guardian, access to their own records. Access may be granted to the student’s BruinBill account, class enrollment, grades, financial aid information, and more. Students enable and specify feature access for third parties through MyUCLA.

Even if a third party has been granted access to student record items, in compliance with FERPA the Registrar's Office cannot discuss in person, by e-mail, or by telephone any specific information about students and their records.

How to Set up Access

Third-Party UCLA Logon ID

Before a third party can be granted access, that person must

1. Create a UCLA Logon ID on the UCLA Identity and Accounts Manager website
2. Provide the student with that UCLA Logon ID (not password), and with the first and last name exactly as entered on the UCLA Identity and Accounts Manager website

Student Access Authorization

The student must log into MyUCLA, then

1. In Settings, select Third-Party Access; enter the third party’s UCLA Logon ID and name information
2. Select the information the third party is able to access or view

After these steps are complete, the third party may log into MyUCLA and view the information to which access has been granted. Students may revoke access, or change access features, at any time.

Academic Access

Students may authorize a UCLA faculty member or department/program to release some education record information, such academic grade and other pertinent academic student record information, for purposes such as a letter of recommendation. Use an Education Record Release Authorization form to authorize information release. Authorization remains in effect until it is revoked; the student can revoke authorization at any time.