University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Access to Student Information Policy
Policy #1
The purpose of this document
is to provide guidelines for the release of student related data for both on-campus
and off-campus use. The intent of restricting access to data is to protect student
information from use other than that for which it was intended. This is accomplished
in part by limiting access to those who have a "need to know".
Data elements considered
public domain by the Buckley Amendment unless restricted by the student are:
name, address, telephone numbers, date of birth, major field of study, participation
in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height (athletes),
dates of attendance, including current classification and withdrawal dates,
at the University, degrees and awards received, and name of the most recent
previous educational agency or institution attended. Since these elements are
"directory information" they must be released if requested by either on-campus
or off-campus sources unless the student makes a specific request to the Office
of the Registrar to withhold this information. The Wisconsin Public Information
Law requires the release of any information that is not protected by another
law. Therefore the data elements listed as "directory information" by the Buckley
Amendment are not protected unless the student has so specified. These items
must be released even if the requestor refuses to give a name or reason for
wanting the information. The campus resource person on questions relating to
the Wisconsin Public Information Law is the Director of Archives Ext. 2411.
If you are not clear about whether certain information can be released, the
Director of Archives should be your first contact.
The following is a list
of student related data elements that are commonly requested by on-campus personnel.
They have been grouped into four levels based on the sensitivity of the information.
The approving authority for release of this data is also indicated.
Level A consists
of those data elements approved for general release under the Buckley Amendment
unless restricted by the student. They are:
|
Level
A Information
|
Approving
Authority
|
| Name |
None
required
|
| Address |
None
required
|
| Date of birth |
None
required
|
| Dates of attendance includingcurrent classification and year matriculation, and withdrawal dates |
None
required
|
| Degrees & awards received |
None
required
|
| Major/Minor/Concentration |
None
required
|
| Name of most recent previous institution attended |
None
required
|
| Participation in officially recognized activities & sports |
None
required
|
| Telephone number |
None required
|
| Weight & height of athletes |
None
required
|
Level B consists of those data elements considered available for university operational needs. They are:
|
Level
B Information
|
Approving
Authority
|
|
Admission - term admitted |
Director of Admissions |
| Admission status | Director of Admissions |
| Adviser's Name | Director of Advising |
| Citizenship status | Registrar |
| Condition of admission | Director of Admissions |
| Counselor's name | Director of Advising |
| Current registration data | Registrar |
| Curricular data | Assoc. Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies |
| Date of application | Director of Admissions |
| Emergency name and phone | Registrar |
| Entrance status | Director of Admissions |
| Handicap status | Director of Educational Support Services |
| Heritage | Registrar |
| High school graduation date | Director of Admissions |
| High school name | Director of Admissions |
| High school rank | Director of Admissions |
| High school units | Director of Admissions |
| Hours earned toward degree | Registrar |
| Housing | Registrar |
| Initial residency | Director of Admissions |
| Library Special Borrowers (Students) | Asst. Vice Chancellor for Information Services |
| Marital status | Registrar |
| Number of dependents | Registrar |
| Occupation | Registrar |
| Place of employment | Registrar |
| Pre-professional data | Director of Advising |
| Record status and related data | Registrar |
| Residency status | Director of Admissions |
| Sex | Registrar |
| Transfer college data | Registrar |
| Transfer hours accepted | Registrar |
| Veterans status | Registrar |
| Veterans benefit information | Registrar |
| Visa type | Director of Admissions |
| Withdrawal data | Registrar |
| Student courses | Registrar |
Level C
consists of those data elements considered to be the most sensitive and therefore
very limited in distribution. They are:
|
Level
C Information
|
Approving
Authority
|
| Academic status data | Registrar |
| Collegiate Skills status | Director of Educational Support Services |
| Cumulative hours, points, GPA | Registrar |
| Placement data | Director of Educational Support Services |
| Semester hours, points, GPA | Registrar |
| Student courses/grades | Registrar |
Level
D represents those student-related data elements where the authority
for input and maintenance lies outside of Student Affairs. Permission to access
information in this level must be obtained from the Approving Authority.
|
Level
D Information
|
Approving
Authority
|
| Alumni Information | Executive Director of University Advancement |
| Certification Information | Dean, College of Arts & Sciences |
| Financial Aids Data | Director of Financial Aids |
| Student Fee Data | Bursar |
The following list represents
those people who by virtue of the responsibilities assigned to their position
can request (without special permission of the Approving Authority) information
from Levels A, B, and C.
| Chancellor |
| Provost/Vice Chancellor for Student & Executive Director of University Academic Affairs |
| Advancement Vice Chancellor for Administrative & Fiscal |
| Bursar Affairs |
|
Faculty Advisers (for their advisees) Deans, Department Chairs Director of Financial Aids (for students with majors in Assistant/Associte Vice Chancellors their departments) |
Requests for access to information
from the B and C levels from any other individual or unit must be approved either
by someone on the preceding list or by the Approving Authority. Since the Registrar
is the Approving Authority for the great majority of the data elements, a special
procedure has been developed to give access to those people on campus who are
deemed to have a "need to know" but who are not on the preceding list. This
additional list is created and maintained by the Registrar. It is reviewed and
revised as appropriate. People on this list can obtain information for which
the Registrar is the Approving Authority without receiving specific approval
each time.
Aggregate information relating
to students can be provided directly by the Computer Center (storehouse of all
data) only to persons on the list maintained by the Registrar or to the appropriate
Approving Authority (or their designated representative). Requests for aggregate
data coming from any others (on or off-campus) should be referred to the Registrar.
It is important for
anyone requesting information from B, C, and D levels to remember that the Buckley
Amendment makes them responsible for ascertaining that the request is necessary
and appropriate to legitimate University business. Such persons must assure
that the information received is not further distributed, except in direct connection
with the conduct of such legitimate business.
This responsibility pertains to all these levels of information and should be taken very seriously by all. Strict adherence to these guidelines is essential for the protection of both the student and the University.
