As a citizen a student enjoys a constitutional right to privacy. Therefore, as a custodian of student records, Lake Superior State University assumes an implicit and justifiable trust. This trust involves the recognition that student records, both academic and personal, are confidential to the student and the institution.

Section 438 of the General Education Provisions Act, as amended, sets forth the requirements to be met by an educational institution to protect the privacy of students. This act is called the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and shall be referred to hereafter as FERPA.

FERPA generally governs access to student educational records and the release of such records. FERPA also requires that institutions of higher education must provide students access to official records directly related to the student and an opportunity for a hearing to challenge such records on the grounds that they are inaccurate, misleading or inappropriate. Educational institutions must also obtain written consent before releasing personally identifiable data about students from records to other than a specified list of exceptions. In addition, students must be notified of these rights.

In accordance with provisions of FERPA and the regulations enacted by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, LSSU will exercise extreme care and concern in recording and disseminating information about students. The actual policies and procedures adopted are listed in detail in the University Catalog under "The Privacy Act."