Student Privacy

The University has a legal obligation to protect the privacy of students and the confidentiality of student records. No information about a student’s academic performance can be released without the student’s written permission. It is equally important to respect students’ privacy when distributing their grades. Instructors should not leave papers, projects, or examinations in unattended public areas. Similarly, grades should never be posted with the students’ names, and/or Harvard University Identification (HUID) numbers. Such practices are a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Questions about the confidentiality of student records and about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act may be directed to the Registrar, Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center, 1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 450, Cambridge, Massachusetts. (See Posting of Grades.)