About FERPA
The College complies with the provisions of the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and its implementing regulations (collectively, "FERPA"), as amended, which affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. The Student Handbook contains additional information on students' rights under FERPA.
The Dartmouth College FERPA policy can be found in the policy portal.
CONFIDENTIAL HOLDS
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and its implementing regulations (collectively, FERPA) allow Dartmouth to disclose certain basic information about you, known as "Directory Information," without obtaining your permission. Directory Information includes the following: name (legal or chosen), age, date and place of birth, student ID number, dates of attendance, enrollment status, class year, degree(s) awarded and date(s), degree(s) receipt or non-reciept, major fields of study, including (if applicable) minors or areas of focus (or the equivalent), awards and honors, home address, telephone number, email address, relationship to an alum, previous educational institutions attended and degrees awarded, extracurricular activities, student photo, a student-employee's employing Dartmouth business unit, and weight and height of members of athletic teams. The Student Handbook has more information on Dartmouth's definition of Directory Information.
Please note two important details regarding placing a confidential hold on your record:
- A confidential hold applies to all elements of Directory Information in your record. Dartmouth will not apply a confidential hold to limit disclosure of only some of the information encompassed within the definition of Directory Information.
- Dartmouth frequently receives inquiries for Directory Information from a variety of sources outside the institution—including prospective employers, scholarship programs, the news media, and friends and family (including parents). Having a confidential hold on your records will preclude release (block the sharing) of such information, even to those people. This would mean, for example, that the College will not verify your enrollment or degree status to a prospective employer. In addition, if you have a confidential hold on your account, you will not appear in the College's online directory, or any other directory produced by Dartmouth, and you will not be listed in the Commencement Program. Other possible consequences of a confidential hold include missed mailings, messages, and announcements for students and their family/supporters.
Once you place a confidential hold on your account, it will remain in place until you inform the Undergraduate Deans Office in writing that you would like the hold lifted.
If you agree that Dartmouth can disclose your Directory Information, there is no need for you to take any action.
If you do not want Dartmouth to disclose Directory Information, you must fill out the Confidential Hold Form requesting a confidential hold be placed on your account. If you would like to release a confidential hold, again permitting Dartmouth to release Directory Information, you must make a written request to the Undergraduate Deans Office. Your request can be emailed to undergraduate.deans.office@dartmouth.edu or mailed to Undergraduate Deans Office, Dartmouth College, 6064 Carson Hall, Suite 125, Hanover, NH 03766.
RELEASE OF INFORMATION
In some instances, students may wish to release their information from their education records to a third party. If you would like a representative of Dartmouth College to release your information, please fill out the Release of Information Authorization (which allows you to give permission to the Undergraduate Deans Office to share otherwise confidential student information with third parties).
GUIDELINES FOR INSPECTION OF EDUCATION RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE UNDERGRADUATE DEANS OFFICE
Students wishing to review the records kept in the Undergraduate Deans Office must fill out a form provided for this purpose. The form can be requested by emailing undergraduate.deans.office@dartmouth.edu.
The requested records will be reviewed by a dean to confirm that they are subject to inspection. Requested records subject to inspection will be made available to the student within two weeks of the date of the request. Records cannot be removed from the Undergraduate Deans Office and will not be sent to or copied for the student; therefore, the requesting student must make an appointment with the responding dean to inspect the records. The appointment must be made within four weeks from the date of the request; if an appointment is not made within four weeks, the record will be returned to the files and the student must submit a new request and schedule a new appointment. Per College policy, no education record may be copied during the course of the inspection.
A student does not have the right to inspect or review: (1) records that do not contain educational information or that do not otherwise constitute education records under FERPA; (2) financial records of parents, or any information contained in those records; (3) confidential letters or statements of recommendation to which the student has previously waived his/her right of access; (4) records that were created or compiled prior to November 19, 1974.