Release of Student Information
Stevens Institute of Technology is committed to protecting your privacy. As a member of the Stevens community, you should be aware of two federal laws related to the release of your personal information. Please familiarize yourself with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Solomon Amendment below. If you have questions, please contact Candice Pellegrino, Associate Registrar, at cpelleg1@stevens.edu.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) protects the privacy of a student’s education records and affords students certain rights to control access to their education records. This policy describes these rights and the university’s practices and procedures that protect these rights.
This law protects the privacy of student education records with respect to data and information collected by Stevens, and the university’s practices and procedures that protect those rights. FERPA applies to all schools that receive funds through an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education, and thus most postsecondary schools are covered by FERPA.
Definition: FERPA Directory Information
Student’s name(s)
Addresses (permanent and local)
Email address(es)
Telephone number(s)
Photograph, video or electronic images
Major fields of study
Dates of attendance
Degrees and awards received (including Dean’s List)
Anticipated graduation date
Most recent previous educational agency or institution attended
Grade level or year (such as freshman or junior)
Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
Weight and height of members of athletic teams
Enrollment status (graduate/undergraduate; full time/part time)
The policy is available in the University Policy Library in Section 10.2.6
For additional FERPA information and to learn how to authorize release of (or restrict access to) information, visit the Registrar’s Office’s FERPA Policy page.
Solomon Amendment
The Solomon Amendment (10 U.S.C. §983)is a federal law that allows military recruiters to access some address, biographical and academic program information on students age 17 and older. Institutions receiving certain federal funding must fulfill military recruitment requests.
The Department of Education has determined that the Solomon Amendment supersedes most elements of FERPA. An institution is therefore obligated to release data included in the list of “student recruiting information,” which may or may not match our FERPA directory information list.
Definition: Student Recruitment Information or Solomon Information
Name
Address
Telephone number
Age and date of birth
Place of birth
Level of education, or class standing
Academic major
Degrees awarded
Educational institution in which the student was most recently enrolled
Procedure for releasing information to military recruiter
Under the Solomon amendment, information will be released for military recruitment purposes only. The military recruiters may request student recruitment information once each term for each of the 12 eligible units within the five branches of the service:
Army (Army, Army Reserve, Army National Guard)
Navy (Navy, Navy Reserve)
Marine Corps (Marine Corps, Marine Corps Reserve)
Air Force (Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air Force National Guard)
Coast Guard (Coast Guard, Coast Guard Reserve)
The request should be submitted in writing to registrar@stevens.edu clearly identifying the unit of service requesting the student recruitment information.
The request should specify whether the information needed is for the current or previous semester.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What student information can be provided to military recruiters under the Solomon Amendment?
A. Recruiters may receive "student recruiting information" for either the immediately previous, current or future term for all students aged 17 and older who are/were registered for at least one credit hour in the requested semester/term. If a request is received between terms, the recruiter and Registrar should determine from which term the information is preferred.
Student recruitment information includes:
Names, addresses, telephone and Stevens email address.
Date and place of birth, levels of education, academic majors, degrees received, and the most recent educational institution enrolled in by the student.
Q. What is directory information under FERPA?
A. Stevens has identified the following information as directory information: student’s name(s); addresses (permanent and local) email address(es); telephone number(s); photograph, video or electronic images; major fields of study; dates of attendance; degrees and awards received (including Dean’s List); anticipated graduation date, most recent previous educational agency or institution attended, grade level or year (such as freshman or junior), participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, enrollment status (graduate/undergraduate; full time/part time).
Q. How do FERPA directory information and the Solomon Amendment relate regarding information sharing?
A. Military recruiters are entitled to student recruitment information even if your institution has not designated it as directory information under FERPA. In other words, Solomon information is, or can be, broader than what you may have designated as directory information under FERPA.
Q. What information will not be provided under the Solomon Amendment?
A. The following information will not be provided under the Solomon Act:
Race, ethnicity, nationality
Gender
Social Security Number
Academic grades
GPA
Religion
Loan default information
Veteran status
Students no longer enrolled
Q. How may I release my information to a specific person?
A. Students should follow these steps:
Log into Workday and type “Create request” in the search menu.
Choose FERPA Release from the request type
Input your name, ID, email and effective date, then select the “I agree” radio button and choose information to be released. i\Include information about the person to whom information should be released.
Q. How may I be included in the directory?
A. Inclusion permits Stevens to share items you select with interested third parties without your explicit permission when it is reasonable to do so. It allows for public recognition in the commencement program and on the semester-based Dean's List, and permits routine attendance verification by third parties, such as potential employers, without an explicit single-use authorization. Release steps:
Log into Workday and select Academics
Select “change my privacy settings” in the General Help section
Select “I want my directory information to be public” and click OK
Review directory data values and select Done.
Q. How do I restrict my information?
A. Students and former students may request that the Office of the Registrar not release directory information about them without their prior written consent. Students are not permitted to restrict the release of information specifically to the military; however if you choose to restrict information under FERPA, Stevens will mark your record as “Private” and will require your authorization for every disclosure. Students who are excluded from the directory will not have public recognition in the commencement program and Dean’s List and will not be verified for attendance to third parties (such as potential employers). A directory release hold may be reversed at any time. Restriction steps:
Log into Workday and select Academics
Select change my privacy settings in the General Help section
Select “I do not want my directory information to be public” and click OK