HEC/News: College students' right to privacy often at odds with parents' need to know (The Kansas City Star)

HEC/News
Monday, March 23, 2009

College students' right to privacy often at odds with parents' need to know
The Kansas City Star (MO) March 19, 2009
By Mara Rose Williams

"The federal law [FERPA] and the way universities interpret it often pit
students' right to privacy against what some parents deem as their right to
know..."

"The law does allow institutions to disclose student information to parents
in emergencies."

"A year after a mentally troubled student shot and killed 32 people and
himself at Virginia Tech in April 2007, FERPA changed the definition of an
emergency situation from an 'extreme situation' to a 'significant threat to
the health or safety of the student or other individuals.'"

"The law gives universities permission to inform parents, but it doesn't
require information be disclosed to anyone except the student, Roney
said..."

Full article available at http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/1096462.html

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Received on Mon Mar 23 2009 - 08:02:34 EST