This letter is in response to a number of requests from you for clarification and reiteration of University policy regarding the posting of students’ grades, as outlined in a letter to Deans and Department Heads on March 18, 2002.

FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as well as Purdue Executive Memorandum C-51, prohibit the release of private student information. This includes the posting of grades by social security numbers, student identification numbers, or by names. Until very recently, it was not clear if FERPA prohibited the use of partial social security or student ID numbers.

We now have confirmation that FERPA prohibits the posting of grades in personally identifiable forms, including the use of portions of social security or student ID numbers. FERPA does not preclude an instructor or an institution from assigning individual numbers to students for the purpose of posting grades providing only the student and the officials who assigned them know the numbers.

As a result, I am asking you to avoid posting lists of grades either electronically or via hard copy that include personally identifiable information. Compliance with this policy, particularly at this late stage of the spring semester, will likely be more difficult for instructors of very large enrollment courses who have traditionally posted grades using partial ID numbers. I regret the inconvenience this may cause, but it is imperative that we protect our students’ rights to privacy. The Instructional Data Processing Office (phone 45109) is prepared to assist you with temporary alternative procedures for posting grades.

We will continue to work with Instructional Data Processing and Purdue’s Office of Information Technology to provide you with additional grade posting systems by fall 2002. In the meantime, please be very careful in the way you disseminate grades to students. Questions about FERPA or University policy relative to student privacy and distribution of grades should be directed to the University Registrar, Dr. Joy Garton Krueger (kruegerj@purdue.edu or 46133) or to Associate Provost Dr. Chris Ladisch (ladischc@purdue.edu or 46970).

Thank you for your cooperation. Again, it is very important that our students’ privacy rights be respected and protected.