Many students question what access their parents and third parties have to their educational records.  In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, The University of Missouri adopted the following regulations regarding access to student records, excerpted below.  Note that a dependent student’s parents do have access to a students educational record, but not to any disciplinary or conduct records, absent the approval of the Board of Curators.

 The University shall not permit access to or the release of education records or personally identifiable information contained therein (other than directory information/public information) without the written consent of the student, to any party other than the following:

1. Other University officials, including teachers within the University who have been determined by the University to have legitimate educational interests.
2. Officials or other schools or school systems in which the student seeks or intends to enroll, upon condition that the student is notified of the transfer, receives a copy of the record if requested, and has an opportunity for a hearing to challenge the content of the record.
3. The Comptroller General of the United States, the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, the Commissioner, the Director of the National Institute of Education, or the Assistant Secretary for Education…
4. In connection with a student's application for, or receipt of financial aid…
5. State and local officials or authorities to which such information is specifically required to be reported or disclosed pursuant to a State statute adopted prior to November 19, 1974.
6. Organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, educational agencies or institutions for the purpose of developing, validating, or administering predictive tests, administering student aid programs, and improving instruction, if such studies are conducted in such a manner as will not permit the personal identification of students and their parents by persons other than representatives of such organizations and such information will be destroyed when no longer needed for the purpose for which the study is conducted.
7. Accrediting organizations in order to carry out their accrediting functions.
8. A dependent student's parent, as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1974.
9. In compliance with the judicial order, or pursuant to any lawfully issued subpoena, upon condition that the student is notified of all such orders or subpoenas in advance of the compliance therewith by the University.

Exception: The University may release information from the education records to appropriate persons in connection with an emergency if the knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of a student or other persons

Access to student conduct records:
All statements, papers, or information, oral or written, now held or hereafter received by the Dean of Students of the University and Committee on Student Conduct, regarding students confidential information incident and necessary to the proper administration of the University, together with all records made, kept, or maintained, in any cases relating to student conduct or student counseling are confidential and privileged, and shall not be divulged to any person voluntarily or under process of court in any civil or criminal case without authorization or direction of this Board, except to qualified personnel of the University who under the orders and directions of the President of the University have duties to perform incident thereto. [Excerpted from http://www.system.missouri.edu/uminfo/rules/information/180020.htm]

Be aware: As of August 7, 2000, the U.S. Department of Education revised portions of the FERPA, significantly removing most barriers to the release of student disciplinary records.  (34 CFR Part 99).  However, as of the printing of this material, M.U. had not yet altered it’s policy to reflect the new regulations.