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Academic Advising

FERPA and Academic Advising

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the rights of students and limits access to these educational records by anyone other than those with a "legitimate educational interest" (this includes other academic advisors and staff at Xavier).

A student assumes full rights of their record at age 18 or at enrollment in a higher education institution. At this point, their parent or guardian must have written consent from their student to gain access to this information.

This is true even if the parent or guardian is paying for the student's education. Parents (and students) may not know or agree with this, but it is Federal law, not a Xavier policy.

Please see these FERPA Quick Tips from the Registrar's Office for an overview. 

Quick Tip Highlights:

Tips for Faculty Advisors to avoid FERPA violations:

  • DO NOT discuss the progress (e.g. Academic Standing, grades, declaration of major) of any student with anyone other than the student (including parents) without the consent of the student.
    • A student can also give this consent by being present during a conversation with another party (in a meeting, through a conference call, etc).
  • DO NOT provide anyone with student schedules.
  • You MAY answer parent questions about general policy and procedures without including student-specific information. (example: "If a student was in this situation, I would advise them to...").
  • You MAY report concerns about student's physical or mental well-being through the University’s online reporting form. 
    • If it is an emergency, contact Xavier Police at x1000. 
  • You DO NOT have to provide the information even if consent is given. FERPA provides the legal permission to share information but does not create an obligation to share such information if you believe it is not in the best interest of the student. 

If you are UNCERTAIN if you can share information, ask the Registrar's Office at x3941 or xureg@xavier.edu.  Success Coaches can also view the permissions recorded by the student in Admin Banner.