Student Directory, FERPA and Releasing Information to a Third Party

Student Directory:  Your name, address, phone, e-mail and program will appear in the student directory.  The distribution of the student directory includes all Northern Seminary Students, Faculty, and Administrators.  It is generally used as a reference and to engender community.   It may not be used for marketing or solicitation purposes.  Inclusion in the student directory is highly recommended for all students.  

"Student Directory Information" can include the student’s:

1.  Name

2.  Address

3.  Phone numbers

4.  E-mail address

5.  Date and place of birth (we may list student’s birthdays, month and day, but not the year.)

6.  Honors and Awards, including degrees completed and when  (these are not included in our directory.)

7.  Dates of Attendance, including confirmation of present enrollment (these are not included in our

     directory.)

8.  Picture (if available)

9.  Church and/or Denomination

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 gives educational institutions such as Northern Seminary the right to release student directory information (as listed above) to other students and to third parties.  However, it also gives individual students the right to have Northern Seminary withhold their directory information from other students and third parties.  If you check the YES box on the registration form which follows this document, such information will be withheld in accordance with FERPA regulations.  If you check the NO box, then Northern Seminary may use your directory information for the following two purposes:

Release to Third Parties:  Northern Seminary is not obliged in any way to give out student directory information.  Generally, we do not release your information to third parties.  However, we may release your directory information to third parties requesting such information under appropriate circumstances.  All such requests are handled on a case by case basis, and no information is released unless we are convinced that it is very much in the student's best interests that we do so.  For example, we are generally willing to release your directory information to your denominational organizations when they request it.  We will not release information for marketing or solicitation purposes. 

You may authorize a third party (i.e. spouse) to discuss your account by completing and submitting the Authorization to Release Student Information on the Registrar's page under Forms, Policies & Procedures. 

Also, be aware that all other student information is protected by FERPA.  Such information would include:

1.  Transcripted information of any kind

2.  Information regarding a student’s schedule or classes

3.  Information regarding disciplinary actions or legal actions

4.  Financial or billing information of any kind

5.  Social Security number or Student ID number

These kinds of information may be reviewed by authorized school officials, but may not be released to    anyone else without the express consent of the student.  Please review Northern Seminary’s statement on FERPA on page 59 of the catalog for details.  If you have any questions regarding the use of directory information, FERPA, or any related issues, please contact the Registrar’s Office at (630) 620-2196 or at registrar@seminary.edu.