FERPA (Privacy Disclosure)

Records maintained by UC or another group acting for UC include, but are not limited to: transcripts (grades), electronic shared notes, exam papers, test scores, evaluations, financial aid records and loan collection records.

• Admissions records
• Alumni records
• Personnel/Employment records*
• Police records
• Psychological Services/Medical records**
• Personal records of instructional, supervisory, and administrative personnel and educational personnel which:
  • are not accessible or revealed to any other individual.
  • are kept in the sole possession of the maker of the record;

*If the employment (e.g., work study or GSI) is contingent on the person being a registered student, then the personnel/employment records pertaining to that position are consider student/educational records.

**Psychological Services/Medical records are not student/educational records so long as they are made and maintained by a medical professional, used only in connection with treatment of the student, AND disclosed only to individuals providing treatment. These records become student/educational records and governed by FERPA once they are used or shared for purposes other than treatment.

UC Berkeley Shared Advising Notes

UC Berkeley has an integrated electronic student file system, which includes shared notes about students that are entered by personnel in advising and administrative roles. UC Berkeley is committed to the security of student information. Notes are a student record and not considered public information. All personnel who have access to the electronic student files and shared notes must complete a mandatory training on the Federal Family Education Rights and Policies Act of 1974 (FERPA) and other provisions of state law regarding public records disclosure. 

ASUC Senate Resolution 2017-18: “In Support of Informed Consent, Consistency and Transparency in CalCentral Note Sharing.”

Guidance for advisors on the content of shared advising notes at UCB is available via Berkeley Advising Matters.

Almost every part of his or her own student record including, but not limited to: transcripts (grades), shared notes, exam papers, test scores, evaluations, financial aid records and loan collection records.

Yes. Students are not allowed access to:

• Financial statements of parents/guardians
• Confidential statements to which the student has waived access rights
• Records containing information about another student

Student records information falls into two general categories:

• Public information, to which parents have access, and
• Confidential information, which may be disclosed to parents, spouses and others only if the student signs an appropriate written authorization or if a specific exception applies (as defined by FERPA).

Directory (public) information may be obtained without prior authorization. Each department, school, college, office, program, or entity which maintains records is required to give public notice of the categories of information designated as directory information. These units are not required to include all of the following, but may not designate as directory information anything more than:

• student's name
• email addresses
• telephone numbers
• date and place of birth
• dates of attendance
• class level (e.g. freshman, sophomore)
• number of units in which enrolled
• major field of study
• last school attended
• degrees and honors received
• participation in official student activities
• name, weight, and height of intercollegiate athletic team members

Everything that is not included in the list of "directory information" is considered confidential.

Policies also permit students to have the University treat directory information as confidential, so third parties' access to the above information may be limited if a student so requests.

You may obtain paper copies by mailing your request to the Registrar's Office.

Once an admitted applicant submits a Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) to the University, s/he is considered a student whose records are subject to privacy protections governed by the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Berkeley campus' policies implementing these regulations. Prior to submitting the SIR, a student's records are subject to different privacy protections under the Information Privacy Act.

No. The University considers your son/daughter as an adult, regardless of age or financial dependence.

Public information may be obtained by a parent or spouse without prior authorization.

Your son, daughter or spouse must provide a signed letter to the campus office which maintains the sought-after record, expressly permitting your review of his or her student record and specifying the length of time for which access is granted. Students may also authorize University personnel to discuss financial aid, registration and billing information under the "Grant Access" option at https://myfinaid.berkeley.edu. More information is available on Financial Aid & Scholarship site.

Requests should be directed to the UC Police Department, 510-642-6760, with a description of the nature of the emergency need to contact the student. At the discretion of the police and the Office of the Registrar, disclosure of a limited amount of information may be made to appropriate parties in connection with an emergency when the information is necessary to protect the health and safety of the student or other persons.