The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law, requires that Dallas International, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your education records.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act governs the release and access of information from student education records. If you have any questions regarding your privacy rights, contact the Dallas International Registrar at 972-708-7340 ext. 2350 or email Registrar@diu.edu.

What are students’ rights under this Act?

  • the right to inspect and review their education records
  • the right to amend inaccurate or misleading information in their education records and the right to a hearing if the request for amendment is unsatisfactory
  • the right of consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information
  • the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failure to comply with FERPA requirements (Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605)

Directory Information

Unless a request to restrict release of directory information to a third party is submitted by the student, the following may be released without prior consent:

  • Student’s name
  • Local address
  • Telephone number
  • E-mail address
  • Major field of study
  • Classification (B.A., M.A., or Certificate)
  • Enrollment status (graduate, undergraduate, part-time, full-time)
  • Dates of attendance
  • Expected graduation date
  • Thesis title
  • Degrees, honors, and awards received
  • Photo or video ‘directly related’ to a student.

Regarding photos and videos as part of a student’s education record, DIU follows the guidance of the US Department of Education. Photos or videos maintained by DIU are considered part of a student’s education record only when they are “directly related” to the student. Photos or videos of a student which are not “directly related” to the student are not part of that student’s education record and fall outside of the scope of FERPA. For the purposes of FERPA compliance, a photo or video is considered “directly related” to a student when:  

  1. DIU uses the photo or video for disciplinary action (or other official purposes) involving the student (including the victim of any such disciplinary incident); 
  2. The photo or video contains a depiction of an activity…
    • that resulted in DIU’s use of the photo or video for disciplinary action (or other official purposes) involving a student (or, if disciplinary action is pending or has not yet been taken, that would reasonably result in use of the photo or video for disciplinary action involving a student); 
    • that shows a student in violation of local, state, or federal law;
    • that shows a student getting injured, attacked, victimized, ill, or having a health emergency;
  3. The student is a main focus. This includes images of the individual alone, in a group of up to three, or in a larger group setting focused on the individual alone; OR
  4. The audio or visual content of the photo or video otherwise contains personally identifiable information contained in a student’s education record. 

A student wanting to restrict release of directory information to a third party must submit a Student Request to Withhold Directory Information form to the Dallas International Registrar. For these students, written permission must be received prior to release of any information from their student records to a third party. The Dallas International records of these students are marked as “RESTRICTED“.  Parents or guardians of students who have documented proof that the student is a legal dependent may obtain non-directory information at the discretion of the institution. Signed consent from the student is required.

Privacy: Information such as social security number, student number, family member names, personal characteristics, or other data which would make the student’s identity easily traceable may NOT be disclosed without either the student’s prior consent, or pursuant to a recognized exception allowed by FERPA. In cases of health and safety emergencies that represent imminent danger to the student, other students, or other members of the school community, information may be released to authorized officials (whether within or outside of Dallas International).