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Retired and Former AACRAO Members

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With AACRAO membership you'll be connected to more than 11,000 members from institutions around the world. Facilitate your professional development by attending discounted meetings, gaining complimentary subscriptions to our College & University journal and more.

Why should you join? Development never ends, retired or not. Keep current on trends in the field by collaborating with our members and lending your voice to discussions about practices in the field. 

Annual Membership Price: $151

Requirements: YOU BE A RETIRED MEMBER OR A MEMBER WHO LOST EMPLOYMENT AND IS NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP.  

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AACRAO's bi-weekly professional development e-newsletter

Ask the FERPA Professor

Jan 10, 2022, 15:30 PM
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Summary : The FERPA Professor gives advice on utilizing 3rd party vendors and maintaining control of student records.
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Dear FERPA Professor

A follow-up question for you regarding the use of publisher products such as “Vendor 1”.  These programs often require students to create an ID and then take quizzes, exams, and complete assignments.  What are the FERPA red flags here? These products are very popular leading me to believe they are compliant but it does seem the publisher is now collecting information as part of the student academic record and we don’t control that.  Any direction here is much appreciated. 

Thanks,
Ms. Turquoise


Ms. Turquoise,

Unfortunately, in this day of creative vendors and vendor products, popularity of a vendor product does not necessarily equate with FERPA compliance.  I am not familiar with the “Vendor 1”  offering but if this vendor is creating student records on behalf of Centenary, then those records would be subject to FERPA, just as if the University had created them.  If an institution is outsourcing institutional services or functions under § 99.31(a)(i)(B), then it MUST administer “direct control” over the use and maintenance of those education records.  Also, according to

§ 99.33, the entity may not use the PII for any other purpose other than the reason for which they were contracted.  The best means to ensure that vendors and other outside parties are aware of and comply with the FERPA requirements related to the use and disclosure of PII contained in education records is to have a written agreement (contract) specifying the vendor's requirements and responsibilities to comply with FERPA. 

You can find the above-cited FERPA regulations on pages 159 and 164 of the 2012 AACRAO FERPA Guide.  In addition, Appendix N of the Guide has model vendor contract examples that you may find helpful.  Appendix N can be found starting on page 383 of the Guide.

I hope this information is helpful in answering your questions.

The FERPA Professor

Categories :
  • FERPA
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  • FERPA Professor
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