The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (FERPA, Buckley Amendment), is designed to protect the confidentiality of student education records that educational institutions maintain and to give students access to their records to ensure the accuracy of their contents

This policy is published annually and provided to faculty, staff, and students in the Sonoran University College Catalog and Student Handbook.

Please contact Brian McCarthy, Registrar and FERPA Compliance Officer, at 480-222-9211 or email b.mccarthy1@sonoran.edu for questions and notification of FERPA concerns.

The purpose of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is to afford certain rights to students concerning their education records. The primary rights afforded are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s educational records.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records to ensure that they are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy or other rights.

3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

4. The right to request that the College withhold all directory information without the student’s written consent. (Student must complete the Non-Disclosure of Directory Information form available at the Registrar’s Office.)

5. The right to file with the U. S. Department of Education a complaint concerning alleged failure by Sonoran University to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington DC 20202-4605

Directory Information

Sonoran University may release information that has been defined under the Directory Information provision of FERPA. Sonoran University defines directory information as:

• name, address, photo/photo-ID, phone number, e-mail address, dates of attendance, program of study, degree conferral date, enrollment status, grade level, previous educational institutions attended, and degree/awards earned.

Forms are available at the Registrar’s Office for a student to request that Sonoran University withhold all directory information.

Proper Disclosure

Student information of a private, personal, or confidential nature that is provided to Sonoran University faculty and staff will not be disclosed improperly. The faculty is expected to provide accurate evaluations of students. For the purposes of monitoring and recording student progress, evaluations include the strengths and weaknesses of academic, clinical, communication, and professional skills. The evaluations also include observations and opinions regarding academic effort and professional conduct. Although not required, faculty and staff may provide judgments of a student’s abilities and character to others in appropriate circumstances in accordance with the Sonoran University policy on student records.

If you are unsure of what information may be disclosed and/or when information may be disclosed to whom, contact the Office of the Registrar for clarification.  You may contact us via email - registrar@sonoran.edu or via phone at 480-222-9211.

If a student wishes to place a FERPA HOLD on their educational records, they must complete a Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information through the Office of the Registrar.  The HOLD is captured in Jenzabar indicating the non-disclosure on student's directory information. 

We remind students that with a FERPA HOLD we are not able to provide ANY information to anyone that does not have a legitimate educational interest.  If there is a hold the only response we would be able to provide to the individual requesting if they are a student or other specific directory information:

"I'm sorry I have no information to provide on that individual" 

The request to withhold directory information remains on the student’s academic records until the student rescinds the hold as noted below or until the student graduates.