Navigating the Cornell University Student Directory: Information, Privacy, and Access

Cornell University, like many institutions of higher education, maintains a student directory. This directory serves as a valuable resource for connecting members of the Cornell community. However, it's crucial to understand the types of information included, student privacy rights, and how to access and utilize the directory appropriately. This article delves into the specifics of the Cornell University student directory, covering aspects such as what information is included, how to manage your privacy, and the proper use of student data.

What Constitutes Directory Information?

Directory information is defined as data within a student's educational record that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. This typically includes information such as a student's name, major, enrollment status, and college.

Cornell's Commitment to Student Privacy: FERPA

Cornell University adheres to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as amended, a federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records. FERPA grants students specific rights regarding their education records, including the right to:

Inspect and review their education records.
Seek to amend inaccurate or misleading information in their education records.
Consent to the disclosure of their education records, with certain exceptions.

At Cornell, FERPA rights belong to the student, regardless of their age. This represents a shift for parents who may have had access to their child's records in primary and secondary education. Cornell's practice is to not allow students to enact a blanket FERPA release. FERPA releases are put in place on a case-by-case situation.

Suppressing Your Directory Information

While Cornell University does not release or sell directory information to outside entities for commercial, marketing, or solicitation purposes, students have the right to suppress their directory information. This means that your information will not be publicly available in the directory.

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To suppress your directory information, you must officially do so through the Office of the University Registrar's Student Center. It's important to note that this suppression remains in effect until you remove it through the Student Center or contact the Office of the University Registrar directly.

Accessing the Cornell Electronic Directory

To protect the privacy of Cornell community members, accessing the university directory requires a Cornell NetID or a Weill Cornell CWID login. This ensures that only authorized individuals can access student information.

Once logged in, finding someone in the Cornell Electronic Directory is designed to be user-friendly. The search function encompasses not only name fields but also department, nickname, NetID, and campus phone number. This comprehensive search capability increases the likelihood of finding the person you're looking for, even with limited information.

However, it's also possible to get numerous results if your search is too broad. To refine your search and quickly find the correct entry, consider these tips:

Case Insensitivity: The search function is not case-sensitive, so you can use uppercase or lowercase letters.
Partial Names: A quick method is to enter the first few letters of the first name, followed by a space, and then the first few letters of the last name (e.g., "wil tra" for William Q. Trazenstein).
Specificity: The more specific you are with your search terms, the shorter the list of results will be. If your search yields only one match, you will be directed to the full listing for that individual.

Permissible Use of Student Data and CampusGroups

Cornell University provides platforms like CampusGroups to facilitate student engagement and organization management. If you join a student organization or participate in campus events, your basic student directory information, along with any additional information you provide, may be used by these organizations to facilitate your involvement.

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Users of the CampusGroups platform are expected to adhere to the university's data stewardship policy. Directory information automatically populated within CampusGroups, such as your preferred name and directory suppression preferences, must be updated through the Student Center rather than directly within CampusGroups.

Understanding FERPA Regulations at Cornell

FERPA provides several exceptions that allow the University to disclose education records without a student's prior written consent. These exceptions include:

Disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests.
Disclosure to officials at another institution where the student seeks or intends to enroll.
Disclosure in response to subpoenas or other compulsory legal processes.
Disclosure to a third party with whom the University has a contract.
Disclosure in a health or safety emergency where the student's safety is at risk.

It's crucial to understand that "legitimate educational interest" means that someone cannot complete their professional tasks without access to the information.

Electronic Consent and Authentication

While FERPA traditionally required written consent for the release of education records, the Department of Education has clarified that an electronic signature can substitute for a written one, provided that appropriate authentication occurs. This means that the electronic consent process must:

Identify and authenticate the person providing consent.
Indicate the person's approval of the information contained in the electronic consent.

Appropriate Handling of Student Data

Student data is a university resource and must be used for university purposes only. Before releasing directory information, consider the appropriateness of its intended use. Data should be stored on secure, password-protected servers. When sharing student information, use the University Secure File Transfer system.

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Practices to avoid include:

Leaving student-identifiable graded papers, projects, or exams in a public place.
Posting grades by student names, NetIDs, or Social Security numbers. If posting is necessary, use students' Cornell 7-digit ID numbers or a unique identifier known only to the student and instructor.
Sharing student data without a legitimate educational or business need.

Access to Student Data for Research Purposes

While student data may be available to members of the Cornell community who have a specific business need, access must be requested through the Special Request system and approved by the University Registrar. A minimum of 15 business days should be anticipated for fulfilling data requests.

In general, the Office of the University Registrar does not provide student data to support student or faculty research projects. However, student-specific data may be provided to researchers conducting projects approved by senior administration and the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Note that IRB approval does not guarantee access to student data.

Faculty may use student exam, project, report, and homework grades for assessment and learning research without permission from the University Registrar.

Responding to External Requests for Student Information

Requests for student information from courts and attorneys, including those with a subpoena, should be forwarded to the Office of the University Counsel. Other requests, such as those from law enforcement, government agencies, bar associations, and businesses, should be forwarded to the Office of the University Registrar.

Notes Regarding Student Interactions

There are many offices at Cornell University that record comments and notes regarding students. It is important for anyone recording motes regarding an interaction with a student to understand that unless these notes fall into the category of "sole possession" records, then they are part of the student's education record and subject to FERPA. Since FERPA gives the student the right to review any or all of their education record, these notes could be included in that review.

tags: #cornell #university #student #directory #information