/Institutions/University-of-Texas-Rio-Grande-Valley/json/som/policies-local.json

/Institutions/University-of-Texas-Rio-Grande-Valley/json/som/policies.json

EAA058 Confidentiality of Medical Student Educational Records

Policy Number: EAA058
Policy Title: Confidentiality of Medical Student Educational Records

A. Purpose

All students enrolled at UTRGV School of Medicine are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which is commonly known as "the Buckley amendment." Students' rights include, but are not limited to, the right to inspect and review their education records, under certain conditions, and the right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

B. Persons Affected

This policy will cover the students participating in the UTRGV SOM curriculum.

C. Implementation Date

This policy is effective with the UTRGV SOM inaugural class, the Class of 2020, and will remain in effect for future classes unless otherwise amended.

D. Policy

Medical student educational records are confidential and available only to those members of the medical school faculty and administration with a need to know, unless released by the student or as otherwise governed by laws concerning confidentiality.

1. Specifically identified medical school officials, with a legitimate educational interest, have access to the educational record without student consent. These include the following, on a need to know basis:

• Dean
• Associate Dean for Educational Affairs
• Associate Dean for Student Affairs
• Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
• Associate Registrar

2. Access will be granted to others with an educational need to know without student consent with approval by either the Associate Dean for Student Affairs or Associate Dean for Educational Affairs

3. Other individuals, such as a faculty member who wants to see student assessments to write a letter of recommendation, are granted access to the record only with the students' written permission.

E. Procedure

1. The faculty member or other individual requesting to see the student record must contact the student directly to request access to the student's record.
2. To grant access, the student must complete the FERPA release form available on the UTRGV Student Enrollment Forms page
   (https://www.utrgv.edu/ucentral/student-resources/student-forms/enrollment-forms/index.htm) and submit it to the Associate
   Registrar for the School of Medicine at SOMRegistrarServices@utrgv.edu.
3. The Associate Registrar for the School of Medicine will then notify the person making the request that access has been approved by the student and will release the record accordingly.

F. Relevant Federal/State Statutes, Board of Regents, and/or Coordinating Board Rules

FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act: 20 U.S.C. sec. 1232g and 34 CFR Part 99

UT System Board of Regents Rule 50702: Confidentiality and Security of Educational Records Subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)