Health and Safety Exception
Under FERPA, prior, written student consent is required before disclosing information from their education record. One exception to this is the allowable release of data categorized as Directory Information for enrolled students who have not suppressed the release of this information. A second exception is the allowable release of appropriate information to school officials with a legitimate educational interest.

An additional exception to written consent under FERPA is the disclosure in connection with a health or safety emergency. Consider the following factors when making a decision to release information in these situations: 1) the severity of the threat to the health or safety of those involved; 2) the need for the information; 3) the time required to deal with the emergency; and 4) the ability of the parties to whom the information will be given to deal with the emergency.
If information is disclosed under this FERPA exception, the disclosure and the ‘articulable and significant threat’ prompting the disclosure must be recorded in the student education record. Employees should record this information in COMPASS on the SPACMNT form and/or denote this information on a note within Navigate.

Practical Implications
If faculty, advisors, or other staff are working with a situation of this nature, it may be helpful to utilize Texas A&M University resources for support. Recall that Texas A&M University utilizes Tell Somebody for submission of any student concerning behavior(s). In addition to the Tell Somebody report process, Student Assistance Services connects enrolled students with appropriate guidance, resources, and support for personal and academic matters and can serve as a point of contact for information and questions. Furthermore, questions about disclosure under this FERPA exception may be directed to the Office of the Registrar at ferpa@tamu.edu or (979) 845-1711.

For additional FERPA information, be sure to review the Office of the Registrar site for FERPA and FERPA Forms & Resources. Training is available for university personnel on FERPA: Implications for Faculty, Staff & Advisors (TrainTraq #2114557). The current schedule is available within TrainTraq by searching either the course title or number. Individuals within the Office of the Registrar are available to participate in FERPA presentations and/or question and answer sessions for any department or college faculty or staff meeting. To schedule, submit a request to ferpa@tamu.edu or call (979) 845-1711.

If you have a topic that you are interested in exploring for a future Friday Fun with FERPA, please email ferpa@tamu.edu. Alternatively, you can submit an anonymous form with topic ideas HERE.