Student Data Practices

In your role, you may have access to student data, such as student names, emails, and phone numbers. Please review the following material to ensure this data is kept safe.  

Introduction

FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. It's a law in the United States that helps protect the privacy of student education records. FERPA gives students certain rights regarding these records, including the right to review, amend, and control the disclosure of personally identifiable information. The law applies to all educational institutions that receive federal funding, including schools, colleges, and universities. Its main goal is to ensure that student information remains confidential and is only shared with authorized individuals or organizations.

When working with students, it is important to follow FERPA rules, as well as BYU-Pathway guidelines. these steps help keep student information safe and private, no matter where they're from. Even if some students are from different countries, we still follow these rules to protect their records because BYU-Pathway is based in the United States. It's like locking up important papers so only the right people can see them. By following FERPA, we make sure that students can trust us to keep their information secure and focus on their studies without worrying about their privacy being at risk. 

Section 1: FERPA Training

1. Go to https://bit.ly/frpa101.

2. Select Click Here to access this course.

3. Create an account by selecting Register. For Organizational Affiliation, choose Postsecondary Institution.

4. Select the course titled 2023 FERPA 101: Colleges and Universities (Accessible).

5. Select Enroll.

6. In the pop-up window, select Start Learning Now.

7. Take the course and final test.

8. A certificate will display, but close the window by selecting Close in the top right corner.

9. On the next page, select Download Your Certificate.

10. Save your certificate. Upload it below. 

Review the following PowerPoint.

Section 2: Best Practices with Student Data

Bloom contractors should take every precaution to protect student information. Bloom contractors will abide by the following data protection practices:  

FERPA Check

• When talking with a student on a phone call or as part of an appointment, you must perform a FERPA check to ensure the individual you are speaking with is indeed the student. This only applies to live voice conversations with students.

• A FERPA check includes asking three identifying questions such as phone, email, ID#, etc.   

  • Ex: “Hi, this is _____ , and I am a Peer Mentor servicing BYU-Pathway students.  Am I talking to ____? And to make sure I have the right information; can you answer a few questions for me?”  

    • What is your email address?  

    • What is your middle name?  

    • What is your date of birth?  

    • What is your primary phone number?  

    • What is your mailing address?  

    • What is your ID number?  

Bloom contractors should not share any information with a student’s parents or other family members. 

Bloom contractors should only use student information for work-related needs. 

Password Protection  

• Leave student information in provided resources. Do not save student information elsewhere, such as on your PC, laptop, or hard drive.

• Keep your passwords and login information confidential by not sharing them with others, not writing them down where they can be seen or easily found, and not storing them in an unencrypted computer file.

• Immediately change passwords if they may have been exposed.

• Password lock your computer or phone when you are away from your work area. 

• Only access student information on a private, password protected network. Do not access student information on a shared network.

Discarding or Sharing Information

• Do not send student information over email or on a group chat.

• Avoid printing files that contain student information. Avoid writing down student information in notebooks or other locations.

• ​​​​​​​Do not screenshare any program or system that contains student data when on calls. However, students can screenshare their Student Portal or programs containing their personal data with you. 

Privacy and Security

• Shut your computer down when leaving for an extended period, such as overnight.

• Consider where e-mail attachments came from before opening them, since they are a potential source of viruses and other malicious software .

• Have a private workspace and use a headset or headphones to protect a student’s private conversations being overheard by others.

• Report a perceived security breach or suspicious activities on any system to your upline as quickly as possible.

Protecting Student Privacy and Data While Using Group Communication Methods

• In your role, you should not start WhatsApp group messages or Facebook groups without student consent. Regulations require that student information not be shared with other students without individual student consent.

• If you would like to invite students to join a WhatsApp group, you should first send students a group link individually. See this link for more information: How to Create and Invite into a Group on WhatsApp   

• If you would like to invite students to join a Facebook group, you should receive permission from students individually before adding a student to a Facebook group. See this link for more information: How to Invite Students to a Facebook Group 

• Group emails should be avoided, even when using the bcc field.