Directory Information Public Notice

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law, requires that the university, with certain exceptions, obtain a student's written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the student's education records. The university may, however, disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without the student's written consent. Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can be disclosed to outside organizations and individuals without a student's prior written consent. However, each request by outside parties for directory information is evaluated separately, and most requests for directory information of all students (or categories of students) will be denied.

The university has designated the following information as directory information:

  • Student's name
  • Address
  • Telephone listing
  • Email address
  • Photographic, video or electronic images
  • Date and place of birth
  • Hometown
  • Major
  • Fields of study
  • Anticipated degree and degree date
  • Dates of attendance
  • Student dissertations
  • Dates and place of employment
  • Grade level
  • Credits earned
  • Enrollment status
  • Class schedule
  • Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
  • Weight and height of members of athletic teams
  • Degrees, honors and awards received
  • Vehicle description and registration
  • The most recent educational agency or institution attended
  • Religious denomination

The main purpose of designating the above information as "directory" is to permit the university to include this information in certain publications (e.g., academic honors or other recognition lists, commencement programs,  sports activity sheets, or other university magazines and websites).

The university may disclose a student's directory information without obtaining the student's written consent, unless the student has submitted a Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information Form. The form is available upon request in Student Academic Services and may be submitted at any time while the student is enrolled at the university. To withhold disclosure, this form must be completed and submitted to Student Academic Services in person with a photo ID. Students should carefully consider the consequences of any decision made to withhold directory information, as any future requests for such information from non-institutional persons or unauthorized organizations will be refused. For example, the university will be unable to verify enrollment or degrees conferred. This includes potential employers who want verification of degree(s). The university will not acknowledge any record of the student to any person or entity who inquires. A request to prevent disclosure will remain in effect until it is revoked in writing. Note: Completion of this form does not change any authorized user access granted in jwuLink. Students are responsible for changing any authorizations granted. Furthermore, completion of this form means that JWU will not verbally release any FERPA-protected information to anyone, including any authorized user.

Please note that students who inform Johnson & Wales University not to release directory information will have their records marked confidential. A confidential hold will not allow JWU to respond to any requests for information about the student except where permitted or required under FERPA, such as when the university receives a subpoena.

However, a request to prevent disclosure of directory information will not prevent the information, or other education records, to be shared with university officials who have legitimate educational interests in the records, or any other purpose allowable without student consent under FERPA.

Johnson & Wales University will honor a student’s request to withhold directory information but cannot assume responsibility to contact the student for subsequent permission to release them. The institution assumes no liability for honoring student instructions that such information be withheld.