The federal government's Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), more commonly known as the "Buckley Amendment," is designed to protect the privacy of students and tightly restricts the dissemination of educational records without their consent. FERPA does, however, permit universities to disclose certain information without student consent to parents if they can demonstrate that their son or daughter is their dependent for tax purposes.
Each summer, in accordance with FERPA, Clark’s Registrar's Office emails new students directions on how to fill out the FERPA form online using their CU Web account. Download the FERPA Parent Disclosure Form and fax it to 508-793-7548. Although the preferred option is for the student to consent to disclosure, Clark University officials may, at their discretion, disclose academic and financial records to parents who submit a signed FERPA form as long as they are the parent who claims the child as a dependent for tax purposes. (If the student is not a dependent for tax purposes, the FERPA permission needs to come directly from the student.) In certain circumstances, Clark University may also disclose to parents, who claim the child as a dependent for tax purposes, other information concerning the student’s cocurricular behavior. Please be advised that students do retain the right to appeal a decision to disclose the information described above, either by challenging a parental claim of dependency or by making a compelling case that disclosure to parents would be detrimental to the well-being of the student.
In addition to the requirements of FERPA, our relationship with our students is based on the assumption that they are young adults who should be offered guidance, trusted, respected and allowed to make mistakes, learning and growing from both successes and failures.
Parents who have been accustomed to receiving regular, detailed reports about their children from their elementary and secondary schools may find it difficult to adjust to not receiving such reports from their children's college. We encourage students to communicate directly and honestly with their parents. We also encourage you to ask your daughter or son directly about how things are going and to offer your support and understanding. In addition, we hope you will feel free to contact the offices listed in this handbook if you have questions about general policies, procedures or resources concerning your son's or daughter's education and well-being.
We also hope you will understand that, except in rare emergency situations, we will seek a student's permission before discussing specific academic, social or personal matters involving them. We appreciate parents' concerns and take them very seriously. However, we also believe it is essential for our students to learn how to articulate their own concerns and to resolve problems directly with the appropriate individuals, using the many resources that are available at Clark.