Confidentiality and Maintenance of Conduct Records
Are student conduct records protected by FERPA?
Yes. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education, including Montana State University. Relevant student conduct records and related information shall be made available to hearing boards to assist in recommendation of an appropriate sanction, and to other University personnel who require such information to fulfill their official duties.
How do I release student conduct records?
The Office of the Dean of Students is typically asked to release student conduct records for the following purposes: undergraduate transfer to another institution, graduate/professional/law school admission, admission to the Bar (by state), or security clearances for employment (typically federal), etc.
Typically the program, organization, or institution requesting your conduct records will provide you a form with the specific information they require. These forms generally also contain a section for you to sign releasing the information. Signed forms may be mailed, emailed, or dropped by the Office of the Dean of Students. A member of the Dean of Students' staff will then complete the form and mail it for you. If your form does not have a release of information section on it, please sign and submit a release of information form along with the request for releasing your conduct information.
Except as provided elsewhere in the Code of Student Conduct and/or as required by law, MSU will not communicate a student's conduct record to any person or agency without the prior written consent of the student.
How long do you keep my student conduct record?
Student conduct records are kept for seven years from the date of the last entry in the file, at which point they are destroyed.