FERPA Training

The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) online training is an interactive course covering the basics of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) for all faculty, staff, and students. The training focuses broadly on defining key terms from within the regulations and outlining what actions are required or permitted under FERPA.

FERPA training is assigned by department. If you require FERPA training and do not see it available in OwlTrain, please reach out to the UITS Service Desk at service@kennesaw.edu and request the training be assigned to your account. Once assigned follow the below instructions to access the FERPA Training.

  1. Open your browser and navigate to owltrain.kennesaw.edu.
  2. Login with your KSU email and password.
  3. Click on your initials on the top right of the page.
  4. From the dropdown list, select "Compliance."
  5. Click on the FERPA training listed under "Required Compliance Assignments."
  6. After receiving a score of 80%, your FERPA certificate will become available to download in OwlTrain.

Glossary of Terms

Disclosure: To permit access to, release, transfer or allow any other type of communication of personally identifiable information contained in education records to any party by any means; including oral, written or electronic communication.

Education Records: All records which contain information directly related to a student; and are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution.

EDUCATION RECORDS INCLUDE EDUCATION RECORDS DO NOT INCLUDE
Graded Papers Sole possession (desk drawer) records
Exams Peer graded papers
Transcripts Online forums (D2L chats)
Class list on your desktop Law enforcement unit records
Student's current class schedule Employment records (unless employment is based on student status)
Computer screen displaying student information  
Database containing uniquely identifiable student record data (SaS Web Studio)  


Educational Agency: An entity that administers a school or schools to which it is directly linked.

Educational Institution: A school or other entity that provides educational services and is attended by students.

Eligible Student: A student who has attained the age of 18 or has attended an institution of higher education.

Legitimate Educational Interest: School officials are granted access to student information only for “legitimate educational interest” -- completion of job responsibilities. Access for any other reason requires a student’s written consent.

Record: Information maintained in any way—including, but not limited to: Audio Tape, Computer Media, Film, Handwriting, Microfilm, Microfiche, Print, Video Tape

Sole Possession Record: Records which are created and maintained by the person generating education records (not in conjunction with the student). These are essentially personal notes or "memory joggers."

School Official: Defined from institution to institution in its annual notification, a school official may be:

  • an employee of a college (administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position)
  • a person elected to the board of trustees
  • a company or person employed/contracted by a college to perform a special task (i.e., attorney, auditor, or collection agency)
  • a person or student serving on an official committee (i.e., disciplinary/grievance, scholarship) or assisting an official in his/her tasks (i.e., work study students)

Relevant Sources