In September, Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon released a draft bill to protect student privacy on all college campuses across the country. This proposed bill will adjust the current federal law that governs student records.
The draft bill, entitled the Campus Litigation Privacy Act, is intended to add additional privacy procedures to ensure that educational institutions can not access student records without the knowledge of the student.
“Senator Wyden believes student privacy should be protected and be protected at all times,” Hank Stern, press secretary for Senator Wyden, said.
Currently, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) permits educational institutes certain discretion in accessing student records without the consent or knowledge of the student.
The draft bill was modeled late this summer after guidelines by the U.S. Department of Education advised colleges and universities to take action and put in place individual policies to protect students’ privacy on campus. Colleges and universities are not bound to the department’s guidelines. Once finalized, it’s up to the schools to choose the best practices they can adhere to.
“I do think the bill will better protect us,” University of Oregon junior Taylor Elliott said. “But, we always run the risk of people releasing information when they shouldn’t and then it can’t be taken away. I do like my privacy, so if there is a way to get more of it, I would love it.”
With the draft bill released, the ultimate goal is to ensure the privacy of students and give them the confidence that their records will be kept confidential.
Both Wyden and Bonamici acknowledge that if student records aren’t being safeguarded adequately, students may be wary of seeking assistance.
“I do think people are afraid to go for help because they don’t want to get in trouble for anything,” Elliott said.
As of now, the next step for the draft bill is hearing feedback from the public and students. After Wyden and Bonamici have compiled feedback, they will move forward to legislation.
The public has until Oct. 17 to send in their comments on Senator Wyden’s website.