Student Records

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

We take seriously our commitment to protect the privacy of our students and their education records. We comply fully with the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, a federal law designed to protect the privacy of students' education records, and apply these rights and protections to all enrolled students and formerly enrolled students for as long as the medical school retains their education records.

Directory Information

Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine - in accordance with FERPA - has designated the following categories of information about individual students as directory information:

  • Student’s full legal name, and preferred first name (if any).
  • Local and permanent addresses.
  • Local and permanent telephone numbers, including cell telephone numbers. 
  • Email addresses.
  • Date and place of birth.
  • Country of citizenship, or us permanent resident status.
  • State of residence.
  • Photographs and electronic images and recordings.
  • Program(s) in which the student is enrolled.
  • Student’s classification and enrollment status.
  • Dates of attendance and graduation.
  • Degrees and certificates received.
  • Honors and awards received.
  • Previous colleges and universities attended.
  • Degrees and certificates, and dates of each, earned at previous colleges, universities, and other organizations.
  • Participation in medical school committees and student organizations that are officially recognized by the medical school. 

Directory information is subject to disclosure without the consent of the student. Students may restrict the release of items of information considered directory information by completing and submitting the Directory Information Restriction form found on the Forms page of the student portal (Login Required). This form must be submitted to the Registrar within the three week period prior to September 1st each year. This notice will then remain in effect until it is revoked in writing by the student. The decision to restrict directory information applies to all requests for directory information from outside the medical school, including prospective employers and academic programs.  

Questions or concerns regarding the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act may be directed to the Registrar.

Consent to Release Non-Directory Information

Students must provide written consent that follows the format specified in FERPA before any education records may be released to any third party, including the students’ parents, relatives, friends, other students, and employers. Particularly sensitive information includes but is not limited to student’s social security numbers, race/ethnicity, gender, nationality, grades, academic performance, and disciplinary records. 

Information can be shared within the University among appropriate university personnel having legitimate educational interest in the records. Non-directory information can be released if a signed and dated consent is obtained from the student. The Consent to Release Non-Directory Information form may be found on the Forms page of the student portal (Login Required). The consent must specify the records that may be disclosed, state the purpose of disclosure and identify the party or parties to whom the disclosure may be made. Students may request that the information disclosed be released to them as well.

Request to Amend Individual Education Record

Students may request to amend a record they believe is inaccurate or misleading. Students must submit a Request to Amend Individual Education Record Item form found on the Forms page of the student portal. Clearly identify the record in question, specifying the basis for the perceived inaccuracy. Copies of evidence relating to the record being questioned should accompany the request. 

Student Request to Review Academic Record

WMed students have the right to inspect and review their individual education records that are maintained by the medical school. The medical school provides students with contemporaneous access to our individual education records through the curriculum management system. If there are additional individual education records that a student wishes to review, they should submit a Request to Review Academic Record form found on the Forms page of the student portal.

Solomon Amendment & FERPA

Solomon Amendment is a federal law that allows military recruiters to access some address, biographical and academic program information on students age 17 and older.

The Department of Education has determined the Solomon Amendment supersedes most elements of FERPA. An institution is therefore obligated to release data included in the list of “student recruiting information,” which may or may not match WMed’s FERPA directory information list. However, if a student has submitted a Directory Information Restriction form to the Registrar’s office to restrict the release of his/her Directory Information, then no information from the student's education record will be released as specified in the Solomon Amendment.  

"Student Recruitment Information" or "Solomon Information" as defined by the Solomon Amendment:

  1. Name
  2. Address  
  3. Telephone  
  4. WMed Email address
  5. Date/place of birth  
  6. Level of education
  7. Academic major/program
  8. Degrees received
  9. Educational institution in which the student was most recently enrolled

Procedure for releasing information to military recruiter:

  1. Under the Solomon amendment, information will be released for military recruitment purposes only.
  2. The military recruiters may request student recruitment information once each semester within the five branches of the service:
    1. Army: Army, Army Reserve, Army National Guard
    2. Navy: Navy, Navy Reserve
    3. Marine Corps: Marine Corps, Marine Corps Reserve
    4. Air Force: Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air Force National Guard
    5. Coast Guard: Coast Guard, Coast Guard Reserve
  3. The request should be submitted in writing on letterhead clearly identifying the unit of service requesting the student recruitment information.
  4. The request should list what student recruitment information is being requested.
  5. The request should specify whether the information needed is for the current or previous semester/term.

All responses to Solomon Amendment requests for information will be reviewed by the Registrar's office. Requesters can expect a response in 3-5 business days. Military Recruiters are to submit their Solomon requests to: registrar@wmed.edu.