Parents

Student Privacy & Parent Expectations

Parents will always have a important role in the education of their Ithaca College student. We encourage open communication between students and parents concerning all aspects of a student's academic program and life at IC. However, grades and all other student education records are protected by FERPA. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a US Federal law that applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the US Department of Education. This law is also referred to as the Buckley Amendment. In compliance with the law, this office only releases directory information.

Directory information is generally not considered confidential and consists of such things as the student’s: name, address, phone listing, date of place of birth, major field of study, etc.  Educational information, such as an academic record is always considered confidential and must NEVER be released or discussed with a parent or any other third party. However, some students request us to treat all of their records in a confidential manner and, of course, we must honor that request. Details concerning which records are classified as Directory Information and which are classified as educational information are available from the Ithaca College Policy Manual.

We encourage students to share and discuss their grades and general academic progress with you.  We believe that the student is ultimately  responsible for their own academic program and success. Faculty and staff are available to assist students and will help them achieve their goals, but the final responsibility for understanding the policies and procedures is the student's. Your role is to help promote and encourage their self-reliance.