Student Information Rights
Statement of Independence from Parents
A student who is not claimed as a dependent by his or her parents for federal income tax purposes (Section 152 of Title 26 of U.S. Code) may declare this at the beginning of each semester by signing a "statement of independence from parents" available at the registrar's office. A student who fails to submit this notification shall be presumed to be dependent and his or her parents may then be kept informed of the student's status at this University, including academic standing, violations of the academic code, disciplinary violations, and facts relating to the status of the student.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Brown University complies with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 which was enacted to protect the privacy of educational records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their educational records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students also have the right to file complaints with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office (FERPA) concerning alleged failures by the institution to comply with the Act. The policies and procedures established by the University in accordance with the provisions of the Act may be obtained upon request from the Office of the Dean of the College.
Directory Information
Early in each academic year, the University, in conjunction with Brown Student Agencies, publishes a campus directory that is for the exclusive use of Brown University students, faculty, and staff. Directory listings include each student’s name, semester level, postal box, local phone number, and local and home address. All of these items are included in the University's definition of directory or public information. The listings for the student sections of the directory are supplied by the registrar, largely on the basis of information given by students at the time of registration. Students who have questions about the inclusion of any of these items should consult the registrar (J. Walter Wilson Hall, Room 318) by Friday of the first week of the fall semester.
Students should also be aware that, in addition to the printed directory, campus contact information is also published in an online electronic address book (EAB) accessible by all current faculty, staff, and students. Students may access their directory information and instructions for making changes to the EAB online. Changes to data that cannot be edited in the EAB such as name, mailing address, etc. should be submitted to the Registrar’s office for updating in Banner. These changes will automatically be updated in the EAB. Students may use MyAccount to update their “mobile phone” and “other phone” numbers. If the student asks for the confidentiality flag to be set in Banner so that no information about them is given out, the student’s information will not appear in either the printed directory or the EAB .