Your rights over your record
Once you enroll — at any age — your education records become yours under the federal privacy law FERPA. You have the right to inspect your own records (request it in writing from the office that holds them; they have up to 45 days), to ask for correction of information you believe is inaccurate or misleading with a hearing if they decline, and to control disclosure of your records outside a set of specific exceptions. "Education records" means records tied to you and maintained by the university — grades, transcript, class schedule, financial-aid file, conduct file, advising notes. It does not cover a faculty member's private notes kept only for themselves, campus police records, or medical records used only for treatment.
Who can see it without your consent
FERPA lets the university share your record without asking you in defined situations: university officials with a legitimate educational interest (an adviser, an instructor, a financial-aid counselor doing their job — not idle curiosity); another school you are transferring to; specific government audits; financial aid you applied for; accreditors; a health or safety emergency; a valid subpoena (you are notified where allowed); and the results of a disciplinary proceeding for a violent or sexual offense to the victim. Parents get access without your consent only in narrow cases — a genuine health/safety emergency, or if they prove they claim you as a dependent for taxes — which is why the practical route is you granting it.
Directory information
The university may release a defined list of "directory information" — typically your name, enrollment status, dates of attendance, major, degrees and awards, participation in activities and sports, and Porter email — to anyone, including for honors lists, commencement programs, sports rosters, and news releases, unless you opt out. You can place a directory hold in MyPorter: it stops all of that, which also means the university will not confirm your enrollment or degree to an employer, lender, or landlord who calls, and your name is left out of the commencement program. It is a real trade-off; most students leave directory information released and use targeted access controls instead.
Granting access and locking down
To let a parent, spouse, or anyone else see part of your record, set up authorized access in MyPorter — you choose the scope (billing only, or academics and more) and set a passphrase staff will require before discussing anything by phone. Add an authorized payer separately if you only want them to handle the bill. Access you grant, you can revoke at any time. To restrict rather than share, use the directory hold above and tell specific offices in writing if you want an extra flag on your file. Questions about a specific situation go to the Registrar, who administers FERPA for the university.
Questions?
See the full staff & office directory for any phone number or email. Because this is a fictional parody site, addresses and phone numbers are illustrative and do not reach a real university.