Southern Methodist University is committed to the privacy and security of its students' education records information. Our Records Policy complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) that governs the access and release of information from a student's education records. The intent of the FERPA legislation is to protect the rights of students and to ensure the privacy and accuracy of education records. No student record information is released to a third-party (including parents) without the student's prior consent; however there are a few exceptions.
SMU stays informed of appropriate state and federal legal requirements, professional and ethical standards and policies at peer institutions as well as assists academic units in ensuring compliance to policies and procedures. University policies regarding FERPA are the responsibility of the University Registrar. Both the SMU Records Policy and the University Registrar FERPA Website contain information on guarding the privacy and confidentiality of students' education records.