Privacy Policy

• The right to inspect and review educational records within 45 days of the day the university receives a request for access. Students should submit written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect to the Office of Academic Records. The university will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
• The right to request an amendment of education records that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the university to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the Office of Academic Records and clearly identify the part of the record they want changed and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the university decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the university will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
• The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position (including law enforcement, personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the university has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or appeal committee or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the university discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:
  Family Policy Compliance Office 
  U.S. Department of Education 
  400 Maryland Ave., SW 
  Washington, DC, 20202-5920

Grand Canyon University has designated certain information in the education records as directory information for the purposes of FERPA. Students are required to complete a Student Information Release Form (SIRF), submitted to the Office of Academic Records, to control the release of such information with respect to student records. The SIRF authorizes a third party to receive designated records as requested by the student, however, it does not authorize GCU to have discussions about it or any portion of the student’s education record or for the authorized person to take action on the account.

Designated third parties are expected to abide by university policy; the university reserves the right to discontinue communication if the third party fails to follow policy guidelines or otherwise demonstrates an inability to communicate properly with the university or its representatives. The SIRF information is sent out to students annually. It is the responsibility of students to notify the Office of Academic Records if they would like to make any changes to their SIRF information. 

Although GCU recognizes some information as directory, GCU's practice is not to release most directory components unless the university determines a need to do so (for example, police request). Some directory information will be released when it comes to athletes or other student activities, such as theatre productions, regardless if a student opts out.

Students wishing to opt out of ALL directory information disclosure must send their request to the following email address: directoryoptout@gcu.edu. If choosing to opt out, students must provide their student ID and/or reply from their GCU email address.

Prior to opting out of directory information, graduating students’ decision to request non-disclosure should be considered critically since it could affect the ability of GCU to complete employment documentation on behalf of the student, such as institutional recommendations.

• Student name 
• Student number 
• Address 
• Personal email address 
• Phone number 
• Date and place of birth 
• Hometown 
• Degrees and awards received and dates 
• Dates of attendance (current and past) 
• Full or part-time enrollment status 
• Participation in officially recognized activities or sports 
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams 
• Most recently attended educational institution 
• Major field of study 
• Academic levels 
• Photographs