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Email to Students
October 11, 2001
Dear Students,
As we continue to cope in the aftermath of September
11 we must be mindful of our responsibilities as members of this academic
community. I know many of you may be concerned with the fact that colleges
and universities have received increased requests for student and employee
information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Immigration
and Naturalization Services, and other federal, state and local law agencies.
To date, we have received no such requests linked
to the September 11 events. I want to assure each of you that we will
try to protect your privacy rights as allowable by the law in the event
that such requests are made. We will abide by all relevant provisions
and safeguards for your privacy detailed in the 1974 Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This law would normally bar us from releasing
personal information without your consent. However, the law does allow
exemptions during a health-and-safety emergency. In practical terms each
inquiry must and will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
These are uncertain times, times we have not experienced
before. As such, we must recognize that the interplay between the needs
to preserve privacy and to maintain public safety can pose challenges.
As members of the UMass family, we must strive to understand these issues
and seek solutions to challenges together.
Sincerely,
Jo-Anne Vanin
Dean of Students
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