Privacy Regulations & Ethical Standards Flashcards

Which of the following best describes the 'school official' exception under FERPA that allows internal sharing of student records?

Answer: Employees with a legitimate educational interest may access records needed to perform their official duties

FERPA's school official exception allows access to student records only for employees who have a legitimate educational interest directly related to their official responsibilities.

A student submits a complaint alleging that an enrollment counselor made false promises about job placement assistance. Which federal agency is primarily responsible for investigating such complaints against institutions?

Answer: Department of Education's Federal Student Aid office

The Department of Education's Federal Student Aid (FSA) office oversees institutional compliance with Title IV regulations, including prohibitions on misrepresentation in student recruiting.

An enrollment counselor learns a colleague has been providing false credentials on their professional profile. What is the most appropriate ethical response?

Answer: Report the concern through the institution's compliance or ethics reporting process

Professional ethics require enrollment counselors to report known violations of professional standards through appropriate institutional channels to protect students and institutional integrity.

Under the CAN-SPAM Act, which of the following is required in commercial email communications to prospective students?

Answer: A physical mailing address and a clear opt-out mechanism

The CAN-SPAM Act requires commercial emails to include the sender's physical postal address and a clear, functional mechanism for recipients to opt out of future messages.

Which principle of ethical enrollment counseling requires that counselors place the interests and needs of the prospective student above their own institutional enrollment goals?

Answer: Student-centered advising

Student-centered advising is the ethical principle requiring counselors to prioritize the student's genuine educational needs and goals over institutional recruitment targets.

A data retention policy at an enrollment office specifies that rejected applicant records must be destroyed after three years. A counselor is asked to retrieve a four-year-old rejected application. What should the counselor do?

Answer: Inform the requester that the record has been destroyed per policy and document the response

When records have been destroyed per an established retention schedule, the appropriate response is to confirm the destruction and document the inquiry, not to circumvent policy.

Which of the following actions violates the ethical obligation of confidentiality in enrollment counseling?

Answer: Sharing a student's health condition revealed during counseling with admissions committee members uninvolved in accommodation decisions

Sharing a student's health information disclosed in confidence with individuals who have no need for it violates confidentiality and may also implicate HIPAA or ADA privacy protections.