Section 4

CONFIDENTIALITY

Confidentiality is essential. There is probably no faster way to lose the respect of your residents and to ruin any opportunity to help students with personal problems than to begin sharing a person’s personal problems with others members of the floor.

If you violate a student’s confidence, it will eventually get back to that student. Not only will that person probably never trust you again with any important information, but chances are that soon his/her friends will not trust you.

However, for RAs/ALAs, confidentiality has some exceptions. You want your residents to trust you and you want to be helpful. To be most helpful, you may have to tell another staff member. The only people with whom you may legitimately share these confidences are the RD on-duty, your Residence Director, Assistant Residence Director, and other professionals in the helping fields such as a counselor, Mental Health Services, etc.

It is important to assure a resident that you will not share any private information with other residents or friends. Occasionally, some information must be shared with other members of the RA/ALA staff, but only when there is a legitimate reason for them to have this information. The decision to share the information with other staff members should be made by senior staff.

Though there may be no need to share some kinds of incidental, confidential information with your Assistant/Residence Director, the confidential information you receive should be considered available to your Residence Director. Don’t make promises to keep something confidential when you are unable to do so; be sure to tell the person before she/he shares the information that it may be necessary for you to share the information with your Residence Director.

(Adapted from The Resident Assistant by Gregory S. Blimling and Lawrence J. Miltenberger.)

Confidentiality/Privacy/FERPA - Working with Parents/Families

The following is an understanding of the practice of confidentiality, privacy and FERPA issues as related to working with parents/families of our Residence Hall students (this work is inclusive of all parent/family interactions whether it be through email, voicemail or phone). You are entrusted with protecting and reserving the privacy of educational student records, including judicial records.

Definitions

Confidentiality is defined as

1. Done or communicated in confidence; secret.
2. Entrusted with the confidence of another: a confidential secretary.
3. Containing information, the unauthorized disclosure of which poses a threat to national security.
4. Legally applied to certain professions such, doctors, lawyers and religious leaders.

Privacy is defined as

1. The quality or condition of being secluded from the presence or view of others.
2. The state of being free from unsanctioned intrusion: a person's right to privacy.
3. The state of being concealed; secrecy.
4. Protects legal aspect of students’ information such as, medical records, and educational records. (judicial is considered part of the educational record)

FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act see the Daily Planner for Academic Success for more information

Primary rights of students under FERPA

1. Right to inspect and review educational records (records that contain information directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational agency or institution)
2. Right to seek to amend educational records
3. Right to have some control over the disclosure of information from educational records
4. Right to basic protections of privacy of their records

Working with Parents/Families

Within the field of Student Affairs, privacy is legal based whereas confidentiality is “good practice based”. FERPA protects the students’ right to privacy.

Conversational Tips

• Explain who you are and what role you play in Housing Services: Residence Life
• If the parent/family member has called multiple places, explain who you are calling on behalf of
• Assist the parent/family member in having their student see you or contact you
• Approach the conversation by providing solution oriented options
• Share how procedures/processes work (this way you are sharing information without breaking privacy of the student in question)
• Review the concern with the parent/family member so they know that you have heard them
• Bring the conversation back to the actions of the student (i.e. what steps has the student taken, how have they tried to resolve the issue, with whom has the student spoken)
• Do not promise confidentiality
• Students have the right to privacy (son/daughter of involved parent/family and any other student being discussed)

Follow-Up Tips

• Discuss the conversation with who needs to know (necessary parties)
• Follow appropriate protocol for resolving given situations
• Document the conversation (use the parent report form found on share drive)
• If necessary, return the parent/family member phone call with follow-up actions promptly