Student Privacy Complaint Process

  1. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), portions of the California Education Code, and section 130 of the University of California Policies Applying to Campus Activities, Organizations, and Students (PACAOS) (including UCSF implementing regulations) provide certain rights to students relating to privacy of, and access to, student records.
  2. A student who believes that the university has not complied with FERPA, portions of the California Education Code relating to privacy, or section 130 of PACAOS (including UCSF implementing regulations) may submit a written complaint to the vice chancellor for student academic affairs. The complaint must explain in detail how the university allegedly violated a law, regulation, or policy. The complaint may include a requested administrative remedy.
  3. The vice chancellor for student academic affairs, or a designee, will acknowledge receipt of a complaint within seven working days.
  4. The vice chancellor for student academic affairs, or a designee, will review the complaint and, within 45 days, provide a written response to the student or estimate a date for the response. The written response will explain the university’s findings and, to the extent permissible under applicable laws, regulations, and policies, identify any action that the university has taken or will take in response to the complaint.
  5. The response will advise the student of the right to file a complaint concerning violations of FERPA with the Family Policy Compliance Office in the U.S. Department of Education.
  6. This complaint process does not apply to requests to seek correction of student records. Refer to PACAOS section 131 (including UCSF implementing regulations) for the process to seek correction of student records.
  7. This complaint process does not create any rights or remedies, or give rise to any causes of action, that existing laws, regulations, or policies do not already provide.
  8. Direct questions, and submit complaints, to:

Vice Chancellor, Student Academic Affairs
University of California, San Francisco
UCSF Box 0244
500 Parnassus Ave MU-200W
San Francisco CA 94143
415-514-2440
[email protected]