Change Address/ Name/ SSN/ Gender

Change of Address

It is very important for the student to notify the University of any change in his/her address. Currently enrolled students who wish to change their address can do so by visiting AU Access or in person at the Office of the Registrar - Langdon Hall.

To change your address prior to freshmen or transfer orientation (prior to registration for your first term), please call 334-844-6429.

Instructions for checking and/or updating any of your addresses in AUAccess.

  • Log into AUAccess
  • On My Academics tab choose Student Self-Service
  • Choose the Personal Information Tab
  • Then Update Addresses & Phones

Change of Name

Currently enrolled students who wish to change their names do so within the Office of the Registrar. The Name Change Form is provided for the student wishing to make the change. To process the change, the University requires a copy of the legal document declaring the change to be provided. Legal documents include marriage license, divorce decrees, and court orders.

To change your name prior to freshmen or transfer orientation (prior to registration for your first term), please call 334-844-6429.

Change Social Security Number

Currently enrolled students who need to change their social security numbers do so within the Office of the Registrar. To request a change, the student must complete the SSN Change Form and deliver the form and Social Security card in person to Langdon Hall.

To change your social security number prior to freshmen or transfer orientation (prior to registration for your first term), please call 334-844-6429.

CHANGE OF GENDER

Auburn University collects a student’s sex (male/female) at the time of admission for official reporting purposes. This information is not included on a student’s academic transcript. To officially change this designation, a student should notify the Registrar’s Office.

Current students should send this notification and required documentation from their Auburn University account to regatau@auburn.edu. Former students may send signed requests along with appropriate documentation to:

Office of the Registrar

Langdon Hall

152 S. College Street

Auburn University, AL 36849

Required documentation:

  • Valid driver’s license

OR

  • If a driver’s license is not available, another government-issued photo identification may also be accepted if also accompanied by a court order or physician’s letter.

Current and former students also have the option of coming into the Office of the Registrar at the address above to make this update. Regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 7:45am -4:45pm.

Privacy Settings

Students may change much of their personal information such as addresses and phone numbers by going into the Student Self-Service menu via AUAccess.

Name and privacy information must be changed through the Office of the Registrar. To update your privacy restrictions bring the Privacy Settings Change Form to the Office of the Registrar in Langdon Hall.

Turning on your privacy settings will prevent the release of directory information about you to third parties. Remember that turning on your privacy settings will also remove you from the campus directory and make you unavailable on "People Finder".

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

ANNUAL FERPA NOTIFICATION

FAQs

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (also known as the Buckley Amendment) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The Act provides the following rights to students:

  1. Students have the right to inspect and access their educational records.
  2. Students have the opportunity to have the records amended.
  3. Students have some control over the disclosure of information from their records.

The intent of the legislation is to protect the rights of students and ensure the privacy and accuracy of student records. The act applies to all institutions that are recipients of federal aid administered by the Secretary of Education.

Students who are currently or formerly enrolled, regardless of their age or status in regard to parental dependency, are protected. Students who have applied to, but have not attended an institution and deceased students, do not come under FERPA guidelines.

An educational record is any record from which a student can be personally identified, and is maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution.

  • Student grade records
  • Financial aid records
  • Student account records
  • Admission application records
  • Transcripts

What is not an educational record?

  • Sole possession records or private notes held by school officials that are not accessible or released to other personnel.
  • Law enforcement or campus security records that are solely for law enforcement purposes and maintained solely by the law enforcement unit.
  • Records relating to individuals who are employed by the university (unless contingent upon attendance).
  • Records relating to treatment provided by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized professional or paraprofessional and disclosed only to individuals providing treatment.
  • Records of an institution that contain information about an individual obtained only after that person is no longer a student at that institution, i.e., alumni records.
  • Financial information submitted by parents.
  • Confidential letters and recommendations placed in students’ files prior to January 1, 1975, provided these letters were collected under established policies of confidentiality and were used only for the purposes for which specifically collected.
  • Confidential letters and statements of recommendation, placed in students’ records after January 1, 1975, to which the student has waived his or her right to inspect and review and that are related to the students’ admission, application for employment or job placement, or receipt of honors.
  • Educational records containing information about more than one student; however, in such cases the institution must permit access to that part of the record which pertains only to the inquiring student.

Who may have access to student educational records?

  • The student and any outside party who has the student’s written permission.
  • School officials (as defined by the university) who have “legitimate educational interest.”
  • Parents/guardians who have been granted access to the student’s educational record through the Parent and Family Portal.
  • A person in response to a lawfully issued subpoena or court order, as long as the university first makes a reasonable attempt to notify the student. Normally the University will comply with a subpoena after two weeks have elapsed from the day the subpoena was received.

FERPA gives institution the discretion to share certain student records (Directory Information) to a third party without the student’s written consent. All other information is known as Non-Directory, which should never be shared with a third party without the student’s written consent.

Directory Information:

  • Student’s complete name
  • Telephone numbers
  • Addresses
  • Auburn University e-mail address
  • Participation in Recognized Activities and Sports
  • Photographs, video, or other electronic image (released only in connection with official A.U. publications)
  • Most recent Classification and Curriculum
  • Enrollment status (full or part time)
  • Term/Dates of attendance (does not include specific daily records or a student’s attendance pattern)
  • Degrees and awards received

  • Anything not listed as Directory Information may not be released to a third party without the student’s written consent. Some examples never to share without the student’s written permission:
    • GPA
    • Transcript
    • Class Schedule
    • Grades (including exam grades)
    • Social Security number
    • Academic holds
    • Financial/Scholarship information

What rights does FERPA afford students with respect to their educational records?

  • The right to inspect and review their educational records within 45 days of the day the college receives a request for access.
    • Student should submit to the Office of the Registrar written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access to and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained in the Office of the Registrar, the Registrar will advise the student of the correct official to whom that request should be addressed.
  • The right to request an amendment to the students’ educational records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading, if they do so within one year of the term in question. If the university decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, he/she will be notified of the decision and advised of his/her right to a hearing regarding the request for an amendment.
    • The students should write the Office of the Registrar, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
    • Additional information regarding a hearing will be provided to the student when notified of his/her right to a hearing.
  • The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
    • One exception which 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 or research, or support staff position; a person or company with whom the university has contracted (such as 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 grievance committee, or a person 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.
  • The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the college 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
    • U.S. Department of Education
    • Washington, D.C. 20202-4605

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and its federal regulations govern how and when student record information may be shared with third parties, including researchers. These rules specify how students may authorize the release of protected information and set requirements for obtaining consent. When requesting consent from students, the process must fully comply with FERPA standards. These requirements may differ from those established by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for informed consent in research, particularly for studies involving only online surveys or those deemed minimal risk by the IRB. As a researcher, you are responsible for ensuring that your consent process is both IRB-approved and FERPA-compliant. Please review the flowchart to determine what steps are needed to ensure your research request is FERPA compliant. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Registrar.