Re: Parent Access to Deceased Students' eMail

[Theresa Rowe <rowe () OAKLAND EDU>]

I'm a little late, but I want to respond.  We handle this through our Dean
of Students, which is there to offer sympathy, counseling and general
support through the process.  All release is approved by our General Counsel
specific to the situation and before we release.

We do not just deliver the email due to potential FERPA issues and privacy
issues of other students.

Consider a real life situation where the student was having discussions with
several peers about gender identification and coming out.

Or a lot of very specific talk about grades.  We won't release an email to
parents where a third-party student discussed grades or other personal
information.

I once reviewed the account of a suicide where the student ordered gun
components over the Internet.  There were several emails about the purchase,
how to put together the gun, how to test it, right up to the suicide.  It
was very disturbing; I cannot imagine giving that to parents without also
offering emotional support, which may not be an official position but just
one of empathy.

Theresa Rowe

On Fri, Jul 17, 2009 at 4:28 PM, Bob Kalal <kalal.1 () osu edu> wrote:

> Our position has been that the email belongs to the student's estate.
> Bob Kalal
> Ohio State University
> On Jul 17, 2009, at 12:16 PM, Michael Carr wrote:
>
>
> How does your institution handle parental requests for access to deceased
> students' eMail?
>
> Some parents would like to send notices to their son/daughter's friends
> about any funeral arrangements.  Others would like access
> to content (especially in cases of suicide -- for closure.)
>
> University Council position is that the deceased student's FERPA privacy
> rights end with death; however, questions remain regarding the privacy
> rights of those persons/students identified in the deceased student's
> address book or eMail contents.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Mike
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>  Michael G. Carr, JD, CISSP, CIPP
> Director, Information Assurance
> Office of the CIO
> The University of New Mexico
> MSC02 1520
> 1 University of New Mexico
> Albuquerque NM  87131-0001
>
> desk: (505) 277-1212
> mobile: (505) 720-2121
> fax: (505) 277-8101
> mcarr () unm edu


--
Theresa Rowe
Chief Information Officer
Oakland University
**Think Green - Think before you print.**