Family Members

Family Members

ENGAGE WITH COMPASS

Compass Student Experience is happy to welcome you and your student to the USF St. Petersburg campus!

We recognize your student’s decision to attend the USF St. Petersburg campus is life-changing. The USF St. Petersburg campus offers opportunities for your student to achieve academic success, build relationships with peers, develop new interests, engage in the local community and more. As family members and friends of USF St. Petersburg campus students, this is also a time of transition for you all. Each family member’s experience is different. You may be empty nesters or maybe this is your first student heading off to college. You might be feeling various emotions - from apprehension to loss to enthusiasm for your student. These are all normal feelings for family members, and we are here to help you navigate each step of the transition with your student.

FAMILY CONNECTIONS

USF St. Petersburg campus Compass Student Experience Facebook Page 
USF St. Petersburg campus Families Facebook Group 

FAMILY NEWSLETTER
The Compass Chronicle is a monthly e-newsletter designed to provide USF St. Petersburg campus families with the latest campus news and events, as well as to provide a snapshot of what students may be experiencing while at college. Topics to be addressed in the newsletter include: academic resources on campus, community events, tips from advising and involvement opportunities that students can take advantage of during the year. Subscribe to the Chronicle

SUPPORTING YOUR STUDENT: “LETTING GROW”

Your student’s transition to college can be an exciting time for your family! As you are experiencing various feelings, so is your student. They are about to embark on this new journey full of independence, and confidence. Be proud that you have played a role in helping your student become ready for their college experience. We recognize you have assisted your student through their life and we hope to help you be part of your student’s life throughout college while providing your student with the independence that they want and that you would like them to have to be a successful adult.

How can I help my student?
You know your student best! Be sure to share in their excitement of attending USF St. Petersburg campus. Enjoy the moments when they call or text you about their day. Setting expectations early on about when all of you would like to talk and how, can help ease the transition into college. Make sure you all compromise and do what is best for everyone. If you have questions, want to talk it through or concerns, contact the Compass Team at 727-873-4003.

Be in the know about what is happening on campus! Check out the monthly family newsletter, Compass Chronicle, which features events and programs for your student as well as highlights a campus resource. Our newsletter is geared to all family members – let it be a resource for you throughout your student’s four years.

UNDERSTANDING FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are “eligible students.”

Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student’s education records maintained by USF St. Petersburg campus. USF St. Petersburg campus is not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records. USF St. Petersburg campus may charge a fee for copies.

Parents or eligible students have the right to request that USF St. Petersburg campus correct records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If USF St. Petersburg campus decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if USF St. Petersburg campus still decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information.

Generally, USF St. Petersburg campus must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student’s education record. However, FERPA allows USF St. Petersburg campus to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):

  • School officials with legitimate educational interest
  • Other schools to which a student is transferring
  • Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes
  • Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student
  • Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school
  • Accrediting organizations
  • To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena
  • Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies
  • State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law

USF St. Petersburg campus may disclose, without consent, “directory” information such as a student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, USF St. Petersburg campus must tell parents and eligible students about directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that USF St. Petersburg campus not disclose directory information about them. USF St. Petersburg campus must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA. The actual means of notification (special letter, inclusion in a PTA bulletin, student handbook, or newspaper article) is left to the discretion of USF St. Petersburg campus.