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Ask the official(s) to wait in a public area for your office/department and contact WCU Public Safety at 828.227.7301. A WCU public safety officer will be dispatched to verify the credentials of the official.

While waiting for the WCU public safety officer, contact the Office of Legal Counsel and Institutional Integrity at 828.227.7116 to request guidance from a university attorney. Please be prepared to disclose all information that has been requested of you or a WCU student, faculty, or staff member. If applicable, you can share the following with the official(s):

"I appreciate that you are interested in obtaining some information from the University, and I am going to do my best to assist you. University policies and applicable law generally do not permit me to share information about our faculty, staff, or students with you. WCU protocol also requires that our campus police verify your credentials. I am happy to escort you to a place where you can wait for WCU Public Safety.”

If the agent(s) presses for immediate action, please maintain professionalism, repeat the paragraph above, and contact your supervisor.

First, call the Office of Legal Counsel and Institutional Integrity at 828.227.7116 and inform them of the nature of the inquiry. Please specify whether the inquiry concerns a student, faculty, or staff member. Also, please note whether you received a subpoena, court order, or other written request. Be prepared to share a copy of any written request and related materials with Legal Counsel for its review.

A government official may, during a health or safety issue, request information about a student. In some circumstances it may be necessary for the university to release certain information. The Student Affairs Office or the Office of Legal Counsel and Institutional Integrity should be contacted for assistance in these situations. You do not have authority to release information.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student educational records and generally prohibits disclosing those records without the student’s written consent. Similarly, the North Carolina Human Resources Act general prohibits the disclosure of confidential personal information without an employee’s written consent.