Guidelines for Visits and Information Requests from Federal or State Agents or Law Enforcement Personnel
Agencies within the state or federal government may request information or seek assistance from East Carolina University (“ECU”) and its faculty and staff regarding a range of matters. These matters may include immigration-related issues, compliance with state and federal law, and issues of national security. In all interactions with state or federal agencies, you should act with professionalism. The information below is intended to assist and support you in responding to such inquiries.
What to do IF …
You receive an in-person visit from state or federal officials to your office or department.
Ask the official(s) to wait in a public waiting area for your office/department and contact ECU Police Department (ECUPD) at 252-328-6787. An ECUPD officer will be dispatched to verify the credentials of the official. Public spaces are lobbies, waiting areas, parking lots, sidewalks, and other areas the public would generally have access. An official should not be asked to wait in an individual office, worksite, residence hall, or any other place that is generally closed to public access and is considered private.
While waiting for an ECUPD officer to arrive, contact the Office of University Counsel (OUC) at 252-328-6940 for assistance from a university attorney in responding to the request. Please be prepared to provide all information that has been requested and any additional information regarding the request to OUC. Please specify if the requested information is regarding an ECU student, faculty or staff member and whether you have received a subpoena, court order, warrant, or other written request for information so that OUC can provide instructions on how to share a copy with OUC for its inspection and review. 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. ECU protocol also requires that our campus police verify your credentials. I am happy to escort you to a public place where you can wait for ECU Police. I will also call our Office of University Counsel for guidance on responding to your information request.”
If the agent(s) presses for immediate action, please maintain professionalism, repeat the paragraph above, and contact your supervisor.
You get a request from a state or federal officials in writing or by phone.
First, call the Office of University Counsel (OUC) at 252-328-6940 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 OUC for its review.
You are asked for personal information about a student or an employee during an emergency.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student education records and generally prohibits disclosing those records without the student’s written consent. Similarly, the North Carolina Human Resources Act generally prohibits the disclosure of confidential personal information about an ECU employee without the employee’s written consent. Do not release any information about any student, faculty or staff without first consulting with Office of University Counsel to ensure the disclosure is in compliance with applicable University policies, state, and federal laws.
A government official may request information about a student during a health or safety emergency. In some circumstances it may be necessary for the University to release certain information. The Office of the Dean of Students, University Police Department, or the Office of University Counsel should be contacted for assistance in making and documenting the decision that a health or safety emergency exists. A true health and safety emergency or imminent threat may make following these guidelines difficult. If time does not permit consultation with the appropriate offices, you should use your best judgement as to whether a true emergency justifying disclosure exists. It may be the case that the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or others, that may necessitate immediate disclosure to appropriate parties. At a minimum, these offices should be contacted following the emergency disclosure of personally identifiable information.
Helpful Contacts:
ECU Police Department
252-328-6787
Office of University Counsel
252-328-6940
Office of the Dean of Students
252-328-9297
Office of Global Affairs
252-328-1935