Title: Student References and External
Employment Opportunities
Number: AP 2.06
Adopted: August 2001
Reviewed: June 2024
Revised: June 2024
When a Nicolet employee gives student references, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 restricts the release of educational record information about students or graduates. The College and individual employees may be held liable for releasing unauthorized information about a student. For further information on FERPA, see AP 2.02 Privacy of Records – Release of Information.
The College must abide by state and federal employment laws; therefore, all students must be offered an opportunity to apply for and compete for jobs announced through the College.
Employees shall require students to provide a signed Authorization for Release of Reference Information form prior to releasing any non-directory information about them for a reference. The College has defined Directory Information as:
- Name;
- Address*;
- Phone Number*;
- Enrollment Status;
- Date of Birth;
- Major Field of Study;
- Classification and Year;
- Dates of Enrollment;
- Types of Degrees/Diplomas/Certificates and Date Granted;
- Academic Honors/Awards Received and Date Granted;
- Photos and Videos of Students for use in College Press Releases, Publications, and Web Sites; and
- Nicolet College Assigned Student Email Accounts.
*indicates Limited Directory Information as outlined by AP 2.02 Privacy of Records.
The signed Authorization for Release of Reference Information form must identify the name of the individual, agency, or employer to whom the disclosure may be made. The signed document must also indicate that the student is authorizing the college employee to disclose general information about the student’s performance as a student at Nicolet College, and the student’s potential as a future employee.
If the student wishes to authorize the release of confidential student information (GPA, transcript, academic progress, registration information, billing information, etc.) to a third party, the student must sign an Authorization for Release of Confidential Information form. This release of information is to be handled through the Registrar’s Office.
College employees should direct employers to place all job requests or announcements on Handshake.
This will ensure that job information will be distributed to all students and graduates who are registered with Handshake.
Sharing requests with only select students or graduates is in violation of the law.
College employees must not release information protected by the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act (WFEA), even if the student provides written permission to release any and all information. The WFEA prohibits releasing the following:
- Age;
- Ancestry;
- Arrest Record (a person is considered innocent until convicted);
- Color (pigmentation of person’s skin);
- Conviction record (conviction record can be considered only when the conviction is substantially related to the specific duties of the job);
- Creed (religious affiliations or beliefs);
- disability (includes having a physical or mental impairment, a record of having such an impairment, a perception of having an impairment, or being related to a person who has an impairment);
- Genetic testing;
- Honesty testing (polygraph);
- Marital status;
- Military membership (type of discharge or current member of Army Reserve, National Guard, or some other type of military service);
- National origin (birthplace, culture, or linguistic characteristics common to a specific ethnic group, accent);
- Pregnancy or childbirth;
- Race;
- Sex;
- Sexual orientation;
- Use or non-use of lawful products off the employer’s premises during non-working hours (off-hours use of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, etc.).