Microsoft 365 - How is FERPA status managed in Microsoft 365?

This document explains limitations involved when any of the FERPA privacy flags are enabled for a student (or prior student) in regards to their NetID@wisc.edu account as it relates to Office 365.

If the account in question is an Office 365 service account, please contact your email domain administrator to manage visibility within Office 365 Global Address List (GAL).

Students (active/current) have the ability to set privacy flags in the Student Center to restrict the release of a variety of information. Active/current students who are also UW employees may still set FERPA privacy flags in the Student Center. When an active/current student enables any of the FERPA privacy flags to restrict data, that student will no longer be visible/searchable in the Office 365 Global Address List (GAL). See the following document for more information about setting/releasing FERPA privacy flags: Student Center - Updating your Privacy (FERPA) settings.

Important: It can take up to 48 hours after removing all FERPA flags for the customer to become visible in the GAL.

Faculty/Staff who are not also active/current students cannot use FERPA to control their visibility status within the GAL. However, there may be circumstances in which a faculty/staff account is incorrectly hidden in the GAL. For example, if you are a faculty/staff member and were previously a student with FERPA restrictions enabled, your account may still be hidden in the GAL. See the following document for more information about setting/releasing FERPA privacy flags: Student Center - Updating your Privacy (FERPA) settings. If you cannot modify your FERPA privacy flags, please contact the DoIT Help Desk to modify these settings.

Important: The UW-Madison Office 365 team does not manage visibility for NetID@wisc.edu accounts and can only guarantee that a hidden account will be hidden within Outlook on the web and latest versions of Outlook desktop clients.

Office 365 Features/clients affected by GAL visibility

  • Outlook clients (sending as another account/opening another mailbox/calendar subscription)
  • Groups/Teams


Keywordsmicrosoft office365 o365 m365 microsoft 365 ferpa privacy security show hide gal global address list hidden searchable visible visibility global address list teams outlook group   Doc ID44393
OwnerO365 S.GroupMicrosoft 365
Created2014-10-22 14:08:35Updated2024-01-04 16:06:52
SitesDoIT Help Desk, Microsoft 365
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