The U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation on Thursday into whether Tufts University’s National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement has contributed to the illegal sharing of college student data to influence elections. The Student Privacy Policy Office, which is a part of the Department of Education, says it opened the investigation in response to several allegations that the NSLVE has violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act by sharing data with third parties.
Along with the NSLVE — which is housed in the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, the SPPO is also examining the National Student Clearinghouse — which has both access to and permission to share student data from participating colleges and universities.
“American colleges and universities should be focused on teaching, learning, and research – not influencing elections,” Linda McMahon, the U.S. secretary of education, said in a public statement released by the department. Our Student Privacy Policy Office will thoroughly investigate this matter to protect students’ private data and ensure that our campuses are fully aware of and comply with their responsibilities under FERPA.”
FERPA is a federal student privacy law that governs any educational institution receiving funding from the Department of Education. Institutions found in violation risk the termination of funding from the Department.
The NSLVE states their data is used “to teach about democracy in the classroom and beyond, to increase political learning across disciplines, to benchmark student voter participation and to inform accreditation reports.” However, several reports submitted to SPPO assert that students’ personal data has not only been shared with the NSC and participating organizations, but also with outside political organizations that seek to use that data to influence elections.
“We are in receipt of the Department of Education’s letter and are currently reviewing it. We have no additional comment at this time,” Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations at Tufts, wrote in a statement to the Daily.
The DOE’s investigation aims to determine how the data is being collected and shared between participating organizations and whether students’ proper consent was obtained.
SPPO has also sent out a letter to all postsecondary education institutions, reminding them of their obligations under FERPA and advising them to hold off on using any data collected by NSLVE until the investigation is concluded. Schools are also being made aware that they may be at risk of being in violation of FERPA if they use any such data released this year.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
