Ernest Plowman, SMFA Dean of Students, and Scott Derby, MFA Director of Protective Services, attended the first meeting between Boston Police and area schools. During that meeting, the following topics were discussed: protocol in the wake of the shooting at Virginia Tech, joint training between law enforcement and areas universities in active shooting situations, and communication protocols and best practices for disseminating information to students in emergency situations.

This fall the School introduced a new online course registration system, mySMFA. Students now pre-register for courses using mySMFA. In addition to searching for and adding and dropping courses, students may view their schedules, their course histories, and more!   

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law enacted in 1974 that guarantees the confidentiality of a student's records. FERPA guidelines prohibit institutions from releasing student data to anyone without expressed written permission from the student.

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, strictly adheres to FERPA policies and regulations. Staff members are not allowed to give out student information to anyone but the student; information cannot be shared with parents, siblings, spouses, and/or friends without expressed written permission from the student. The student's written permission is not required to disclose information about a student who is claimed as a dependent for income tax purposes, however; the parent will be required to provide a copy of the most recent income tax return as proof of the student's dependency status. This policy is adhered to without exception.

Click here for the full confidentiality statement and FERPA description.