Registrar

Academic Record Management

The Office of the Registrar oversees academic record management for all students at Bushnell University. All academic records are kept for a minimum of five years after the student’s last date of attendance. Academic records retain the necessary information to meet legal, financial, administrative, research, and historical needs as recommended by Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO).

The handling of student educational records follows the guidelines set out by the AACRAO, in keeping with explicit requirements to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g. FERPA provides students with the following rights:

(1) The right to inspect and review their education records;

(2) The right to seek amendment of their education records to correct information which they believe is inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of student privacy rights;

(3) The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information, except for disclosure to school officials with a legitimate educational interest and except to the extent FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent; and

(4) The right to be informed annually of their rights under the act if they are currently in attendance.

Limitation on Right of Access

The University will not permit a student to inspect the following records:

• The financial statement of the student’s parents.
• Letters and statements of recommendations for which the student has waived his or her right of access, or which were maintained before January 1, 1975.
• Records connected with an application to attend the institution or a component unit of the institution if that application was denied.
• Those records which are excluded from the FERPA definition of education records.

Provision of Copies

The University reserves the right to deny copies of records, including transcripts, not required to be made available by FERPA in any of the following situations:

• The student lives within commuting distance of the institution.
• The student has an unpaid financial obligation to the institution.
• There is an unresolved disciplinary action against the student.
• The education record requested is an exam or set of standardized test questions.

Fees for Copies of Records

Official transcripts cost $10 per copy. Unofficial copies are free of charge. Copies of other documents are subject to a $0.50 per page charge.

Third-party access to the education record without the student’s written permission is limited to individuals designated as School Officials, those persons and/or agencies specifically authorized in FERPA as amended, or to any other person to whom disclosure may be required by law.

Student Authorization

A student may authorize the release of his or her education record to a third party providing the request is made in writing, signed, and dated. At the time of matriculation, the University will give undergraduate students an opportunity to sign a Consent for Release of Information form to authorize parental access to grades, course schedule, and academic status information. This authorization can be relinquished with a written request from the student. Parents will be provided information about the University’s Educational Records Policy and the procedures for release of information. The University will encourage students and their parents to discuss the issue of access to grades, course schedule, and academic status and to reach an understanding about the sharing of information about academic progress. If a student’s signed, current authorization form is on file in the Office of the Registrar, a parent may either send a letter requesting a copy of grades, course schedule, or academic status or may complete and sign a Request to Review Education Records form, which is available from the Office of the Registrar. When parents request information, the Office of the Registrar will notify the student as a matter of courtesy.

Without Student Authorization

The University will disclose information from a student’s education record only with the written consent of the student, except that records may be disclosed without consent when the disclosure is:

• To school officials who have a legitimate educational right to know. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position, including health or medical staff.
• A person elected to the Board of Trustees.
• A person employed by or under contract to perform a special task, such as the attorney or auditor.
• A person employed by the law enforcement unit of the University.
• A student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or who is assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate education interest if the official is acting on behalf of the student and is doing any of the following:
  • Performing a task that is specified in his or her position description or contract agreement.
  • Performing a task related to a student’s education.
  • Performing a task related to the discipline of the student.
  • Providing a service or benefit relating to the student or student’s family, such as health care, counseling, job placement, or financial aid.
  • Maintaining the safety and security of the campus.
• To certain officials of the U.S. Department of Education, the Controller General, and state and local education authorities, in connection with audit or evaluation of certain state or federally supported education programs.
• In connection with a student’s request for or receipt of financial aid to determine the eligibility, amount, or conditions of the financial aid, or to enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
• To state and local officials or authorities if specifically required by a state law that was adopted before November 19, 1974.
• To accrediting organizations to carry out their functions.
• To parents of an eligible student who is claimed as a dependent for income tax purposes. The University will evaluate individual circumstances before doing so and will require a copy of the first page of the parent’s federal income tax return to establish the student’s status as a dependent. The parent(s) will also be required to fill out a Request to Review Education Records form. If education information is properly released to a custodial parent of whom the student is a dependent, a duplicate of the released information may also be released upon request to a natural, non-custodial parent of whom the student is not a dependent.
• To the parent of a student under the age of 21 and the disclosure is in response to the violation of a law regarding alcohol or drug abuse.
• To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena. An attempt to notify the student is required by law before the University can honor such an order or subpoena.
• To appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency.
• To individuals requesting directory information so designated by the University.
• The results of any disciplinary proceeding conducted by the University against an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence to the alleged victim of that crime with respect to that crime.
• To the National Student Clearinghouse.
• To the student.

Procedure to Inspect Education Records

Students may inspect and review their education records upon request to the appropriate records custodian. Students should submit to the records custodian or an appropriate institution staff person a completed Request to Review Education Records from which identifies as precisely as possible the record or records he or she wishes to inspect. Students may be asked to provide identification in order to ensure proper release of information.

The records custodian or an appropriate institution staff person will make the needed arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. Access must be given in 45 days or less from the date of receipt of the request. When a record contains information about more than one student, the student may inspect and review only the records which relate to him or her.

Types, Locations, and Custodians of Education Records

• Admissions – Office of the Registrar (Registrar)
• Cumulative Academic Records – Office of the Registrar (Registrar)
• Health Records – Office of Student Life (Director of Residence Life)
• Financial Records – Business Office (VP for Finances)
• Placement Records – Office of the Registrar (Registrar)
• Progress Records – Office of the Registrar (Registrar). Also from the Appropriate Graduate or Professional Studies department (Dean of said department)
• Disciplinary Records – Office of Student Life (Director of Residence Life)
• Occasional Records – The appropriate official will collect such records, direct the student to their location, or otherwise make them available for inspection and review.

Procedure to Request the Release of Education Records to Third Parties

Transcript of Record

As required by FERPA, all students are required to submit signed and dated requests for copies of their transcript of record. All requests for copies of the transcript of record are handled by the Office of the Registrar. Official transcripts cost $10 per copy. Unofficial copies are free of charge.

Records in Other Offices

Students should contact the records custodian in the appropriate office and submit a written request as indicated in the above procedures.