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Student Records

 
Student records are confidential and, are maintained and released in accordance with applicable law. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, Public Law 93-380, as amended(commonly referred to as the Buckley Amendment), generally prohibits the release of information about students and former students without their consent to parents, spouses, military, law enforcement, prospective employers, federal investigators, or other parties. This Act also assures the student of the right of access to, challenge of, and review of educational records.
Educational records are defined as- those records, files, documents and other materials which:
• contain information directly related to a student, and
• are maintained by the University or by a person acting for the University. The University's Office of Admissions and Records is the University' records custodian and is responsible for the maintenance of student records. Persons having access to the records indicated above are those persons who have a legitimate educational need. The Office of Admissions and Records will also release information when subpoenaed. The Buckley Amendment assures students' right to privacy and confidentiality and is instituted to protect each student. If a student believes that his/her record contains inaccurate information, this matter should be brought to the attention of the Director of Admissions and Records. If the problem cannot be informally resolved, the student should follow the official procedure (a copy of which is available in the Office of Admissions and Records) for a resolution of the problem.
Student records normally include documents filed for admission to the University, grade reports, permanent records of academic work completed, transcripts received from schools and other College and University's attended, test scores, counseling information, correspondence and petitions related to the student. These documents will normally include, but not be limited to, the name, address, telephone, birth date, residence classification, sex, past and current enrollment, academic and attendance status, educational benefits, ethnic background, high school graduation, University major and the identification number of a student.

Information which cannot be classified as student records is:
• Information provided by the student’'s parents in connection with financial aid;
• Confidential letters of recommendation on file prior to January 1, 1975;
• Information maintained by a University official or employee which remains in his/her sole possession;
• Information about the student maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist or other professional acting in his/her professional capacity for the University, and
• Information about the student maintained by the University in the normal course of business pertaining to the student's employment, if he/she is employed by the University.


Student Record Retention Policy

 
Record Retention Period
Students’applications for admission 5 yrs.
High school transcripts 5 yrs.
GRE Test 5 yrs.
Transcripts from prior colleges/ universities attended Permanently
Registration forms 7 yrs.
Add/drop forms 7 yrs.
American Trinity University transcripts Permanently
Application for graduation 5 yrs.
Change of grade form 5 yrs.
Grade report forms 5 yrs.

Students’'permanent records are initially maintained in a paper filing system and later converted to PDF files for storage in an 'electronic' format. Scanned documents are maintained on CD's and on the Office of Admissions and Records' computer system.


Holding of Records


Student records may be placed on a hold status because of financial or other obligations to the University. While the student' records are on hold, registration may not be allowed nor will transcripts of credits be released. Records will be held until the obligation is cleared to the satisfaction of the office instituting the hold.