Student Records Policy and Procedures | Davis Technical College

Purpose
1. The College is required to collect, tabulate, report, and archive information related to student enrollment and study. In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the College is also responsible for protecting the privacy of students and to provide students with the right to inspect, review, and amend student educational records, as deemed appropriate.
References
1. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
2. Governmental Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA)
Definitions
1. Transcript - A permanent record of a student's educational accomplishments including program of study, coursework completed, courses or units of study with corresponding grades, period of enrollment, and certificates issued.
2. Institutional Certificate - A formal document awarded to students who accomplish specified training goals. Certificates may recognize completion of an established program (Certificate of Program Completion).
3. FERPA - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act which is designed to protect the privacy of students and provide guidelines for the release of records.
4. Parent - Includes a parent, guardian or individual acting as a parent of a minor student in the absence of a parent or guardian. An education agency or institution may presume the parent has the authority to exercise the rights inherent in FERPA unless the agency or institution has been provided with evidence that there is a State law or court order governing such matters as divorce, separation or custody, or a legally binding instrument which provides the contrary.
5. Faculty – Full- or part-time instructional personnel with the just titles of Lead Faculty, Faculty, Associate Faculty, or Adjunct Faculty.
6. Program/Classroom Records - Program-level student records, include immunization records, records of clinical or other off-campus work experience, written tests, evaluations of performance tests, CPR certification or other academic records used to meet program entrance or completion requirements.
7. GRAMA - Governmental Records Access and Management Act which balances the public’s constitutional right of access to information concerning public business, the individual’s constitutional right of privacy when the government gathers personal data, and the public policy interest in allowing a government to restrict access to certain records for the public good. Student records are not covered by GRAMA.
Policy
1. Record Storage and Security
  1. Student records will be stored in the electronic Student Information System and in the document scanning system. Each resource will provide controlled access with password protection and security.
  2. The student record will include student demographic data, enrollment, financial, academic progress and performance, credentials earned, withdrawal and placement and continuing education status.
  3. Any student documentation that instructors receive or produce including documents provided by students to meet program admission requirements, official transcripts used in alternate documentation, industry certificate(s) or license(s) will be submitted to Student Services to be included in the student’s scanned electronic file.
  4. Program/classroom records will be managed by program instructors or delivered to Student Services for scanning into the student record upon separation from the program.
  5. Employee Security and Access to Student Records
    1. The Information Technology Department is responsible for creating, modifying and disabling instructor accounts as well as maintenance, security and back-up of the Student Information System.
  6. Employee access to student records will be limited to the need to access data necessary for the performance of the employee’s job function(s) and will be approved by a supervisor or director.
    1. Employees are responsible for the security of records to which they are given access and may not share passwords or otherwise grant access to unauthorized individuals.
  7. Student Services personnel are responsible for granting, modifying and disabling instructor access to course rolls.
  8. Institutional Effectiveness personnel are responsible for granting, modifying and disabling course sign-off permission to instructors.
2. Responsibility for Recording and Maintaining Student Information
  1. Records relating to enrollment, scheduling, demographics, and credentials awarded will be entered by Student Services staff members in the approved College student information system or the student’s permanent, scanned electronic file.
  2. Records relating to student performance (attendance, completion of course work and grades) will be entered by program instructors in the approved College student information system.
3. Data Collection
  1. Students providing private or controlled information are given (upon request) a reason for the
    collection, the intended use, classes of persons or other entities that will receive the information and the
    consequences for refusing to provide information.
4. Release of Student Records
  1. Personally identifiable information relating to a student’s educational history will not be released to any individual or organization without the written consent of the student using the FERPA Release Form, unless the organization has a signed form on record with the sponsor on record (such as Department of Workforce Services).
    1. Notwithstanding 4.2.1, the College reserves the right to release Directory Information unless the student has specifically requested in writing that such information be withheld using the FERPA Suppression Form.
    2. Directory Information includes:
      - Student’s Name
      - Address
      - Telephone Number
      - Date and place of birth
      - E-mail address
      - Program(s) of study
      - Dates of attendance and registration
      - Certificates, Diplomas or Degrees awarded
      - Honors Received
      - Activities
      - Photos
      - Enrollment Status
  2. Students may access their records (including schedules, unofficial transcript, dates of enrollment and progress reports) via the web portal for the Student Information System or they may directly request reports from Student Services or their classroom instructor(s).
  3. Requests by individuals other than students to access records relating to the student’s education or other activities at the College can be made by subpoena or records request signed by the student in the presence of a notary public. The request must include specific records requested and inclusive dates.
  4. Students may file an Authorization to Access Student Records form with Student Services to grant third-parties on-going access to their records.
  5. Information which is collected solely for use by the Employer and Continuing Occupational Education department and Northfront Business Resource Center and is not entered into the student information system is kept private.
  6. The College has 45 days from the date of the request to respond. In the event that the records have been archived and aren’t immediately available, the Registrar will inform the individual making the request of the anticipated delay.
  7. Students may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with FERPA requirements by sending a written complaint to the following address:
    - Family Policy Compliance Officer
      U.S. Department of Education
      Washington, DC, 20202-4605
5. Amendments to Student Records
  1. Students, instructors, or staff may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. Such requests should be submitted in writing using the Records Correction form and must clearly identify the part of the record to be changed and provide documentation that the change is verifiable and appropriate.
    1. Any request for a change to a time-based record (attendance, course-completion, enrollment data, etc.) which is more than 30 days old must be approved by signature by the Director of Student Services and the affected Director of Programs.
    2. If the College declines to change the record as requested, the College will notify the requestor.
6. Official Transcript Requests
  1. Students wishing to obtain an official transcript of academic work must submit a Transcript Request Form which is available in Student Services, or through the National Student Clearinghouse, available online.
    1. Any financial obligations to the College must be cleared prior to the release of a transcript.
    2. For course taken prior to 1988, transcripts are unavailable. An enrollment verification letter can be provided based on records available for retrieval through the Utah State Archive Office (USAO). Processing time for such requests is dependent on the response time from the USAO and may take several weeks.
    3. Some courses outside of those leading to certificates or degrees (such as those offered by the Employer and Continuing Occupational Education department or State Custom Fit training) may or may not be transcriptable.
  2. A student may request an official transcript for themselves or designate release of the document to another party, institution or organization.
  3. Official transcripts will be provided within ten (10) working days.
7. Enrollment Verification
  1. Students wishing to obtain verification of enrollment must complete an Enrollment Verification Form which is available in Student Services and indicates who is authorized to receive the verification. Enrollment Verification Forms may also be received from outside entities, such as student loan or insurance companies. Enrollment verifications are processed in up to five (5) working days, but will not be released until the student has attended a minimum of five (5) 3-hour sessions of a course.
  2. Competency Demonstrations, Alternate Documentation, and courses offered through continuing education will not be used for enrollment verification.
8. Record Retention
  1. The Utah State Archive retains original hardcopy files from the years 1977 – 2001. The College maintains electronic copies of all other student records. For the purposes of retaining records, all educational records at the college (whether original or re-printed from the scanning system) have the same legal effect as the original record.
  2. Student records shall be retained electronically in perpetuity via the official College student information system and scanning and retrieval system. Legacy systems will be maintained as necessary to retrieve and or update records.
Procedures
1. Records requests
  1. Third party requests to access records relating to the student’s education or other activities at the College can be made by submitting a subpoena or record request signed by the student in the presence of a notary public. The request must include specific records requested and inclusive dates.
  2. Students wishing to obtain an official transcript of academic work must submit a Transcript Request Form which is available in Student Services, or through the National Student Clearinghouse, available online. Upon payment of the requisite fee and the clearing of any financial obligations to the College, the transcript request will be processed in accordance with the policy contained in this document.
2. Amendments to Student Records
  1. Students, instructors, or staff may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. Such requests should be submitted in writing using the Records Correction form and must clearly identify the part of the record to be changed and provide documentation that the change is verifiable and appropriate.
3. Enrollment Verification
  1. Students wishing to obtain verification of enrollment must complete an Enrollment Verification Form which is available in Student Services and indicates who is authorized to receive the verification. Enrollment verifications are processed in up to five (5) working days but will not be released until the student has attended a minimum of five (5) 3-hour sessions of a course.

Policy migration in progress

Davis Tech is in the process of migrating our policies from PDF to HTML format to conform to Title II (ADA) requirements. During this transition period, the latest approved version of the policy is available (below) in pdf format, but may contain ADA Compliance errors.

Printable PDF

Effective Date: 26 August 2024

Approvals and Notes
Revised: 22 January 2022
President’s Council Approval: 11 June 2018
President’s Council Approval: 11 August 2014

Student Records Policy and Procedures Student - Policy and Procedures