Academic Policies
Student Records Retention Schedule
This records retention schedule is based on recommendations developed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers' (AACRAO) Retention of Records: Guide for Retention and Disposal of Student Records (2000 Edition), recommendations from the IUPUI Registrar's Office, and the IUPUI Special Collections and Archives. All units that maintain student records in their offices should follow the instructions of this records retention schedule.
While several different units on campus play important roles in the course of a student's enrollment, coursework, and graduation, Student Central is the official repository for IUFW students' final, official academic record. Student Central has primary responsibility to maintain the official grades for all coursework undertaken at IUFW as part of a student's Academic Record. A variety of units have responsibility for records created in the progress of a student's career other than the student's official Academic Record. This retention schedule provides instruction for how long those records must be maintained.
Because Student Central is the official repository of each student's official IUFW Academic Record, other units on campus are released from the responsibility to maintain student Academic Records for extended periods. Copies of student Academic Records accumulated by other units need not be retained beyond the period of their administrative use in those units' offices. By following this records retention schedule, campus units may dispose of student records and copies of records when their retention is no longer necessary.
Many of the student records covered by this records retention schedule contain confidential information protected by federal and state law. Staff are required to handle and dispose of these confidential records appropriately to protect student privacy.
IUFW Student Records
The following records retention schedule is color-coded to indicate the office that has primary custody for the records in question:
| Admissions | Green |
| Registrar | Blue |
| Schools | Red |
| International Affairs | Purple |
| Dean of Students & Schools | Light Blue |
| Record | Retention—Official Copy | Retention—Copies |
| Admissions-Applicants Who Do Not Enroll (Admissions Office) | ||
| Effective for the Fall 2004 semester and thereafter, most materials for undergraduate admission are imaged and the image will be retained for at least ten years. | ||
| Acceptance Letter | 1 year after application term | Until end of application term |
| Advanced Placement Results | 2 years after application term | |
| Applications | 2 years after application term | |
| Correspondence (ALL) | 2 years after application term | |
| Entrance Exam Results/Scores | 2 years after application term | |
| Letters of Recommendation | 2 years after application term | |
| Military Records | 2 years after application term | |
| Placement Test Results/Scores | 2 years after application term | |
| Requests to Update Application | 2 years after application term | |
| Recruitment Records | 2 years after application term | |
| Transcripts (high school and college) | 2 years after application term | |
| International Student Records | 2 years after application term | |
| Record | Retention—Official Copy | Retention—Copies |
| Admissions-Applicants Who Enroll | ||
| Effective for the Fall 2004 semester and thereafter, most materials for undergraduate admission are imaged and the image will be retained for at least ten years. | ||
| Acceptance Letter | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | Until admitted |
| Advanced Placement Results | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Applications | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Correspondence (ALL) | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Entrance Exam Results/Scores | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Letters of Recommendation | Destroy when admitted | |
| Military Records | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Placement Test Results/Scores | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Readmission Records | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Recruitment Records | Destroy when admitted | |
| Student Waivers for rights to access to letters of recommendation | Destroy when terminated | |
| Transcripts (high school and college) | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| International Student Records | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Record | Retention—Official Copy | Retention—Copies |
| Registration and Attendance/Academic Progress Records | ||
| Academic Action Authorization (dismissal) | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | 1 year after date of action |
| Academic Record | Permanent | |
| Advanced Placement and Other Placement Tests | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Advising Notes | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Application for Graduation | 1 year after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Application for Admission or Readmission | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Audit Authorization | 1 year after date submitted | |
| Change of Course (Drop/Add) | 1 year after date submitted | |
| Change of Grade | Record Permanent | |
| Class Roster (Original Grades) | Permanent | |
| Class Schedules (Students) | 1 year after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Correspondence (ALL) | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Credit by Exam Report/Scores | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Credit/No Credit Approval (Audit, Pass/Fail) | 1 year after date submitted | |
| Curriculum Change Authorization | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Degree Audit Record | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Disciplinary Action Record | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| FERPA Record | As long as relevant student records are retained | |
| Foreign/International Student Records (INS Record) | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Grade Change Appeal documents (grade was changed) | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Grade Change Appeal documents (grade was not changed) | 2 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Grade Report (Registrar’s copies) | 1 year after date submitted | |
| Graduation List | Permanent | |
| Graduation Authorization | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Hold or Encumbrance Authorization (ALL) | Until released | |
| Military Record | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Name Change Authorization | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Pass/Fail Record | 1 year after date submitted | |
| Personal Data Information Record | 1 year after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Registration Record | 1 year after date submitted | |
| Transcript Request (student’s) | 1 year after date submitted | |
| Transfer Credit Evaluation | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Withdrawal Authorization | 2 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Working Documents | 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Record | Retention—Official Copy | Retention—Copies |
| Certification Data/Records | ||
| Enrollment Verification | 1 year after verification | 1 year after verification |
| Social Security Verification | 1 year after verification | |
| Teacher Certification | 1 year after certification | |
| Veterans Administration | 3 years after graduation or date of last attendance | |
| Record | Retention—Official Copy | Retention—Copies |
| Publications/Statistical Data/Institutional Reports | ||
| Catalog/Bulletin | Permanent: transfer 2 copies to Archives each year | |
| Commencement Program | Permanent: transfer 2 copies to Archives each year | |
| Degree Statistics | Permanent: transfer 1 copy to Archives each year | |
| Enrollment Statistics | Permanent: transfer 1 copy to Archives each year | |
| Grade Statistics | Permanent: transfer 1 copy to Archives each year | |
| Race/Ethnicity Statistics | Permanent: transfer 1 copy to Archives each year | |
| Schedule of Classes | Permanent: transfer 1 copy to Archives each year | |
| Record | Retention—Official Copy | Retention—Copies |
| FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) Records | ||
| Request for Formal Hearing | Permanent | 1 year after date of action [?] |
| Request and Disclosure of personally | Permanent | |
| Identifiable Information | ||
| Student Request for Non-disclosure of Directory Information | Permanent or until terminated by student | |
| Student Statement on Content of Records re Hearing Panel Decision | Permanent | |
| Student’s Written Consent for Records Disclosure | Permanent or until terminated by student | |
| Waivers for Rights to Access | Permanent or until terminated by student | |
| Written Decisions of Hearing Panels | Permanent | |
| Record | Retention—Official Copy | Retention—Copies |
| Student Records Held by Faculty | ||
| Grade Book | 5 years after conclusion of class | |
| Student Exams/Papers | 1 month after end of term | |
