Record Retention Policy
Elon University’s Registrar's Office is the official custodian of the academic records of enrolled students and complies with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).
The Registrar's Office at Elon University retains records and disposes of records within the guidelines noted below. This policy will supersede all other policies on student records retention and destruction pertaining to the academic records in the Registrar's Office. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that necessary records and documents are adequately protected and maintained and to ensure that records that are no longer needed or are of no value are discarded at the appropriate time. In the event of a governmental audit, investigation or pending litigation, record disposal will be suspended at the direction of the Registrar. In addition, the Registrar should be informed of any situation that might give rise to legal action as soon as the situation becomes apparent.
The Registrar's Office will release information from the student's academic record to college personnel who have demonstrated legitimate educational interest in the materials. A legitimate educational interest exists if the information requested has an educationally related purpose and is necessary for the college official to perform appropriate tasks or make a judgment within the scope of her/his assigned responsibilities or is related to a matter of safety and security of a student or the campus community.
Elon Records Retention Policy (Based on AACRAO 2010)
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Record Type
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Retention Guideline
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Academic advisement records
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2 years after graduation
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Academic warning (academic non-performance)
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5 years after graduation
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Academic integrity violation
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Permanent
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Academic records (misc. evaluations/assessments)
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Permanent
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Correspondence (related to academic records)
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1 year
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Disciplinary action records
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5 years after graduation
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Grievance/complaint issued by student
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3 years after closure
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Major/minor/certificate/concentration changes
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5 years after graduation
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Appeals for exception to academic policy
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4 years
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Thesis/Dissertation
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Permanent
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Athlete eligibility reports
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1 year after certification
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Athlete records (includes eligibility information, academic information, documentation of participation, tutor evaluations, etc.)
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10 Year
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Enrollment verification
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1 year after verification
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Residency verification
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6 years after submission
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Teacher certifications
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1 year after certification
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Transcript requests (by student)
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1 year after submitted
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VA certification records
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3 years after graduation
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Degree audits
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5 years after graduation
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Returned diplomas
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5 years
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Graduation lists
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Permanent
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Substitution/waivers for degree requirements
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5 years after graduation
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Final exams/graded coursework
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1 year after course completion
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Grade appeal/complain
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1 year
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Faculty grade book
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5 years after course completion
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Grade change forms
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5 years after submission
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Final grade reports
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1 year after date distributed
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Midterm grade reports
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End of term
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Final grade submission data
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Permanent
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Name change request
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5 years after graduation
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Personal data update (race, ethnicity, etc.)
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1 year after graduation
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Transfer credit evaluations
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5 years after graduation
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Tuition and fee charges
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5 years after graduation
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Class lists
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Permanent
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Credit/no credit, audit, pass/no pass approval
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1 year after date submitted
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Drop/add/requests
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1 year after date submitted
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Withdrawal requests
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5 years after date submitted
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Catalogs
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Permanent
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Commencement programs
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Permanent
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Instruction evaluations (by students)
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1 semester
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