SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULE FOR ACADEMIC RECORDS

Updated: September 2005
 

NOTE: For all records, housed in Student Academic Services with an sign appearing after the location below, the same retention schedule applies to the graduate records housed in the individual graduate schools.

 
  RETENTION PERIOD
RECORD
LOCATION
  Permanent: Academic Records (transcripts) Student Academic Services
  Graduation Lists/Commencement Program Archives
  University Catalogs Archives
  Time Schedules Archives
  Continuing Education Bulletins Archives
  Degree Statistics Info & Data Management
  Grade Statistics Info & Data Management
  Demographic/Racial/Ethnic Statistics Info & Data Management
  Enrollment Statistics

Student Academic Services

  Change of Grade Form Electronic Storage
  Class Lists/Original Grade Sheets Electronic Storage
     
  RETENTION PERIOD
RECORD
LOCATION
  10 years: Course Syllabi Schools
     
  RETENTION PERIOD
RECORD
LOCATION
  7 years: Non-graduated students

Student Academic Services  
     
  RETENTION PERIOD
RECORD
LOCATION
  5 years: Veteran Administration Records Student Academic Services
  Inactive CE Adjunct Faculty Files

Schools

  Registration Withdrawal Forms SAS/DH 150 (behind stage)
  Registration Forms SAS/DH 150 (behind stage)
  Registration Petitions SAS/DH 150 (behind stage)
  Individual Class Schedule

Electronic and SAS/DH 150

  Change of grade forms Student Academic Services
  Grade sheets(w/professor's signature) Student Academic Services
  Credit By Exam Forms SAS/DH 150 (behind stage)
  Pass/Fail Requests SAS/DH 150 (behind stage)
  Audit Authorizations SAS/DH 150 (behind stage)
  Change of Course (Add/Drop) SAS/DH 150 (behind stage)
     
  RETENTION PERIOD
RECORD
LOCATION
  4 years after date of
  last attendance:		 Academic Action Authorizations Student Academic Services  
  Acceptance Letters Student Academic Services  
  Advanced Placement Records Student Academic Services  
  Application for Admission Student Academic Services  
  Application for Graduation Student Academic Services  
  Re-application for Admission Student Academic Services  
  Correspondence, relevant Student Academic Services  
  Curriculum Change Authorization Student Academic Services  
  Degree Audit Records Student Academic Services  
  Diploma Information-acknowledgement Student Academic Services  
  Entrance Examination Reports (ACT/SAT) Student Academic Services  
  Foreign Student Forms Student Academic Services  
  Graduation Authorizations Student Academic Services  
  I-20 (certificate of eligibility for F-1 visa status) Student Academic Services  
  Military Documents Student Academic Services  
  Name Change Authorizations

Student Academic Services  
  Placement Scores Student Academic Services  
  Letters of Recommendation Student Academic Services  
  Statement of Educational Costs (Int'l Students) Student Academic Services  
  Statement of Financial Responsibility (Int'l) Student Academic Services  
  Subpoenas Student Academic Services  
  Test Scores Student Academic Services  
  *Transcripts (high school & transfer) Student Academic Services  
  Transfer credit evaluations Student Academic Services  
  Written Request for Confidentiality Student Academic Services
     
  RETENTION PERIOD
RECORD
LOCATION
  3 years: Withdrawal Authorizations SAS/DH 150(behind stage)
  Pass/No Credit Authorizations SAS/DH 150(behind stage)
  Catalog/Time Schedule Changes Student Academic Services
  Admitted but never registered Student Academic Services  
  Admitted, withdrew before quarter began Student Academic Services
  *The 85-15% ratio of non-vet/vet students Student Academic Services
  Loose Credentials Student Academic Services  
  **Denied or file never completed Student Academic Services  
   

* Required by VA Regulation #14201

 
** For IRS purposes, for tax-exempt status for private institutions, records of applicants who apply and don't enter must be retained for three years.
     
  RETENTION PERIOD
RECORD
LOCATION
  3 years from date of
  required disclosure: 		Crime Statistics/Security Report Safety & Security
  SRK Graduation/Completion, Transfer-Out Data Info & Data Management
  Athletic Participation/EADA Documents Athletics
     
  RETENTION PERIOD
RECORD
LOCATION
  2 years after
  graduation:		 Academic Action Authorizations Student Academic Services 
  Acceptance Letters Student Academic Services  
  Advanced Placement Records Student Academic Services  
  Application for Admission Student Academic Services  
  Application for Graduation Student Academic Services  
  Re-application for Admission Student Academic Services  
  Correspondence, relevant Student Academic Services 
  Curriculum Change Authorization Student Academic Services 
  Degree Audit Records Student Academic Services 
  Diploma Information-acknowledgement Student Academic Services 
  Entrance Examination Reports/Scores Student Academic Services 
  Foreign Student Forms Student Academic Services 
  Graduation Authorizations Student Academic Services 
  I-20 (certificate of eligibility for F-1 visa status) Student Academic Services 
  Military Documents Student Academic Services 
  Name Change Authorizations Student Academic Services
  Placement Scores Student Academic Services 
  Letters of Recommendation Student Academic Services 
  Statement of Educational Costs
(Int'l Students) 		Student Academic Services 
  Statement of Financial Responsibility (Int'l) Student Academic Services  
  Subpoenas Student Academic Services 
  Test Scores Student Academic Services  
  ***Transcripts (high school & transfer) Student Academic Services  
  Transfer credit evaluations Student Academic Services  
  Written Request for Confidentiality Student Academic Services


*** Some documents from institutions in other countries may be originals and therefore difficult or impossible for the applicant to replace. May want to return documents to applicant, rather than destroy when retention period is over.


Note: Records which have been contested should never be destroyed unless the ability to reconstruct them in legally acceptable form is preserved
     
  RETENTION PERIOD
RECORD
LOCATION
  1 year after graduation
  or last date of
  attendance:		 Student's Class Schedules Electronic
  Pass/No Credit Approvals Electronic
     
  1 year after date
  submitted:		 Credit/no credit approvals Electronic
  Audit Authorization Electronic
  Changes of Course (Add/Drop) Electronic
     
  1 year: Transcript Requests (student initiated) Electronic
  Enrollment Verification Requests
(keep paper requests for 3 months)		 Electronic


NOTE: The IRS requires that private schools retain copies of all admission and scholarship brochures, catalogs, and advertising materials for a period of three years beginning with the year after compilation or acquisition.


NOTE: The IRS requires that private schools maintain records of scholarship and of other financial assistance to indicate that the awards were made on a racially nondiscriminatory basis and that such records be retained for a period of three years beginning with the year after compilation or acquisition.


POLICY STATEMENT : This records retention schedule reflects federal, state, AACRAO and institutional guidelines. Documents which have a life of 80 years, and if the 80 years have been exceeded, will be forwarded to SPU Archives which will determine the final disposition of the documents--i.e. those of historical value may be kept by the Archives beyond the 80 year limit. Documents with a shorter life span (10 or fewer years), will be destroyed once its retention period has expired.

 

__________________________________
Copyright © 2005Seattle Pacific University.
General Information: (206) 281-2000
Student Academic Services: (206) 281-2031
sasinfo@spu.edu