Best Practices and Trends in
Academic Records and Transcripts
• Ed Lee, Associate Registrar, UW-Stevens Point
• Heather Soleim, Associate Registrar, Minnesota State University
Moorhead
• KristiWold-McCormick, Registrar, North Dakota State University
Session Goals
 Identify issues, challenges and trends related to the academic
transcript, specifically those that impact GPA, credits and
honor points
 Consider the increasing pressures from institutional
administration and state/federal government that influence
business practices
 Discuss the role of the registrar in preserving
and protecting the integrity of the record and
time-tested professional practices
Specific Focus
 Joint Programs
 Study Abroad
 Retroactive Grade Changes
 Post-Degree Courses, Majors, Degrees
 Transfer Coursework
 Repeated Coursework
 Posthumous Degrees
 Non-academic Suspension
Joint Programs
 Definition for this session: Programs that share courses and faculty
between two or more campuses. Students take coursework concurrently or
alternately in pursuit of degree or credential.
 Increasing pressures for partnerships and collaborations
 Record Considerations:
 Are credits from partner institutions considered transfer or
institutional?
 Example NDSU MPH Program
 Must stay abreast of state and federal policies, and accreditation
guidelines which change and may impact such programs.
Study Abroad
 Various models
 Study Abroad v. Institutional Study Tour
 Use of placeholder course/credits while student is abroad
 Differences in record handling when students return:
 International coursework later recorded as transfer
 Record international credits as institutional coursework
 Are credits earned considered transfer or resident credit?
 Impacts for financial aid with different models
Retroactive Grade Changes
 Questions to Ponder:
 Is there an institutional policy? Is it enforced?
 Is there a moratorium? Are there exceptions?
 Impacts on prior term academic standing (eg., suspension,
probation, dean’s list)
 How far back are adjustments made on a record?
 Grade change requests after a degree is posted
 If allowed, are honors and degree GPA recalculated and updated?
Courses Taken After a Degree
 Students who return for additional courses at the same level
(eg., UGRD, GRAD career)
 Considerations:
 Cumulative stats restart or continue to accrue?
 If pursuing another degree, are first degree course credits/
honors points calculated into second degree totals?
 Can they repeat? – addressed later
Transfer Coursework
Include more than one type of GPA on a transcript
 Possible Combinations
 Institutional
 Institutional plus transfer
 Program specific
 SAP Impacts
 Plus/Minus and AB/BC etc. grading – how institutions convert
 Challenges/Confusion by students, others
 Academic policies need to be clear in which GPA is used
Transfer Coursework
Include in Graduation with Honors Calculation
 Domestic and international transfer credit included or not
 Different grading scales converted to match institution or use
transferring institutions’ honor points
 International interpretations differ according to evaluator –
How do we reconcile?
 Credit Limits – Is there a limit if transfer credits are included?
 Institutional credit – Do students need a minimum amount of
resident credit?
Coursework Repeated in Transfer
Repeated Courses
 Repeats from Multiple Institutions – Is all the credit brought in
or are repeats checked across institutions?
 Follow transferring institutions policies or home institution
policies when bringing in repeated courses?
 Courses Repeated After an Attempt at Home Institution
 Allow Home Course to be Excluded from GPA?
Repeat Policies
Institutional Repeat Policy
 Which Attempts are Recorded
 Last attempt
 Best attempt
 All attempts
 Other Variations
Repeat Policies
Repeated coursework after degrees are posted
 Policy Regarding Repeat After Degree
 Is it allowed? If not, how is it caught/stopped?
 Processed like regular repeat or in another manor?
 Does the GPA Change?
 Degree blocks with GPA
 Cumulative change
 Notations
Repeat Policies
New SAP Regulations on Repeats and Attempted Credits
 Students No Longer Receive Aid for More than Two
Attempts at a Course
 Administered in Records or Financial Aid
 Change policy
 Notations on Transcript
Awarding of Posthumous Degrees
 Process or Policy? More schools adopting one.
 UWSP Model:
 Recommendation by Major Department Chair
 Approval/Recommendation by Dean
 Graduation Analysis conducted by Registration &
Records (Waive any missing major or GDR requirements)
 Notify Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs of analysis
(Registrar contact VC on total credits toward graduation)
 Approval to grant degree: Provost/Vice Chancellor of
Academic Affairs
 Graduation application completed by Graduation
Auditor
Awarding of Posthumous Degrees
 NDSU Model:
 A student must have been in good standing and enrolled at the time of
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death (or enrollment interrupted by injury, illness, deployment);
Requirements for residency must have been satisfied;
Undergraduates within two semesters (30 credits or 75% ) of degree;
Graduate students must have completed adequate progress toward a
disquisition (or within 75%) of degree (must be verified);
Anybody may suggest a candidate for posthumous degree to a Dean,
who recommends to Provost, who submits to President for approval;
If approved, Dean notifies registrar and student’s immediate family;
Family may participate in commencement; Statement "awarded
posthumously" printed on academic record; Financial debt is waived;
Exceptions to minimum requirements considered in special cases
Awarding of Posthumous Degrees
 Issues
 Does student need to be a certain classification
 Popularity drives the decision
 Other options
 Provide a certificate of Graduation
Transcripts
(non-academic suspensions)
 AACRAO recommends not to notate such actions on
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transcript
Background (UW system internal registration holds)
Taking this notification public
UW campuses in WI required to post
Dean of students office or equivalent
 Custodian of the record
 Registrar’s office will add the notation after the last term
 Chapter UWS 17, Wis. Admin. Code, Nonacademic
Misconduct Suspension from (mo/day/yr.) to (mo/day/yr).
Transcripts
(non-academic suspensions)
 The Deans office is responsible to notify registrar that
suspension has expired and remove notation.
 System(UW) felt it was important for campuses to
communicate this info to all institutions of higher ed.
 NDSU currently puts statement on record,
 Typically not removed; discussions underway
 MSUM puts statement on record
 MSUM removes after suspension served
Thank you!
 Questions/Discussion
 Contact
Ed.Lee@uwsp.edu
heather.soleim@mnstate.edu
k.wold-mccormick@ndsu.edu