Please note: This is NOT the most current catalog.
Records/Policies
ACADEMIC RECORDS
A permanent academic record of courses and grades
is prepared for each student who registers in the regular academic programs
of St. Olaf College. An unabridged transcript of this record is maintained
in a vault in the Registrar's Office.
Upon graduation or withdrawal from the college, a student's
academic record continues to be stored on a permanent basis at the college
with a second copy deposited out of state.
A copy of the permanent record may be released only upon
the written consent of the individual student or in conjunction with
"Academic Records," and "Transcripts of Academic Records"
defined in The Book, available online at http://www.stolaf.edu/stulife/thebook.
Corrections of errors on the academic record must be reported to the
registrar within one year.
Questions concerning transcripts and academic records
should be directed to the Registrar's Office.
Procedures affecting St. Olaf's academic records are in
accordance with the U.S. Family Privacy Law of 1974.
FAMILY PRIVACY LAW: ACADEMIC RECORDS
St. Olaf protects student academic records in accordance
with the U.S. Family Privacy Law of 1974. Permanent records may be released
only upon the written consent of the student. While the college does
not send grade reports to parents or guardians, such information can
be made available to eligible individuals upon special request. The
provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
prohibit the college from releasing grades or other information about
academic standing to parents unless the student has released such information
in writing, or unless the student is a dependent as defined by FERPA.
(Essentially, a student is considered a dependent if he or she is legitimately
claimed as such on the parent's most recent IRS income tax form, or
if the parent(s) is paying a portion of the student's college expenses.)
Forms are available in the Office of the Dean of Students for parents
who request this information. Further information concerning St. Olaf
College procedures in compliance with FERPA is available in The Book,
available online at http://www.stolaf.edu/stulife/thebook,
and from the Office of the Dean of Students.
CATALOG
The St. Olaf College Academic Catalog or the Catalog
Supplement is published once each year. Students must meet the graduation
requirements outlined in this catalog in the year they first enter St.
Olaf as degree candidates. Academic regulations and procedures as they
apply to students may change during their time at St. Olaf, but graduation
requirements remain those in effect at the time of entry.
CERTIFICATIONS
The Registrar's Office certifies many forms including
insurance forms and student loan papers. Certifications requiring the
release of a grade point average or rank in class must be accompanied
by a written request from the student. Facts of public record are confirmed
without written request. These include dates of attendance, graduation
and major.
DEGREE AUDITS
A degree audit is a computerized review of a student's
course transcript matched against the college's requirements for a degree.
Except for progress in the major, the senior residency requirement,
six courses with grades of C or higher in the major and the 21-outside-course
requirement, it tells the student where he/she stands relative to graduation
at a given moment.
Students should report an error found on a degree audit
to the registrar immediately. The student alone is responsible for understanding
and meeting degree requirements.
Students have immediate access to their degree audits on the Web and
may print a copy of it at any time. Along with the deans and other academic
officers, advisers and students may request printed audits on a need-to-know
basis.
Copies of the degree audit are available to students free
of charge on a next-day basis at the registrar's window. Students must
pick them up in person by presenting a picture identification and signing
a receipt.
Like transcripts, degree audits are private documents.
The Registrar's Office cannot provide copies to third parties inside
or outside of the college, including to other students acting as proxies.
As is the case with all academic records, St. Olaf's procedures regarding
student degree audits are administered in compliance with the U.S. Family
Privacy Law of 1974.
CURRICULUM AND EDUCATIONAL POLICY COMMITTEE
The curriculum and educational policy committee
(CEPC) is a standing faculty committee. In addition to its curricular
policy responsibilities, the CEPC:
- Establishes academic regulations, recommends procedures
and sets deadlines on the college calendar.
- Hears and acts upon student petitions for exceptions
and adjustments to academic regulations, deadlines and fees. Decisions
of the CEPC are final and subject to no further appeal.
Students have the right to appeal petitions denied or
fees assigned by the registrar to the committee by re-submitting the
petition to the registrar. If the committee has completed business for
the semester or year, decisions may be delayed over a vacation break
or summer. Decisions made by the committee are final.
FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
Permission to register, as well as the release of
an official transcript or a diploma, will be denied to students who
have outstanding financial obligations to the college. Questions should
be directed to the Business Office.
ACADEMIC HANDLING FEES
The Registrar's Office assigns a handling fee for
special services such as late registrations, late course adds or drops
and other changes in registration or appeals done by petition. Petition
forms are available from the registrar. Students may appeal the fee
to the curriculum and educational policies committee by resubmitting
the petition to the registrar. Decisions of the committee are final.
If the student submits an appeal after the committee has finished business
for the semester or year, a decision may be delayed until after a vacation
or summer break.
PETITIONS
Students may petition for waivers to academic regulations,
fees and college deadlines at any time during the regular academic year.
Petition forms are available from, and returnable to, the Registrar's
Office. A student will be notified through his/her mailbox when a petition
has been acted on and is ready for pick-up at the registrar's window.
In cases where a petition is denied, or a fee charged
by the registrar, the student may appeal to the curriculum and educational
policies committee by resubmitting the original petition to the registrar.
Petition forms must be completed in full with appropriate
faculty signatures where applicable. The petition form must be accompanied
by a written explanation setting forth the circumstances of the student's
case under petition/appeal.
REFUND POLICY (WITHDRAWALS)
Tuition and fee refunds for anyone leaving within
five weeks after the beginning date of any semester will be determined
according to the following scale:
One week or less 90% refund
Two weeks or less 80% refund
Three weeks or less 60% refund
Four weeks or less 40% refund
Five weeks or less 20% refund
Over five weeks no refund
Students who enroll for the year but who elect to omit
an Interim are not entitled to a refund of Interim tuition and room.
Students not participating in an Interim program are eligible for an
Interim board refund through application at the Business Office. If
a student drops a performance studies course (lesson) after the first
day of class, no refund of music lesson fees is made.
TRANSCRIPTS
The transcript is a complete and unabridged course
record. In addition to courses and grades, the transcript reports the
grade point average. The student's rank in class along with major, honors
or other distinctions are recorded on the transcript once they are fixed
immediately prior to commencement.
Transcripts of the academic record are available in three
formats: official transcripts, unofficial transcripts and transcript/degree
audits. Unofficial transcripts and transcript/degree audits are available
to current students free of charge on a next-day basis at the Registrar's
Office. They are issued on plain paper and do not bear the raised seal
or the imprimatur of the college. They must be received in person. Picture
identification is required.
Upon written request, official transcripts may be received
in person, by mail or sent to third parties. Official transcripts are
printed on college-designed paper with appropriate signatures for $3.00
per copy. Only official transcripts can be mailed. Regardless of a student's
location on or off campus telephone requests for transcripts
cannot be accepted under any condition. Under special conditions, the
Registrar's Office will accept a faxed request for an official transcript:
contact the office [(507) 646-3015, fax (507) 646-3210, e-mail: registrar@stolaf.edu)]
to be informed on the steps.
A copy of the transcript may be released only upon the written consent
of the individual student, or in conjunction with "Academic Records
and Transcripts" defined in The Book, http://www.stolaf.edu/stulife/thebook.
For example, faculty advisers receive issues of the transcript/degree
audit each year but, along with deans and other academic officers, may
request them at other times. Parents may not receive student transcripts
independent of the student's written request unless approved in advance
by the dean of students.
Current students can have access to their transcripts
through St. Olaf's pages on the World Wide Web.
St. Olaf's transcript/records policy is administered in
accordance with the U.S. Family Privacy Law
of 1974.
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