Please note: This is NOT the most current catalog.

Academic Record

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 the Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising.

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 compliance with The U.S. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974.

Corrections of errors on the academic record must be reported to the registrar. If students believe a grade entry on the academic record is incorrect, they must bring the concern to the registrar's attention within one year of the grade's official posting.

Questions concerning transcripts and academic records should be directed to the Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising.

CATALOG

The St. Olaf College Academic Catalog is available only on the college's Web site and is updated once each year by August 15. Students must meet the graduation requirements outlined in the catalog for the academic year in which they first enter St. Olaf as degree candidates. Academic regulations and procedures as they apply to students may change during a student’s time at St. Olaf, but graduation requirements remain those in effect at the time of entry.

FAMILY educational rights and privacy act (ferpa)

St. Olaf protects student academic records in accordance with the U.S. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act 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. St. Olaf discloses information from a student's education records to parent(s)/guardian(s) if the student has authorized disclosure of education records to the student's parent(s)/guardian(s), or if the student's parent(s)/guardian(s) claim(s) the student as a dependent for federal tax purposes. 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. Further information concerning St. Olaf College procedures in compliance with FERPA is available on the Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising Web site.

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-the-major course requirement, it tells students where they stand relative to graduation at a given moment. Students should immediately report an error found on a degree audit to the registrar. The student alone is responsible for understanding and meeting degree requirements.

Students and their advisors have immediate access to the degree audit online and may print a copy of it at any time.

Like transcripts, degree audits are private documents. The Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising cannot provide copies to third parties inside or outside of the college, including to other students acting as proxies or parents, without express permission of the student. 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 Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

ENROLLMENTS AND DEGREE VERIFICATIONS

The Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising 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.

The National Student Clearinghouse, a repository for enrollment information for most colleges and universities in the U.S.A., is authorized as the College's agent for providing enrollment and degree verifications. Potential employers or background screening firms may request a verification on a student. Students may access enrollment verification or proof of full-time enrollment for health insurance, scholarship, or other purposes. Instructions may be found on the Registrar's Web site.

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 from the Student Information System (SIS), accessible via the registrar’s Web site in three formats: official transcripts, unofficial transcripts, and degree audits. Students may print their own unofficial transcripts and degree audits.

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. See the Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising Web site for current transcript fees and rush fee. 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 Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising will accept a faxed request for an official transcript. The release of an official transcript will be denied to students who have outstanding financial obligations to the College. Contact the Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising [507-786-3015, fax 507-786-3210, e-mail: registrar@stolaf.edu)] to be informed of the steps.

A copy of the transcript may be released only upon the written consent of the individual student or in compliance with the U.S. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. Parents may not receive student transcripts independent of the student’s written request unless approved in advance by the registrar in consultation with the dean of students. St. Olaf’s transcript/records policy is administered in accordance with FERPA.