As a side question: what good would your degree or course credits be if the the school didn't keep records? How would anyone know you completed a course? Or for that matter, how would they know that the courses you completed were actually completed by you? While I believe I know the answer to your question, I'll let someone who is a position to know answer it instead.
I can't really tell you why I'm asking, but I know it seems obvious that there must be. I'm looking for the specific regulation number/section.
It is probably going to come down to a state issue vs. a federal one. In my state you have a state agency who governs community colleges and then another state agency who governs the universities. They are the ones we get our timelines from regarding how long we have to keep records. Sometimes it is 3 years, other times it is 7 or 10 years. It also depends on the document. Duff
Why? What's the big secret? What ethical principle would you be violating; and who would know in any case? With the username "Khan," aren't you here anonymously? Yes, from my very cursory look at it, it seemed that state guidelines apply more so than federal ones. So I guess we need to know the state in question. Obviously, you're not talking about student records. JoAnn's questions come into play at this point. A student could require that a transcript be sent thirty years after getting his/her degree. Colleges and universities -- even high schools -- keep student records virtully forever.
I applied to a school about a decade ago. I received a notice from them last month that they had a hacker, and they have all my personal information (social, DOB, etc.). I called and asked why they still have my information on file, as I never attended the colllege - All I could get was "it is our policy". Khan - As having some bad experiences on this forum, I would decline the interest in your personal information be relevant for the answer ot this post - I would keep it to yourself! DesElms - You may not realaize that people get harrassed here at times, and the less peronsal information on the web, the better.
A "hacker" isn't required in order to get your personal information (DOB, SSN, mother's maiden name, address, addresses for the past x years, employer, education...) that's basic information gathering for a beginning genealogist or PI. A good start to that data collection is written on every check you write. A better start is probably in the garbage you tossed out today. I'm betting, unless they made some agreement with you initially, there is no limit to the amount of time they are allowed to keep your information. That's just a guess on my part though -- best to consult an attorney when you have questions about law...
Of course! If you apply to a given university, said university has a vested interested in knowing whether you've ever applied there before; and, more importantly, whether you rejected them or they rejected you. It's completely unsurprising that they held onto that information; and that they probably will more or less forever. There are untold numbers of ways to convey the information without revealing so much of it that persons or their situations will be identifiable. If there's one thing that being in IT and working with end-users for so many years has taught me, it's that people often aren't asking the right questions to truly get to the bottom of whatever is the problem. While just answering the thread-starting question exactly as asked might do it for the thread-starter, it's likely that if the members here understood the bigger picture, a better and considerably more helpful set of responses would be provided. Also, since I believe that everyone in places like this should always use their real names and stand behind and wear what they write, as I do, I don't have alot of sympathy for the anonymity thing. That said (and before others take my head off here), I recognize that it is everyone's right to do so; and that there can be some compelling reasons why they'd want to. Further, it should be obvious that I harbor no ill will toward people who are here anonymously and I treat everyone the same regardless. But I'm just sayin'. Fiinally, I agree with what Coach Turner said both about hackers not being needed, as well as the time limit. Marketers, universities, grocery stores... whomever... can keep your data as long as they want (barring a contractual agreement to the contrary, of course). But I'm not sure that how long may they keep one's data was the question. The question, it seemed to me, was how long must they do so, no?
I got the impression that the OP was asking the question about how long a school must keep records in order to counter their argument that they could keep the record as long as they have. If that's the case, then the logic is going to turn out faulted. Let's say that there is some ruling that specifies "you must keep records for 5 years" -- that doesn't in itself imply that you can't keep the record 10 years or 20 years; only that you must keep them for 5. I'd expect, but can't quote a requirement, that academic records must be kept in perpetuity and that even if the school folds, there must be some repository for those records. Without such a process, it'd be possible for someone to claim a degree from a defunct college/university knowing in advance that there is no way to verify that credential.
The question is/was: "Is there a specific federal law which specifies that a student record must be kept?" I've checked statute and rule in my state, nada. I've checked the Federal Code of regulations: http://www.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/cfrassemble.cgi?title=200334 but was swamped. I was hoping someone may just know it off the top of their head. Hey, I took a shot.
I was at the NCA website not so long ago and you are correct; when a school folds, the accreditation agency appoints someone else (usually another school) to keep records.
Well, then... let's see if I can help make it pay off. You seem like a nice enough guy. Because of the Federal Family Education Loan program (FFEL), some pretty serious record keeping (and maintaining over time) requirements exist, as can be appreciated by only cursory examination of U.S. C.F.R. Title 34, Volume 3, Part 682, for example... just to name one. You may (and the operative word, here, is "may" because I have not looked it up myself) find either what you seek, or a reference thereto, in: The Records Disposal Act of 1943 (44 U.S.C. 366-380, or possibly elsewhere therein); and/or, the Federal Property Management Regulations (41 CFR parts 101-111, or possibly elsewhere therein); and/or, what the U.S. C.F.R refers to variously as its recommended and/or required "Records Control Schedules" for student records Just FYI: A cogent example of a community college's records management policy (in which would typically be specified how, when and/or under what circumstances records can or should be destroyed) may be viewed by clicking here (.DOC file). And here, for example, is the Massachusetts Dept of Education's regulation regarding the destruction of student records; or here, for example, is the Oregon University System's general student records retention schedule for different types of records, just to give you a feel for it. Others may be found by typing precisely this: +"student records" +destruction OR retention OR maintenance into the Google search box and pressing the [Enter] key on your computer keyboard. You may also find indirect references to what you seek in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA... sometimes called the "Buckley Amendment") in 20 U.S.C. sec. 1232g, starting at 34 CFR Part 99. And, as Ted points out, an institution's accreditor may impose upon it certain record keeping and retention requirements which may exceed those specified by law. I suspect, in fact, that that's the case... in which case, if so, there is no federal code to cite but, rather, only an accreditor's policy. Hope that helps.
