Record Retention

1.1 The Graduate School complies with state and federal regulations and professional practice standards in matters of records retention policies and procedures. For purposes of this policy, please note that the Graduate School maintains records related to students. We may choose to maintain records beyond the minimum retention requirement.

1.2 All records created or received by Graduate School programs are the property of the Graduate School and must be retained and disposed of in accordance with this policy. Under Tennessee regulations, records, regardless of storage medium, may be disposed of provided that the minimum retention period stated below has elapsed and the Graduate School does not need the records for future administrative, legal, research/historical, or fiscal purposes. No documents should be destroyed during the pendency of threatened or active litigation, when a litigation hold has been issued by the Office of Legal Services or if any pending or actual federal, state or other audit is being conducted.

1.3 Unless authorized by the Dean, Graduate School records must be stored on Graduate School premises. Student records are kept in either a locked, fireproof file cabinet or within locked file cabinets in locked offices. Records are also stored electronically on a secure platform whenever possible.

1.4 Whenever possible, administrative staff members should ensure that records are backed up appropriately.

1.5 The Graduate School follows the disaster recovery plan outlined in the Assurance Management – Disaster Recovery Standard Policy.

1.6 The Graduate School must implement practices that protect confidential information contained in Graduate School records in accordance with relevant laws and the Graduate School’s Protection of Student Data Policy. These practices must be applied in the preservation, maintenance, and disposal of confidential paper and electronic records.

PROCEDURE

2.1 Review of Records

2.1.1 The Registrar (or designee) is responsible for performing, at least annually, a review to determine the value or usefulness of the Graduate School’s records. During this review, the Registrar (or designee) should identify all records that have met their relevant retention period (time in office plus time in storage) and are no longer needed for any purpose identified in this policy. The Registrar (or designee) must designate each record as either an historical document archives or a document ready for destruction.

2.2 Maintenance of Records

2.2.1 The Graduate School has internal procedures for addressing security breaches to protect Graduate School information (including student records).

2.2.2 Information and reports retained permanently in the aggregate:

Graduation lists
Enrollment statistics
Degree statistics
Schedules of classes

Requests for disclosures of student privacy information

	Student Records	Minimum Retention Period:
	Academic Catalog	Permanently
Academic	Entrance exam	5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Admission correspondence	3 years after application term
	Admissions - completed international files *	Permanently
	Acceptance letter	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Application - admitted and enrolled	5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Application - admitted and not enrolled	3 years after decision to admit
	Applications - not admitted	3 years after decision not to admit
	Applications - incomplete	1 year after application term
	Waivers for rights to view letter of recommendation	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	International student documents (I-20, employment authorization, passport, I-94, statement of financial responsibility, statement of educational costs) *	Permanently
	Information pertaining to appeals - grades	Permanently
	Intent to graduate	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Application to graduate	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Advising records	6 years after graduation or date of last interaction
	Correspondence and catalogs for non-credit courses	3 years
	Rosters and payments for non-credit courses	7 years unless longer by contract
	Registration forms (drop/add rolls, scheduling forms)	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Name change and address change authorizations	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Documentation of request and approval/ denial of accommodations	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Advance placement, waivers, transfer credit approvals, experiential credit approvals	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Transfer credit requests that are rejected	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Correspondence related to enrollment and degree verification	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Correspondence grade reports	Permanently
	Correspondence related to student privacy disclosures or student consent for disclosure	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Correspondence not related to academic progress or student privacy disclosure	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Final grade rolls	Permanently
	Final Graduate School transcript	Permanently
	Transcripts from other colleges	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Transcript translation service evaluation of transcript from outside US	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Degree audits	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Supplemental grade changes	Permanently
	Grade change forms	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Documentation for leave of absence	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Documentation related to attendance	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Documentation related to satisfactory academic progress	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Request for withdrawal	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Withdrawal authorization	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Hospital agreement	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Student media consent	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Mentorship agreements	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
Programmatic	Satisfactory academic progress letters (each semester)	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Program documentation of completion of all degree requirements	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Completion of responsible conduct in research training	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Graduate School awards or recognitions	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Official list of committee members and changes	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Bi-annual student progress report	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Lab rotation agreements	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Qualifying exam	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Grant submission	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Dissertation	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Thesis committee records- thesis committee agreement form, final approval of thesis form	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Student meeting minutes	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Thesis committee meeting forms, confirming date of each required thesis committee meeting	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
Student Accounts	Annual stipend letters	5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Grants and awards, with stipend and supply supplements	5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Annual tuition and subsidiary ledger	5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
Student Affairs	Information pertaining to student conduct or violations of student conduct policy	Permanently
	Information pertaining to appeals - dismissals	Permanently
	Complaints and related documents (investigatory documents, statement of the matter’s disposition)	7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Code of conduct policy and signature	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
	Honor board pledge and signature	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance
Registrar	Education and enrollment verification request	1 year after graduation
	Certificate of good standing	1 year after graduation
	Record access requests	1 year after graduation
	Transcript request	1 year after graduation
	Diploma request	1 year after graduation
Miscellaneous	Military records (including Veterans’ records)	3 years after graduation or date of last attendance

* If a student wishes, these documents may be returned to them.