Student Records Access for Success
This paper provides an overview of student records issues, from an accreditor and regional compacts perspective.
Student records, and specifically academic transcripts, are the traditional record of a student’s completed coursework and their earned credential at an educational institution. Transcripts can serve as proof and a signal to potential employers and other educational institutions that a student has engaged in certain learning activities and obtained knowledge in given areas. Though it might seem like a transcript is only of critical importance to an individual, such records are also of great importance to many others who have students’ and broader interests in mind.
Early in 2021, staff members from HLC, the U.S. Department of Education and the regional compacts — the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC), the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) — met to discuss students’ access to their records as a matter of student success. Three concerns were identified: student access to transcripts when there are financial or administrative holds placed on student accounts at institutions; access to student records when an institution closes; and the future of student records access.
HLC and the regional compacts have continued to discuss and study the topic of transcript holds and closed school records. The issues surrounding transcript holds and closed school records have received ever greater attention in light of supporting student success since the pandemic. Because of the many ways the pandemic caused a re-thinking of business as usual, changes to transcript holds became a policy and process initiative at the federal, state, and institutional levels.
The definition of student success for this paper includes enrolling in and completing a postsecondary education, transferring between institutions, earning licensure, securing employment, qualifying for military service, and other scenarios that vary by student.
This paper provides an overview of student records issues, from an accreditor and regional compacts perspective. It includes recent legislative and policy actions at the federal and state levels as well as practitioner solutions and tools for institutions created by regional compacts, institutions, and other organizations. Resources are provided for those working at the institutional level as well as at the state or federal policy level to help students succeed.
