Student Academic Records Retention-Archival Policy

Registrar's Office

Records Retention Policy

Hood College requires that student education records be kept for specific periods of time. The College’s policy complies with the Maryland Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR), Title 13B - Higher Education Commission, which provides guidelines for the retention and disposal of education records by higher education institutions in Maryland. This policy applies to all education records generated, received, or maintained by Hood College, including but not limited to transcripts, student identification information, enrollment and registration records, and degree progress and conferral information. 

The College maintains the student file records of these student groups for specific periods of time: 

  • Graduated students: 5 years from graduation date 
  • Undergraduate withdrawals: 10 years from the effective date of withdrawal 
  • Graduate withdrawals: 8 years from the matriculation year/term 
  • Academic dismissals: permanently 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. (An "eligible student" under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution at any age.) These rights include: 

  1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day that Hood College receives a request for access. A student should submit to the Registrar a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. 
  1. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. A student who wishes to ask the school to amend a record should write the Registrar, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed and specify why it should be changed. If Hood College decides not to amend the record as requested, the College will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing. 
  1. The right to provide written consent before Hood discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. Hood College discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official typically includes a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the College who performs an institutional service of function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent or a student volunteering to assist another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official typically has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the College. 
  1. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202. 

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