Cornell University Electronic Student Records Systems Project Report

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Appendix A. Student Record Terminology

Enrollment and Registration are used interchangeably. None of the glossaries in the AACRAO publications cited in Appendix D provide definitions for enrollment or registration. The definitions of these terms as used at Cornell are:

Registration is a "contract between the student and the institution" — the terms are spelled out in the catalog and in other regulations

• Financial contract — financial obligations: tuition, instructors fees, financial aid, loans, work-study payments, bookstore costs, etc.
• Instructional contract — to teach, to learn, to participate, to oversee, etc.

• Institutional contract — provides a learning place, specifies requirements and provides courses to meet requirements, supports the faculty, documents
  (Source: Gwinn, Breakthrough Systems: Student Access and Registration, 1996, p. x-xi)

Academic record:

• a chronological history of a student's entire quantitative and qualitative learning achievement and reflects the basis on which the individual entered and left the institution.
  (Source: AACRAO's Retention of Records, 2000)

• "the institution's official student record on which the courses, grades, and credits are listed; also called education record or transcript."
  (Source: Perkins, Electronic Imaging in Admissions, Records, and Financial Aid Offices, 1996)

• "that internal document or electronic image maintained by the office of the registrar that reflects the unabridged academic history of the student at the institution. It is a chronological listing of the student's total quantitative and qualitative learning experiences and achievements and may include any information pertinent to the evaluation thereof."
  (Source: AACRAO's Academic Record and Transcript Guide, 1996, p. 2)

Student Education Record (Transcript): designed to support appropriate student placement at a student’s next institution but can be used to verify enrollment or meet educational accountability standards (source: AACRAO. Guide to Implementation of Electronic Transcripts and Student Records, 1998)

Student Records: those created to assist the Offices of Admissions, Financial Aid, Records, or the Registrar in their support of basic institutional objectives and include any records with student names, files, documents, and materials in whatever medium, which contain information that identifies a person
(Source: AACRAO's Retention of Records, 2000)

Transcript:

• comes from the early method of transcribing courses and grades by hand
  (Source: Gawkoski in Student Records Management, 1997)

• "The Transcript of the academic record is that document which, at the request of the student or former student, is forwarded to persons or agencies for their use in reviewing the academic performance of the student."
  (AACRAO's Academic Record and Transcript Guide, 1996, p. 3)

• The transcript "of the academic record is the document extracted from the academic record and forwarded to persons or agencies for their use in reviewing the academic performance of the student. It is a legal document which contains the signature of the certifying official, the institutional seal, and the date of issue." Unofficial transcripts should not be signed and be clearly identified as unofficial.
  (Source: Academic Record and Transcript Guide, 2000)

Official Transcript: one that has been received directly from the issuing institution.
(Source: Academic Record and Transcript Guide, 2000)

Degree Audit: "an internal advising document that typically includes both degree and program requirements and also an extract of the academic history of the student." It matches requirements to courses taken.
(Source: Academic Record and Transcript Guide, 2000)

Demonstrated Competencies: nonclassroom experiences for credit
(Source: Academic Record and Transcript Guide, 2000)

Demonstrated Proficiencies: degree program requirements like English, math or foreign language proficiency. Generally not for credit and not included in the transcript.
(Source: Academic Record and Transcript Guide, 2000)

Academic Forgiveness: program begun in the 1960s to assist students returning to higher education after unacceptable previous performance (a.k.a. ‘academic bankruptcy’, ‘begin again’, ‘academic renewal’); all previous grades and courses should appear on the transcript
(Source: AACRAO's Academic Record and Transcript Guide, 1996, p. 12)

EDI: electronic transmission of standard business documents in a predefined format from one company's business computer application to its trading partners’ business computer application
(Source: Student Records Management, 1997, p. 127)

Acronyms