A student's education records are defined under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 as including, subject to the limitations described in the Act, "records, files, documents, and other materials which (1) contain information directly related to a student; and (2) are maintained by an institution or by a party acting for such institution." At the University, a student's education records are often maintained in a number of offices: the Office of the Dean of Students in the student's academic unit, the student's department (if the student is a graduate divisional student), and other offices across campus. A student's official academic record is maintained indefinitely in the Office of the University Registrar.
Policies governing the maintenance, review, and ultimate disposition of students' education are governed by the University record retention policy.
For student records, the retention policy is as follows:
| Type of Record | Retention Policy |
| Admission applications | 5 years from graduation or date of last attendance, 2 years if not enrolled |
| Academic records (transcripts are permanent) | 5 years |
| Career advising | 3 years |
| Discipline records | 5 years from last incident, permanent if involves suspension or expulsion |
| Student affairs, extracurricular activities and athletics | 6 years |
| Housing records | 5 years after graduation or last attendance |
| Financial aid, student loan, and scholarship records | 4 years after later of graduation or payoff |
| Disability accommodation records | 7 years |
| Tuition and expense payment records | 8 years |
Specific questions should be directed to the student’s area Dean of Students.