Academic Catalog 2010-2011 - Union Presbyterian Seminary

Union Presbyterian Seminary Academic Catalog 2010-2011financial aid and grants. This financial information is available to the student’s faculty advisor, the president,and the deans.The dean of students maintains a file on each Presbyterian student who may be seeking ordination to ministryof Word and Sacrament. Included in these files are Committee on Preparation for Ministry (CPM) annual reviews,a release form from the student, and other CPM-related materials. These files are destroyed after the student hasgraduated or withdrawn from Union Presbyterian Seminary.PROCEDURESThe Office of Supervised Ministry and Vocational Planning (SMVPO) maintains a file of each student’s evaluations,records, correspondence, and other documentation pertinent to supervised ministry, vocational planning, andthe seeking of a call beyond graduation. Student records are protected at all times and stored in secured files.SMVPO protects the student’s right to authorize release of supervised ministry reports to committees on preparationfor ministry or denominational committees of oversight for candidates. Information in student files is availableto appropriate faculty and staff members at Union Presbyterian Seminary for purposes deemed legitimate by theSMVPO director.The SMVPO director will weigh deliberately and carefully the implications for all parties in seeking and releasingwritten or verbal information about students. Such information will be treated in a confidential manner by allparties. SMVPO recognizes that other principles may at times supersede the need for confidentiality, and in suchcases will be informed by legal and denominational rules and guidelines.Portfolio-based student assessment files are maintained by the students and their faculty advisors. When student assessmentinformation is being retrieved for purposes of institutional program evaluation, personally identifiableinformation is removed; otherwise, these files are available only on a need-to-know basis.Students may see any of their own files upon request and, by written permission, may grant access to their filesto other parties. The files are open only to the persons specified. If a student wishes to challenge the accuracy ofthe records held in the files of Union Presbyterian Seminary, a written request should be sent to the president orto the student’s academic dean. The president, the dean, or the vice president for administration will respond. Ifthe student continues to challenge the accuracy of the records, the student’s complaint will be referred to theBoard of Trustees. A hearing will be scheduled at which legal counsel is permitted. A decision by the Board ofTrustees on the matter will be conclusive and final.Transcript RequestsEnrolled students, former students, and alumni/ae may request in writing that the registrar send an academictranscript or copies of academic evaluations to designated persons or institutions. Ordinarily, student recordsare mailed within one week of receipt of such requests.For currently enrolled students, transcript transmission is offered as a free service. A $5 fee per transcript is chargedfor expedited orders (to be sent within 24 hours), and a $2 fee per page is added if FAX transmission is required.For former students and alumni/ae, transcript transmission is offered for a $5 fee per transcript. A $10 fee pertranscript is charged for expedited orders, and a $2 fee per page is added if FAX transmission is required.Grades and transcripts are issued only when the student’s financial obligations to Union Presbyterian Seminaryhave been met, as certified by the Business Office. Union Presbyterian Seminary does not provide or send copiesof student transcripts from other institutions.Grades are ordinarily e-mailed to the student’s Union Presbyterian Seminary email address.4-10