Access Rights

It is the policy of the University of the Pacific to permit students to inspect their education records.

A. Right of Access

Each student has a right of access to his or her education records, except confidential letters of recommendation received prior to January 1, 1975, and financial records of the student’s parents.

B. Waiver

A student may, by a signed writing, waive his or her right of access to confidential recommendations in three areas: admission to any educational institution, job placement, and receipt of honors and awards. The university will not require such waivers as a condition for admission or receipt of any service or benefit. If the student chooses to waive his or her right of access, he or she will be notified, upon written request, of the names of all persons making confidential recommendations. Such recommendations will be used only for the purpose for which they were specifically intended. A waiver may be revoked in writing at any time, and the revocation will apply to all subsequent recommendations, but not to recommendations received while the waiver was in effect.

C. Types of Education Records, Titles of Records Custodians

Please note that all requests for access to records should be routed through the Office of the Registrar.

1. Academic Records: All ongoing academic and biographical records (Registrar)
2. Departments: Miscellaneous records kept vary with the department (Department Chairs)
3. Schools/Colleges: Miscellaneous records (Deans)
4. Residential Life: Students’ housing records (Assistant Dean of Students for Rental Life and Housing)
5. Advisors: Letters of evaluation, personal information sheet, transcript, test scores.
6. Counseling Center: Biographical data, summaries of conversations with students, test results. (Where records are made and used only for treatment purposes, they are not education records and are not subject to this policy) (Director)
7. Financial Aid: Financial aid applications, needs analysis statements, awards made (no student access to parents’ confidential statements) (Director of Financial Aid)
8. Career and Internship Center: Recommendations, unofficial copies of academic records (Director)
9. SUCCESS: Records of academic progress, transcripts (Director)
10. Business Services: All student accounts receivable, records of students’ financial charges, and credits with the University (Bursar)

D. Procedure to be Followed

Requests for access should be made in writing to the Office of the Registrar. The University will comply with a request for access within a reasonable time, at least within 45 days. In the usual case, arrangements will be made for the student to read his or her records in the presence of a staff member. If facilities permit, a student may ordinarily obtain copies of his or her records by paying reproduction costs. The fee for copies is $.25 per page. The University will not provide copies of any transcripts in the student’s records other than the student’s current university transcript. Official university transcripts (with university seal) will be provided at a higher charge.