Procedure for Adding Notations on Official Indiana University Transcripts

Academic units occasionally ask that the Office of the Registrar place notations on the official student transcript. Usually the requests are for a particular academic accomplishment, but some requests are for more general notes.

Academic accomplishments tend to be course- or degree-related, mandated by accrediting agencies, or designations of student accomplishments beyond normal classroom work, such as the recently approved notations on experiential learning. The more general requests often include items deemed more appropriate for a student resume. In order to avoid the potential controversy surrounding requests from academic units for additions to the official university transcript, it seems prudent to establish a uniform policy/procedure for the approval and implementation of such requests.

The student transcript is the official record of the faculty and, as such, should include only those items faculty or academic committees review and approve as appropriate and which meet certain standards of academic rigor set by the faculty. While the Office of the Registrar is certainly in a position to evaluate and recommend action, it seems appropriate that any decision be made in consultation with a university-wide academic body.

It is proposed that the Academic Leadership Council (ALC) be the ultimate approving body for notations which may be appropriate for inclusion on the official transcript. The ALC represents all campuses of Indiana University. As such, the ALC is in a position to require that proposals for notations meet the academic standards, or other criteria required, to rise to the level of notations on official transcripts.

1. Academic units would submit a proposal detailing the rationale and intended outcome for the inclusion of the notation on the transcript. The proposal would address the following questions and be initially submitted to the campus registrar for evaluation:
   • What notation is requested (include proposed wording, if applicable)
   • What is the academic nature/purpose of the request?
   • What is the intended outcome of having the notation reflected on the official transcript?
   • What standards are to be met by the students?
   • What monitoring or final approval processes are in place in the academic unit to ensure that the standards are met?
2. The originating campus registrar would make the preliminary evaluation and arrange for initial consultation with the academic unit making the request.
   • The discussion would include the registrar’s assessment of the appropriateness for inclusion on the official transcript along with suggestions for how such a notation might best be implemented in SIS, if appropriate.
   • After these discussions, the academic unit proposing the notation may elect to withdraw the request or to continue the process.
3. If the academic unit decides to pursue the request, the registrar on the originating campus will ensure that all necessary paperwork has been submitted and, subsequently, will circulate the document among the campus registrars for input and recommendations.
4. Individual campus registrars should consult with appropriate academic and/or administrative bodies on their respective campuses to provide input for a final discussion at a Registrar Council meeting.
5. The Registrar Council will make a recommendation to accept/reject the proposal and include the reasons for such recommendation. If there is not consensus amongst the registrars, that will be noted in the recommendation as well.
6. The original request and Registrar Council recommendations would then be forwarded by the originating campus registrar to the campus chief academic officer, who would have responsibility for presenting the recommendation to the ALC for action.
7. The ALC's action will take the form of a recommendation to the Executive Vice President for disposition of the request.
8. The Office of the Executive Vice President will notify the originating campus chief academic officer and registrar of the final decision. The campus officials will be responsible for implementation and communication to all parties affected.