Student Records Management Principles

Student Records Management Principles

1The University's expectation is that all student data systems, where possible, will be based within the SITS system. Any subsidiary student data bases created for other purposes must be notified to the York St John University's Data Controller and the creation of these sub-databases shall follow the Student Records Management Principles.

2In line with University information security policies, student data on SITS will be protected appropriately, given its sensitive nature. For example, the University would not expect student data to be downloaded out of SITS onto USB memory sticks.

3Full Admissions records will be maintained for the current session's admissions round and the previous admissions round in the student application (MAS) section of SITS.

4Admissions records older than two full years will be migrated to a Microsoft Access database where they will be retained for research purposes. Personal data identifying addresses beyond the postcode, personal statements and references will be deleted.

5If Admissions and Marketing wish to retain any data gathered from admission forms for marketing purposes, permission must be specifically sought from the applicants and the information transferred on that basis to a separate database which should be notified to the University Data Controller.

6For students entering the University, the paper UCAS form will be transferred to the Registry Student Administration Office at the same time as the student record is migrated from the student application section of SITS (MAS) to the student enrolment sections of SITS (SRS and CAMS).

7On enrolment, students will be advised through a student data collection notice of the purposes for which their personal information is collected. This will be accessible at the point of electronic enrolment.

8Students will be given a positive opportunity to opt into the sharing of personal data with the Students' Union. Information about which data items it is proposed to transfer will be shared with the students and only those items of data will be transferred.

9Students will be given a positive opportunity to opt into the sharing of personal, contact data with the Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care team. Information about which data items it is proposed to transfer will be shared with the students and only those items of data will be transferred.

10Live student records will be stored through SITS; biographical and contact information, enrolment and financial registration, module registration and assessment, progression and award. Students will be positively invited to update data at any time via the e:Vision site and will be asked to confirm updated information annually each year at re-enrolment.

11At the time of writing, paper files are held on each current student in the Registry Student Administration Office, to house such information as cannot be contained within the SITS system. Similar files will be maintained in the relevant faculty, in the Finance Office and within Directorate for Learning Development. Such information will be primarily incoming mail and other material not generated through SITS.

12It is intended to move towards an electronic storage method whereby a single, electronic document repository for each student will be attached to the SITS record. It will be the responsibility of Registry, Faculty, Finance Office and Directorate for Learning Development to load material to this facility.

13At the end of a student's period of study at the university, the SITS record will be cleared down to an agreed set of documents which will be retained. These will include a full transcript (or Higher Education Achievement Report) and a personal reference if one has been composed, or such institutional notes compiled for the purpose of writing a reference. This will be done two years after graduation.

14Arrangements will also be made for a skeleton record, based on the transcript (or Higher Education Achievement Report) to be maintained in a parallel system and medium separate from the student record for the purposes or archiving. The medium for such archives may be changed for time to time and as technologies develop, but the aim will be to retain an unbroken and accessible set of student records irrespective of the student record system in use at any time.

15Following the closure of a student career at York St John University, a student will be offered an opportunity to take up a continued connection with York St John University through the alumni record. Data will be transferred to this system automatically at the point of graduation but the University officers responsible for alumni relations will extend an opportunity for a graduate to positively confirm his or her wish to remain on the alumni system within one year.

16The University will facilitate a mechanism for a past student to be able to request further copies of the Transcript or Higher Education Achievement Report to be sent to him or herself personally or to an employer.

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