Instructors and academic units are responsible for maintaining records of student work and grade books, as follows:
Instructors and academic units should either return submitted student work to the student, or retain it for 30 days after grades for the class are posted to the student’s transcript. This provides students the opportunity to retrieve or review their work, as appropriate.
After 30 days, any retained student work may be discarded securely (following applicable University document-destruction procedures).
A student may request that retained student work be retained until 30 days into the next semester (not including summer, so a request in the spring would require a unit to hold the work until 30 days into the following fall semester). A student must make this request to the instructor no later than the last day of instruction for the class.
Instructors must maintain the privacy of student work and follow FERPA, Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA), and University policy in retaining and returning student work as documented in Administrative Policy: Managing Student Records.
Academic units must retain grade books or their equivalents for a minimum of one year or, if a grade is appealed, until the end of the appeal. Instructors leaving the University must give all grading records to the department.
This policy is not applicable to the Duluth Campus.
Reason for Policy
To comply with state and federal law regarding data privacy and to establish a reasonable time period after the end of a term during which students are able to retrieve or view their work while recognizing the physical storage space limitations in units.
Procedures
There are no procedures associated with this policy.
Forms/Instructions
There are no forms associated with this policy.
Appendices
There are no appendices associated with this policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this policy apply to online classes or student work submitted electronically?
Yes. Work may be returned electronically or stored electronically to meet the requirements of this policy.
Minor changes to improve clarity including linking to a related policy and procedure to help instructors better understand how to return student work properly.
Added FAQ to provide guidance on returning student work in accordance with this policy.
Amended:
January 2017 - Comprehensive Review, Minor Revision. 1. Clarifies obligations when work has been returned earlier than the 30-day requirement for retention. 2. Revise to use “course” and “class” clearly in policy. 3. Title Change: Maintaining Course Records changed to Maintaining Records of Student Work.