Notations on Official IU 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, such as notations for experiential learning, international experiences, internships or capstone research projects, 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.

Purpose

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. The Office of the Registrar may evaluate and recommend action, though decisions must ultimately be made by the Academic Leadership Council (ALC), the council of academic administrators at IU.

Approvals

The Academic Leadership Council (ALC), which represents all campuses of Indiana University, is the body that approves notations which may be appropriate for inclusion on the official transcript. The ALC requires that any proposals for notations meet academic standards, or any criteria required for notations on official transcripts.

Procedure

1. Academic units would submit a proposal detailing the rationale for intended outcome of inclusion of the notation on the transcript.
   
   • 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 campus registrar should make a preliminary evaluation of the proposal and should provide a letter of support for the notation.
3. The letter should include the registrar’s assessment of the appropriateness for inclusion on the official transcripts along with suggestions for how the notation might best be implemented in SIS, IUS student information system, if appropriate.
4. The campus registrar should ensure that all necessary paperwork has been submitted and circulate the document among all campus registrars for input and recommendations.
5. Individual campus registrars may consult with appropriate academic and/or administrative bodies on their respective campuses to provide input for a final discussion at a Registrar Council meeting.
   
6. The Registrar Council will make a recommendation to accept/reject the proposal and include the reasons for such recommendation. If there is not consensus among registrars, that should be noted in the recommendation to the Academic Leadersnhip Council.
7. The original request and Registrar Council recommendations should be forwarded by the originating campus registrar to the Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs (EVCAA) for the originating campus, who presents the recommendation to the ALC for action.
8. The ALC’s action will serve as a recommendation to the ALC executive committee for final approval.
9. The EVCAA and registrar from the originating campus will be notified of the final decision. Campus officials will be responsible for implementation and communication to all parties affected.