FERPA Policy

FERPA Quick Facts

FERPA Review for Faculty and Staff

• Check with the academic department for departmental deadlines and requirements.
  • i.e. personal references, supplementary applications, test scores, etc.
• Update your website annually and:
  • Make sure the correct link to the ApplyYourself online application is available.
  • Confirm all deadline and requirement information is current.
• Review admission applications and make recommendations.
• Complete the ApplyYourself Department Referral Form for every applicant no later than the first day of class for the term they’ve applied for so they do not incur a late fee.
• Each term, your department must complete a Department Referral Form for each applicant.
  • If you are not going to admit or deny an applicant’s current application, submit a “No Action” referral.
  • If you choose to admit the applicant for the following term, submit a revised referral to admit him or her at that time.
  • If your department recommends an applicant that does not meet the Graduate School’s minimum requirements for admission, prepare and upload a Letter of Support when you complete the ApplyYourself Department Referral Form.
  • Once this information is posted, the applicant’s file will be reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Committee.
    • We strongly caution you not to notify an applicant of admission eligibility and financial support until after the applicant’s case has been reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Committee.
  • If you are using a Graduate Admissions Committee Exception Rule recipient slot to recommend an applicant that does not meet the Graduate School’s minimum requirements for admission:
    • You do not need to provide a Letter of Support.
    • You can select this option under Recommendation on the ApplyYourself Department Referral Form.
• Do not complete any information in the Status Information section of the ApplyYourself Applicant Summary page.

• Update your website annually and make sure:
  • The correct link to the ApplyYourself online application is available.
  • All deadline and requirement information is current.
• Review admission applications and make recommendations.
• Complete the ApplyYourself Department Referral Form for applicants.
  • Remember to provide the following information then click Save and OK.
• Determine if an applicant is a committee case and adjust the referral accordingly. Will the applicant’s file…
  • Be reviewed and signed off on by an Associate Director?
  • Require full Committee review and a Letter of Support from your department?
  • Not need Committee review because your department will be using the Exception Rule?
• If your department recommends an applicant that does not meet the Graduate School’s minimum requirements for admission, do not notify the applicant of admission eligibility and financial support until after the applicant’s case has been reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Committee.
• Do not complete any information in the Status Information section of the ApplyYourself Applicant Summary page.

The Graduate Admissions Committee is a subcommittee of the Graduate Council.

• It is comprised of a faculty chairperson (the Associate Dean of the Graduate School) and two faculty members. Current Committee membership includes:
  • Helene Shugart, Associate Dean of the Graduate School
  • Jim Agutter, Associate Professor, College of Architecture + Planning
  • Paula Meek, Professor, College of Nursing
• The role of the committee is to consider applicants that have been recommended for admission to an academic program but do not meet the minimum Graduate School admissions requirements.

When the Graduate Admissions Division receives a referral recommending admission for an applicant that does not meet the Graduate School’s minimum GPA requirement of 3.0, then the application will be reviewed through the following review processes:

1. Administrative Action Review

This process is completed by an Office of Admissions Supervisor.

It is considered an administrative action and an exception slot is not necessary IF the applicant meets one of the following three criteria:

• Applicant’s Weighted GPA rounds to a 3.0 – (2.95 or above)
• Applicant’s Last Two Years GPA rounds to a 3.0 – (2.95 or above)
• Applicant has received a post-baccalaureate degree with a GPA of 3.0 or above

The department recommendation decision can remain as Admit to Program of Interest.

2. Exception Slot Review

If the applicant doesn’t meet one of the criteria listed above, an exception slot is needed for admission.

This is when we verify the department recommendation decision has been marked out to Graduate Admissions Exception Rule Recipient; Admit to Program of Interest.

• The number of exception slots are determined and set for each academic program following the policies and rules established by The Graduate Council.
  • Each program is allowed a set number of exceptions to run on a processing year of summer, fall, and spring (e.g., Summer 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021).
  • Exception slots cannot be “rolled” over to the next cycle.
• Exception slots are calculated periodically by taking 5% of the average number of admitted number of students in a program each year using the previous three years of data.
  • Current numbers were calculated using the following three years:
    • Summer 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018
    • Summer 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019
    • Summer 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020
• Click here to learn the number of exception slots your program has for this cycle.
• All exception slots must be utilized before a file can be reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Committee.
  • Please make sure to keep track of the number of exceptions as this will help facilitate in selecting the appropriate recommendation on the department referral form.
  • If you would like to use an available exception slot for an applicant that doesn’t meet the 3.0 GPA requirement nor one of the three administrative action criteria, then please make sure to mark the department referral decision to Graduate Admissions Exception Rule Recipient; Admit to Program of Interest.
• Please note that an exception slot can be recycled if a student chooses not to attend your program.
  • However, the Graduate Admissions Division does not check enrollment for students admitted using an exception slot, therefore the academic department will need to communicate with our office when they would like for an exception to be recycled.
  • Send an email confirmation regarding the student’s decision not to enroll in order to recycle the exception slot.
  • The student will be discontinued when the Registrar’s Office runs discontinuation for the student’s admitted semester.
  • No further action is needed in ApplyYourself.

3. Graduate Admission Committee (GAC) Review

If the applicant doesn’t meet one of the criteria listed above and the program has no remaining exception slots to utilize for admission, the file must be routed to GAC for continued consideration.

• If a file needs to be reviewed by GAC, you will need to upload a letter of support and any other documents you feel are pertinent for the applicant in AY.
• These documents must be uploaded to the applicant’s AY file prior to submitting the department referral recommendation.
• Prior to sending a file to GAC, please take a look at this message from the Committee Chair of the Graduate Admissions Committee.

The University of Utah is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools and supports their “April 15 Resolution,” which outlines the obligations of graduate institutions and prospective graduate students regarding offers and acceptances of financial support.

The resolution reads: “Acceptance of an offer of financial support* (such as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the next academic year by a prospective or enrolled graduate student completes an agreement that both student and graduate school expect to honor.”

In that context, the conditions affecting such offers and their acceptance must be defined carefully and understood by all parties.

Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution.

In instances in which a student accepts an offer before April 15, and subsequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15.

However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student not to accept another offer without first obtaining a written release from the institution to which a commitment has been made.

Similarly, an offer by an institution after April 15 is conditional on presentation by the student of the written release from any previously accepted offer.

It is further agreed by the institutions and organizations subscribing to the above Resolution that a copy of this Resolution or a link to the URL should accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and assistantship offer.

This Resolution was renewed October 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: This Resolution applies to offers of financial support only, not offers of admission. Reference Source is An Essential Guide to Graduate Admissions, published by the Council of Graduate Schools. Information may also be found at the Council of Graduate Schools.

When processing graduate admissions applications and working with graduate students, please be cognizant of the following policies and procedures:

• Admissions Offer: An offer of acceptance/admission is valid only for the semester for which an applicant is admitted.
  • If an applicant is unable to attend in his or her admit term, they should contact the academic program office for appropriate advising.
    • Some programs may allow applicants to defer to the next available term, while others only admit for one term during the school year.
  • If the applicant is advised to reapply for a future term, they must complete and submit a new ApplyYourself online graduate admissions application and pay the submission fee before the application deadline.
• Official Transcripts: If an applicant is admitted to graduate studies, he or she is required to provide an official transcript from all schools previously attended. Transcripts that were uploaded into ApplyYourself are not considered official.
  • To be considered official, a transcript must be sent directly from the other school to the Office of Admissions.
  • Transcripts sent to the academic departments/programs will not be accepted as official copies.
  • The University of Utah accepts electronic transcripts as official from the following vendors:
    • Docufide by Parchment
    • National Student Clearinghouse
    • AVOW
    • Credential Solutions TranscriptsNetwork
    • Scrip-Safe
  • Send electronic transcripts to admisstranscripts@sa.utah.edu.
  • Transcripts may also be sent by postal mail to:
    Admissions, Graduate Admissions Division
    University of Utah
    201 South 1460 East
    Room 250S, SSB
    Salt Lake City, UT 84112
  • Documents submitted for admission to the University of Utah become the property of the University and will not be returned.
  • Students who fail to provide final academic credentials, including proof of degrees received, will receive a registration hold on their records which will prevent them from further registration until all missing credentials are received.
• Joint/Dual Degree Programs: There are a number of academic programs that offer joint/dual degrees, such as:
  • MBA/JD
  • MBA/M
  • Arch
  • MD/PHD in Neuroscience
  • MPA/JD
  • MPA/PHD in Social Work
• It is important for academic departments to help their students understand the following information:
  • Students that apply for admission in joint/dual degree programs such as MBA/JD have two academic careers in PeopleSoft. MBA courses are registered in the Graduate Career while JD courses are registered under the Law Career.
  • Remember that admission is good only for the term the student is admitted.
  • If a student is admitted Fall Semester 2014 into both the MBA program and the JD program, the student must be registered in both careers in PeopleSoft to stay active in both programs.
  • If the student registers only in the Law Career, the system will automatically discontinue the Graduate Career and the student will have to reapply for admission into the MBA part of the joint/dual degree program for a future term.
  • If a student who has been registered in both careers needs to register in only one career for a semester, the student must file a Leave of Absence for the academic program for the career for which he or she will not register.
    • This will keep the student active in both careers.
    • If a student must take a leave of absence from both programs, the student must file a leave of absence form for each program.
    • Remember that graduate students must maintain continuous registration throughout their graduate career.
• Proof of Immunity Requirement (PIR): The University requires all new, transfer, and readmitted students born after December 31, 1956 to provide proof of immunity for measles, mumps, and rubella.
  • As recommended by the American College Health Association, the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Utah State Health Department, students must fulfill the requirement by providing evidence of immunity or the dates of having been vaccinated against the diseases.
  • Instructions and forms will be mailed to new, transfer, and readmitted students after admission to the University and must be returned to the Student Health Service by the second Friday of their first semester.
    Madsen Health Center
    Level 1, 555 Foothill Blvd.
    Salt Lake City, UT 84112
  • Instructions are also available on the Student Health Center’s website.
  • Questions regarding compliance requirements may be directed to the Immunization Program Office, (801) 585-6009.
  • Students who have not complied with this requirement by the second Friday of their first semester will have a hold placed on their registration until the requirement has been met.
  • Continuous Registration: Once admitted and enrolled, graduate students are required by Graduate School policy to maintain continuous registration during the academic school year (inclusive of the fall and spring semesters).
    • If a graduate student cannot attend for a semester, in order to stay active in the University’s computer system, he/she must file the appropriate paperwork requesting an official Leave of Absence through his/her academic department.
    • Details for the Leave of Absence process and the Leave of Absence form are found at the Registrar’s website.
    • Students failing to maintain continuous registration and who have not been granted an official leave of absence will be discontinued in their graduate program.
      • To return to their studies, these students are required to reapply for admission into their academic program by submitting the ApplyYourself online graduate admissions application and paying the application fee.
  • Change of Graduate Classification (CGC): Once an applicant completes their admit term, if a change to their academic program/plan is necessary, the academic department must file a Change of Graduate Classification (CGC) Form through the Registrar’s Office.
    • One example of an appropriate time to use the CGC Form would be for a student that receives a Master’s degree at the University of Utah and wishes to continue graduate study in the same department for the succeeding semester.
  • Changing Graduate Majors:
    • A graduate student who wishes to change from one Master’s program to a different Master’s program must apply through the ApplyYourself online graduate admissions application and pay the appropriate application fee.
    • A graduate student who changes majors for their doctoral degree must submit an ApplyYourself online graduate admissions application and pay the appropriate application fee.
  • Residency for Tuition Purposes:
    • The Office of Admissions classifies all applicants as either residents or non-residents for tuition purposes at the time of their admission to the University based on Utah State Law 53B-8-102 and Board of Regents Policy R512.
    • We strongly recommend academic departments/programs refer students directly to the Office of Admissions for advice on residency reclassification requirements.
    • The Residency Division can be reached at (801) 581-8761, option #5, or residency@utah.edu.
  • Non Matriculated Student Status: Students who do not qualify for admission to the Graduate School may apply as non-matriculated students. Applicants admitted under a Non-matriculated status are not formally admitted to a degree-seeking program. If permitted, they may enroll in graduate level classes. Please note:
    • Non-matriculated students registering for one or more graduate level courses in their undergraduate career will be charged graduate tuition rates for all courses taken.
    • Some graduate level classes are restricted because of full enrollment, limited space, prerequisites, etc.
    • Credits earned by non-matriculated students may or may not apply to a graduate degree program.
      • Graduate programs are designed and approved by faculty committees assigned to supervise each graduate student. Decisions on accepting course credit are made initially by these supervisory committees.
    • The number of non-matriculated hours that can be applied toward a graduate degree is limited to nine semester hours.
      • Applying more than nine hours of non-matriculated work to the degree requires approval through the Graduate School upon the request of the Department Chair or Supervisory Committee Chair.
    • The Non-matriculated status creates an undergraduate career in the University’s computer system (PeopleSoft), which means any classes a student registers for will show in an undergraduate career.
      • Even though up to nine graduate level hours may be counted toward a higher degree, they will never show up on the graduate career in PeopleSoft nor as graduate-level work on a University of Utah transcript.
    • Grades received during non-matriculated status do not guarantee admission into a graduate program.
      • When such students want to be considered for matriculated graduate status, they must apply for admissions to graduate studies through the ApplyYourself online graduate admissions application.
      • Links to the application are found at each graduate program’s website.
    • Students on a visa that allows them to enroll in classes may take non-matriculated classes with proof of English proficiency and with departmental approval, excluding F1 visa holders.
    • Students on an F1 visa may not take non-matriculated classes except under certain circumstances.
    • Any requests for exceptions to these general admission policies should be directed in writing to the Graduate Admissions Committee by the respective college or department.

• Department Request to Defer Graduate Start Term
• Admissions Contact List Update Form
• ApplyYourself WebCenter Account Request Form
• Graduate Transfer Credit Authorization
• Recommendation for Change of Graduate Classification (CGC)
• Department Application Fee Payment

Reference Guide for Academic Department Staff on Graduate Admissions and Residency