Office of the Registrar

Change of Address     Change of Name     Deceased Student Records     Directory Information     Family Education Rights & Privacy Act     Graduation Completion Rates     Preferred Name    Student Assistance General Provisions     Student Email Policy     My UArts Record 
 

Jeffrey Kisler \ jkisler@uarts.edu \ 215.717.6420
Registrar

Office of the Registrar
Hamilton Hall Room 320 | P 215.717.6420 | F 215.717.6417 | registrar@uarts.edu | Office of the Registrar website
 

The Office of the Registrar provides academic and enrollment services in support of the University of the Arts’ diverse academic community. The office is the steward of student academic records. We coordinate services in the areas of course information, course selection, grading, program declaration, degree progress, classroom assignment, certification of enrollment and degrees awarded, and the protection and release of academic records.

Please refer to the Office of the Registrar’s website for details concerning request procedures for academic transcripts, replacement diplomas and enrollment verifications.

Change of Address

The Office of the Registrar is the University office designated to maintain address data for current students. Changes to a student’s address can only be submitted by the student.

Students should access their My UArts Record account via the UArts Portal to make changes to their address data. Instructions are available on the Office of the Registrar’s website on the MyUArts Record page. Alternatively, students can make changes in person at the Office of the Registrar with presentation of valid photo identification.

Change of Name

Students may update their official name with the Office of the Registrar by:

1. Completing a Change of Name form (available on the Office of the Registrar’s Website)
2. Providing a copy of the Social Security card issued in your new name, or proof from the Social Security Office that you have applied for a card with your new name.
3. Providing legal documentation reflecting the change.

Acceptable documentation includes:

• Divorce certificate
• Drivers license
• Marriage certificate/license
• Passport
• US Government ID Card

Requests are accepted:

• In person: at the Office of the Registrar
• Via email: to registrar@uarts.edu
• Emailed submissions will only be accepted when received from the student’s uarts.edu email account, with the appropriate documentation clearly scanned and attached to the email.
• Via mail:

The Office of the Registrar
The University of the Arts
320 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19119

International students’ names must reflect the name that appears on their passport.

Deceased Student Records

Requests for the records of a deceased student must be accompanied by a notarized statement from the executor of the estate of the deceased approving the release of records. Requests concerning students who have long been deceased will be evaluated by the University based on legitimate educational interest.

Directory Information

The following is considered directory information at the University of the Arts and will be made available to the general public unless the student submits a petition to the Office of the Registrar requesting to withhold this information prior to the end of the last day of registration. The University does not release student lists to third parties.

• Name
• Address
• Telephone number
• E-mail address
• Major field of study
• Dates of attendance
• Current enrollment status (full-time/part-time)
• Class standing
• Last institution attended
• Participation in officially recognized activities
• Receipt or non-receipt of a degree
• Academic awards received (Dean’s list, honor roll)

Under the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 students have the right to withhold disclosure of directory information.

Please consider carefully the consequences of withholding directory information.  Should you decide not to release directory information, all requests for such information from the University of the Arts will be refused. For example, organizations such as potential employers, scholarship agencies, members of the press, loan agencies, educational organizations and others will not be given access to the student’s directory information, and will not be able to contact the student. Opting out of directory information may mean that you will miss out on valuable employment, educational, cultural and other opportunities.  Additionally, the University cannot notify your hometown newspaper about awards and honors you receive (e.g., Dean’s list).

To Request Directory Information to be Withheld

A signed petition from the student is required to process this request.  Once processed directory information will not be released until a signed petition to rescind the request is received or until the student has deceased.

Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act | FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 helps protect the privacy of student education records. The Act provides eligible students the right to inspect and review education records, the right to seek to amend those records and to limit disclosure of information from the records. The intent of the legislation is to protect the rights of students and to ensure the privacy and accuracy of education records. The Act applies to all institutions that are the recipients of federal aid administered by the Secretary of Education.

What rights does FERPA afford students with respect to their education records?

1. The right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access.
   
   Students should submit written requests to the Office of Registrar and identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The staff of the office will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
    
2. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
   
   One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is: a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.
   
   A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities.
    
3. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
   
   The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington DC 20202–5901

Who is protected under FERPA?

FERPA protects the education records of students who are currently enrolled or formerly enrolled regardless of their age or status with regard to parental dependency. The education records of students who have applied to but have not attended an institution are not subject to FERPA guidelines, nor are deceased students.

What are education records?

With certain exceptions (noted below), an education record is any record (1) which contains information that is personally identifiable to a student, and (2) is maintained by the University. With the exception of information about other students, financial records of parents and confidential letters of reference to which the student has waived access, a student has the right of access to his or her education records.

Education records include any records in whatever medium (handwritten, print, email, magnetic tape, film, diskette, etc.) that are in the possession of any school official. This includes transcripts or other records obtained from a school in which a student was previously enrolled.

What information is not considered part of an education record?

• Sole possession records or private notes held by school officials that are not accessible or released to other personnel.
• Law enforcement or campus security records that are solely for law enforcement purposes and maintained solely by the law enforcement unit.
• Records relating to individuals who are employed by the institution (unless contingent upon attendance).
• Records relating to treatment provided by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist or other recognized professional or paraprofessional and disclosed only to individuals providing treatment.
• Records of an institution that contain only information about an individual obtained after that person is no longer a student at that institution, i.e., alumni records.

What is directory information?

Institutions may disclose information about a student without violating FERPA if it has designated that information as directory information.

How does a student authorize release of his/her education record in the form of an academic transcript?

Students must authorize the release of their transcripts by written request with signature, by completing and signing a transcript request form available in the Office of the Registrar, or by submitting the request online via a secured portal. There is a fee for transcripts.

Who may have access to student information?

• The student and any outside party who has the student’s written request.
• School officials (as defined by the University) who have “legitimate educational interests.”
• A person in response to a lawfully issued subpoena or court order, as long as the University makes a reasonable attempt to notify the student first. Normally, the University will comply with a subpoena after two weeks have elapsed from the day of notifying the student.

When is the student’s consent not required to disclose information?

When the disclosure is (one or more of the following):

• To school officials who have a legitimate educational interest.
• To federal, state and local authorities involving an audit or evaluation of compliance with educational programs.
• In connection with financial aid; this includes Veterans’ benefits.
• To organizations conducting studies for or on behalf of educational institutions.
• To accrediting organizations.
• To comply with a judicial order or subpoena.
• In a health or safety emergency.
• Releasing directory information.
• Releasing the results of a disciplinary hearing to an alleged victim of a crime of violence.

Graduation Completion Rates

Federal legislation relating to student consumer rights requires all institutions participating in federal student assistance programs to compile and publish completion and graduation rates.  The information-gathering requirements are contained in legislation known as the Student Right-To-Know and Campus Security Act as amended by the Higher Education Technical Amendments of 1991.  Title I of the Act requires institutions to annually disclose completion and graduation rates of full-time certificate or degree-seeking undergraduate students to current and prospective students.

The University of the Arts is pleased to provide the following information regarding our institution’s graduation/completion rates.  These rates reflect the graduation/completion status of students who enrolled during the 2008-09 school year and for whom 150 percent of the normal time-to-completion has elapsed.  Transfer-out rates and not reported because the University’s mission does not include providing substantial and specific preparation for students to transfer to other institutions.

During the fall semester of 2008, 549 first-time, full-time certificate or degree-seeking undergraduate students entered UArts.  61% of these students graduated within 150% (six years) of “normal time” to complete the program in which they were enrolled.

Many factors should be taken into consideration when reviewing graduation rates.  It is important to recognize that students withdraw from college for various reasons - academic, medical, employment opportunities, personal, social, and financial issues are among those reasons.

Additional information relating to graduation rates can be located on the UArts Student Consumer Information page of the University website.

Questions related to graduation/completion rates should be directed to Beth E. Frederick, Director of Institutional Research (215) 717-6387.

Preferred Name

The University recognizes that some students prefer to use a first name other than their official name of record to identify themselves. The University acknowledges that a preferred name can and should be used where possible so long as it is not for the purpose of misrepresentation. Any student may declare a preferred first name in addition to their official name of record. This policy applies only to first names, preferred surnames or family names cannot be declared. Preferred names are limited to alphabetical characters, a hyphen (-), and a space.

The University will attempt to display preferred first name to the University community where feasible and appropriate and make a good faith effort to update systems accordingly. Preferred names will be used on class rosters, commencement programs, digication, e-mail alias, faculty grade rosters, library systems, and the UArts student ID¹. The student’s official name of record will remain unchanged in all university-related systems and most reports.

Preferred names will not be used in cases where the official name of record is required, including, but not limited to diplomas, enrollment verifications, financial aid documents, medical records, paychecks, payroll records, and transcripts. Additionally, the self-service student planning and advising tool will not include preferred names. Students who wish to change their official name of record must follow the Change of Name policy, submitting official documentation directly to the Office of the Registrar.

Students are only permitted to select one preferred name during their entire career at UArts.  If a student is unhappy with their selection they may change it back to their official name of record at any time.

To request a preferred name

1. Submit a Preferred Name Request electronic form. The form is located on the on the UArts portal. After logging into the portal click the Offices & Services menu, select Office of the Registrar, and then Student Forms & Requests.
2. Requests are typically processed within 5-10 business days. A request may be submitted at anytime. Students should when possible submit requests two weeks prior to the start of a term to ensure requests are processed before the term begins.
3. Once a form has been processed an email confirmation will automatically be sent to the student.

Disclaimer: This policy does not form a contract of any kind and may be modified, changed, altered, or rescinded at the discretion of the University. The University reserves the right to deny or remove any preferred name for misuse, including but not limited to misrepresentation, attempting to avoid legal obligation, or the use of highly offensive or derogatory names, with or without notice.

¹  One replacement student ID will be produced at no charge for students who declare a preferred name.

Student Assistance General Provisions

In accordance with the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, The University of the Arts has available, upon request, information regarding academic programs, financial assistance, and institutional policies and statistics. This information may be found in the University’s catalogue.

The Student Assistance General Provisions report includes information on the following:

• Accreditation
• Current degree programs including related facilities and faculty
• Tuition, fees, and other estimated expenses
• Withdrawal and refund policies
• Description of financial aid programs, including eligibility, award criteria, and application procedures, as well as students’ rights and responsibilities upon receiving financial assistance (such as continued eligibility, exit counseling, and options for payment deferral)
• Requirements for the return of Title IV grant or loan assistance
• Services available for students with disabilities
• Graduation rate

In addition, each October the Public Safety Department publishes an annual report on the University’s security policies and crime statistics, that is available to all current and prospective students and employees.

To request a copy of the Student Assistance General Provisions report, please contact the Office of the Provost, The University of the Arts, 320 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102.

Student E-mail Policy

For security and privacy reasons faculty and staff can only offer in depth support to student inquiries received from University issued e-mail accounts, only limited and general policy information can be shared with inquiries received from non-University issued e-mail accounts. For this reason students are expected and encouraged to use their UArts email account for all UArts business. Students are responsible for regularly reading and responding to email sent by the University faculty, staff, and administration.

E-mail support can be obtained from the University Help Desk, via telephone at 215-717-6677, or by e-mailing helpdesk@uarts.edu.

My UArts Record

My UArts Record provides students access to change their address, look up their advisor, request an official transcript or enrollment verification, review their grades, class schedules, transcripts, degree audits, and GPAs. Because this information is readily available through the My UArts Record, information such as this is no longer mailed to students via U.S. mail, except upon request.

My UArts Record can be accessed via the UArts Portal. Log in instructions are located on the Office of the Registrar’s website on the Resources page.