Student Records

The Quillen College of Medicine Registrar manages and maintains the academic records of all medical students. The primary role of the Registrar is to maintain the permanent records and documents pertinent to each matriculated student’s progress throughout medical school. The Registrar is also responsible for maintaining the documents that preserve the institutional memory of the college pertaining to the student academic record. The Quillen College of Medicine Registrar’s office provides services to students, faculty, administrators and alumni first among its priorities, recognizing these individuals as the office’s primary constituency. As the primary information resource for students and faculty, this office actively seeks to communicate effectively and to inform students about academic policies and procedures, and to provide prompt access to information.

The College of Medicine M.D. Registrar is responsible for maintaining permanent records and documents that pertain to each matriculated student’s progress through medical school. These records include application materials, medical school course evaluations, official transcripts of all medical school coursework, documentation of grade changes, official dates of enrollment, Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE), documentation of dismissal or withdrawal, copy of diploma, copy of Federation of State Medical Boards and other state licensing forms. The procedures used in managing these records are consistent with established standards and existing regulations. As a student, the educational records are considered confidential. Under most circumstances, an individual student’s records will not be released without the student’s written and signed consent.

The Registrar’s Office is the official collection and distribution point for all grades earned by students in the Quillen College of Medicine. Grades are usually obtained within a reasonable time after the completion of any course or clerkship or within five working days after receipt of board-subject examination scores. Grades are officially reported to students through the ETSU GoldLink system. To ensure the privacy of student records, no grades will be given over the telephone. Information regarding a student’s grades will be made available, as time allows, upon personal inquiry in the Registrar’s Office. No student may have access to the grade of any other student except on the written authorization of that person or as allowed by prevailing law. The Registrar’s Office also handles in-school deferments for loan debt incurred prior to medical school. The school also utilizes the National Student Loan Clearinghouse for reporting enrollment. Guidelines of the Privacy Act (see Privacy of Students’ Records) are followed in managing student records and grades.

The privacy of student records is specified by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (the Buckley Amendment). The Quillen College of Medicine complies with this law and ensures students’ access to their official academic and disciplinary records and prohibits the release of personally identifiable information, other than directory information without students’ permission. Students may withhold directory information by notifying the Registrar’s Office in writing within a reasonable time after the first day of class of the fall term (or subsequent term of the academic year if not enrolled for the fall term). A request for non-disclosure will be honored by the institution for only one academic year; therefore, authorization to withhold directory information must be filed annually as described above.

Official student records are maintained in the Registrar’s Office and will be made available to the student, within a reasonable period of time, upon request. 

Complaints regarding alleged violation of the student’s right with regard to the privacy of records or access thereto should be addressed to the Associate Dean, Chief of Staff, ETSU, or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office,
Department of Health and Human Services, 330 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20201. See “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act” for annual notice of compliance with this act.

Student records are available to officials within the institution on a need-to-know basis. This includes the student’s advisor, members of the dean’s office, and others who, in order to carry out institutional functions, need such information.

Information dissemination is a two-way exercise; it is imperative that students keep the college apprised of changes in name and/or address. The college primarily uses email for communicating with students. Students are urged to check their ETSU email daily. The ETSU email address is the address used by all COM offices. Students may forward this address to any other they choose.

It is a policy of the Registrar’s Office to withhold name and address listings from persons outside the immediate university community. However, addresses are considered “directory information” and may as such be made available to outside individuals as provided by law. In addition, ETSU may release other directory information. Other directory information is defined as: enrollment status, dates of attendance, classification, previous institution(s) attended, awards, honors, photographs, degrees conferred (including dates), hometown, residency placement information, and sports participation information.

If students prefer not to have these items released, they may fill out a form to prevent disclosure of this data. This form is available through the Registrar’s Office and must be submitted no later than August 31. A new form for nondisclosure must be completed each academic year. A form submitted the last term a student enrolls will remain in effect until the student re-enrolls.

Because student records are official legal documents, it is important that the full name appear accurately on each of these. The official student name is initially derived from the AMCAS application. Any student who has a change of name through marriage or legal action must report to the Registrar’s Office in person to complete a change of name form and provide legal documentation of the change. Once this has been completed, all student records will be altered to indicate the new name and appropriate notification will be forwarded to all university offices.

As a recipient of federal monies, an institution participating in certain federal programs has a responsibility to provide to students and applicants for admission certain information concerning the institution. The information dissemination requirements generally emanate from federal regulations and/or legislative actions. These requirements are not disclosed at length herein. However, more information may be acquired from the Office of Financial Services or from any college or university library. Information that is readily available includes the following:

1. Notice of nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender or handicapping conditions.
2. Students’ rights and responsibilities, costs, refund policy, curriculum, retention and those personnel who can provide the information.
3. The institution’s available financial aid, methods by which the aid is distributed, application for aid requirements, rights and responsibilities of students receiving aid.
4. Program criteria, loan information, federal scholarship eligibility, and debt management.
5. Rights of students and non-students to student records information. For more information concerning students’ rights with respect to their educational records, please see the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) available in the Registrar’s Office.
6. Use of social security number.
7. Equal Credit Opportunity Act.