Student Records

Access to Records

STCC provides all students with electronic access to many of their educational records (grades, class schedules, placement test scores, financial aid award information, and billing information) through ARIES. Additionally, students have the right to request access to view other records maintained by the College, and to request amendment of any records they believe to be inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, or otherwise in violation of their privacy. Students should visit the Registrar's Office page to request access to records unavailable on ARIES. Per requirements of Federal Law, the College will respond to all requests to review records within 45 days.

Official transcripts of a student's grades can be obtained through the Transcript Request process.

Address Changes

Some records (as well as important forms and documents) will be sent to students at their home addresses. For this reason, it is important that students maintain correct address information with the College. Address changes are processed in the Registrar’s Office and include:

  • in-person requests with valid identification
  • emails requests received from an STCC Gmail account
  • returned mail from the U.S. Postal Service (returned mail that is received with a forwarding address from the U.S. Postal Service will be processed and email notification sent to students informing them of the change in their address on file at STCC)

Additionally, at the beginning of each semester, the Registrar’s Office updates student addresses based on information received from the U.S. Postal Service.  An email notification will be sent to the student when a change of address is processed in this manner.

Privacy of Records

STCC is committed to protecting the privacy of student's educational records, and abides by the Student Information Privacy Policy.  

Student Information Privacy Policy

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 affords students certain rights with respect to their academic records. In compliance with the law the College has established the following policy:

1) All students, current and former, have a right to inspect and review their academic records. Requests to view information that is not available online to students must be made in writing to the Registrar's Office.  No confidential information (for example, students' schedules, grades, GPA, etc.)  is released over the telephone or without positive identification.  The College will not release original documents contained within the student's academic file to the student.  When physical distance makes the examination of the records impractical, the College will provide to the student copies of the records.  The College will respond to all requests to review records within 45 days.

2) Students have the right to request the amendment of their academic records to ensure they are not inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, or otherwise in violation of their privacy.  A student who wishes to ask the College to amend should write the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the College denies a student's request to amend his/her record, the student has a right to a hearing.

3) Confidential student information, also referred to as "personally identifiable information," shall not be released absent a student's prior written consent unless an exception exists under the federal law.  For example, school officials with a "legitimate educational interest" have access to students' confidential records for:

  1. internal educational purposes;
  2. routine administrative and statistical purposes;
  3. instructing and advising a student in an academic area; and
  4. emergency situations.

These individuals include faculty, administrators, clerical and professional staff, and other persons who need student records information for the effective functioning of their office or position.  "Confidential student records" include students' grades, class schedules, disciplinary records, and all other non-directory information contained in a student's record.  No record of access will be kept if the obtained information is considered directory information, is required for normal clerical maintenance of a file, or is seen by College personnel in the normal performance of their responsibilities.

4) Directory (i.e., non-confidential) information includes:

  • Name
  • Address (including STCC e-mail address)
  • Major field of study
  • Certificates/degrees earned (and dates of graduation)
  • Dates of attendance and enrollment status
  • Academic designations and awards (e.g., Dean's List, academic scholarships, etc

This information may be released by the College without a student's prior written consent.  Students may elect to withhold directory information by contacting the Registrar's Office in writing.

5) Generally schools must have written permission from the eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions:

  • School officials with legitimate educational interest
  • Other schools in which a student seeks or intends to enroll
  • Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes
  • Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student
  • Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school
  • Accrediting organizations
  • A person or company with whom the College has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using College employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent)
  • A person serving on the Board of Trustees with a legitimate educational interest
  • 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
  • To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena
  • Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies

6) Notwithstanding the College's definition of directory information, the Department of Defense (the "DOD"), pursuant to the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 (the "Solomon Amendment"), identifies the following information as "student recruiting information":  NAME, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE LISTING, AGE, PLACE OF BIRTH, LEVEL OF EDUCATION (e.g., freshman, sophomore), DEGREE AWARDED, MOST RECENT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION ATTENDED, and CURRENT MAJOR(S) If the College receives a request for student recruiting information from the DOD, or one of its affiliated agencies, the College will release the student recruiting information requested.  Because the information sought by the DOD may include information not designated as directory information under the College's policy, compliance with the DOD's request may result in the release of personally identifiable information.  When student recruiting information is released pursuant to a DOD request, notice of the request and the release of the information will be posted in a conspicuous location in the College's Registrar's Office for a period equaling one academic year. If a student has exercised his/her right to request that no information be designated as directory information, then no information shall be released to any third party, including the DOD

7) Students have a right to file a complaint with the US Department for Education concerning alleged failures of the College to comply with FERPA.

General Data Protections Regulations (GDPR)

GDPR Data Protection Statement

Security of Student Records

In the unlikely event Springfield Technical Community College were to discontinue operations, arrangements would be made with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE), One Ashburton Place, Room 1401, Boston, MA 02108-1696, (617) 994-6950, for the filing and maintenance of academic records. STCC would take reasonable steps to notify current and former students about the arrangements for the filing and maintenance of academic records. In addition, the College’s accreditor, the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), would be notified about the filing and maintenance of academic records in the event the College were to discontinue operations.  STCC, while a public college, would also comply with the DHE’s Notice of Closure Guidelines for Independent Institutions. Both the DHE and NECHE post information about obtaining access to records from closed institutions on their websites at http://www.mass.edu/forstufam/diplomas/closedinst.asp and https://www.neche.org/for-the-public/faq/#college-closure, respectively. 

In the event STCC were to cease operations or discontinue a program before all enrolled students have completed their program of study, the College would implement a teach-out plan in accordance with the requirements of NECHE, and may also consider refunds to students as appropriate.  NECHE’s Policy on Teach-Out Plans and Teach-Out Agreements is posted at https://www.neche.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PP13a-Teach-Out-Plans-and-Agreements.pdf

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