RECORDS REQUESTS AND FERPA

Conflict Education & Student Accountability (CESA) maintains educational records regarding reports of student academic integrity and academic misconduct.

Records maintained by our office include:

Administrative Records

Administrative records are not considered disciplinary/conduct records and are maintained for administrative purposes in accordance with applicable laws and University policies. Administrative records could include the following:

• Actions in which a student has not been charged with a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity or Code of Student Conduct 
• Administratively archived (formerly expunged) disciplinary/conduct records
• Warning letters from CESA related to minor misconduct 
• Participation in the university’s Alcohol Medical Amnesty or Good Samaritan Program
• Participation in the Alternative Resolution Process
• Written directives from a university official such as a
  • No Contact Order with another individual
    • No Contact Orders are designed to curtail contact and communication between two or more individuals for a variety of reasons, including an effort to maintain, for all involved, access to educational programs and activities and an environment free from harassment.  
  • A barring notice (persona non grata order) related to a student’s ability to access university facilities
• An administrative move letter within the university’s residential facilities
• Not in violation findings

Disciplinary/Conduct Records

Academic Integrity Conduct Record

A student who is charged with and found in violation of or accepts an Academic Integrity Agreement regarding the Code of Academic Integrity has an academic integrity disciplinary/conduct record created and maintained as described in the Code.

Behavioral Conduct Record

A student or student organization who is charged with and found in violation of or accepts a Student Conduct agreement regarding the Code of Student Conduct has a behavioral disciplinary/conduct record created and maintained as described in the Code.

 Request an Administrative Archive

Requesting a Student Record

Overview of Requesting a Student Record

Students/alumni, internal GW staff/faculty, and external parties may request a student’s record as maintained by CESA. Generally, CESA will only release these records with the permission of the student. The university may disclose an educational record without consent under limited circumstances.

CESA also does not maintain any records regarding sex- and/or gender-based harassment if the report was made to the University after July 1, 2018. If you wish to receive such records, you will need to contact the University’s Title IX office by calling (202) 994-7434 or emailing [email protected].

CESA can only answer questions related to records maintained by our office. If you are looking for information related to a student’s academic (e.g.., grades, academic probation) or other education records (e.g., financial obligation history), please submit your request through the Office of the Registrar.

Our office responds honestly to the questions posed on records checks and will provide specific records authorized for release.

Unless otherwise noted, information provided in a conduct check will typically include:

• the date of the incident,
• the charges for which the student was found in violation or the behavior documented,
• the sanctions, and
• completion status of sanctions.

Requests typically take 3-5 business days to complete.

Student/Alumni Requests

Students may wish to receive a copy of their record or may wish to release their records for background checks, employment review, graduate school applications, and other circumstances.

Students may request their records be sent to themselves or another person/organization/institution by completing the Request Your Record Form.

Request Your Record Form

Internal GW Staff/Faculty Requests

Staff/Faculty Requests for Completing Forms on Behalf of Students

To request a conduct check in order to complete a form requested by a student, GW staff/faculty should email [email protected] from their GW email and include the form signed by the student as an attachment. CESA will respond with the information and the GW staff/faculty person making the request can complete the form.

Staff/Faculty Requests for Internal Programs

To request a conduct check, GW staff/faculty should email [email protected] with their request from their GW email. In the email, please include an Excel spreadsheet with the students’ names in one column and the GWID in another column, the reason for the request (e.g., to determine students’ eligibility to study abroad), and the types of records (e.g., students currently on disciplinary probation).

Faculty Requests for Prior Academic Integrity Violations

Faculty should email [email protected] with the student’s name and GWID (if available) from their GW email. In the email, please include that the reason for the request is checking for prior academic integrity violations.

CESA will provide the number of previous academic integrity records that exist for the student.

External Party Requests

External parties can request a student/alumni’s conduct record with a proper signed release.

We currently accept requests in person with a signed release and valid credentials. We will need to keep a copy of the release. We can also accept requests via email from a legitimate government or other valid institutional email address. The release should be attached in the email and be un-redacted.

FERPA Consent to Release Information

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, university policy prohibits the disclosure of information contained in a student's educational records to third parties without the express written consent of the student or former student. Students may consent to the disclosure of such information by completing the Consent to Release Confidential Information Form.

The form linked below covers conduct records held by CESA that existed prior to the date that the form was signed. This form must be completed by the student and sent to [email protected] from their GW email address or provided in person with an ID.

Consent to Release Confidential Information Form (PDF)

If you are interested in releasing other educational or financial records, that request should be made through the Office of the Registrar and their student consent form.

Conduct Holds

CESA may place a hold on student’s university record while conduct proceedings are under investigation, pending, or sanctions are incomplete, or in accordance with other university policies. A conduct hold may prevent a student from registering, withdrawing, graduating, or obtaining a transcript.

To lift a hold, students should contact [email protected] or their case manager.

Transcript Notations

Conduct/disciplinary-related transcript notations are added as part of an outcome to a conduct case and are maintained by the Office of the Registrar. In some circumstances, students may request to have their transcript notation removed in accordance with the Code of Academic Integrity and the Code of Student Conduct.

Petition for Transcript Notation Removal