Title: Public Posting of Grades
Approved by: Office of the Provost
Date Approved: January 1, 2016
Effective Date: January 1, 2016
Responsible Officials: Provost
Date of Last Review: May 8, 2023
Relates to: Faculty, Staff
Student-record privacy laws must be considered when graded work is returned to students or when evaluative grades and feedback are provided. According to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), posting grades by student names, student IDs, or Social Security numbers (or portions thereof) is prohibited. Note that this prohibition also applies to using student ID numbers to distribute grades electronically, such as in an email sent to a group of students. This is because Student ID numbers are individual identifiers that, together with student information, may be disclosed only with the student’s prior written consent per the university’s FERPA Policy.
Likewise, leaving any student-identifiable graded papers or tests in a public place for students to pick up is inappropriate. If graded materials cannot be directly given to students in class, they can be left with a secretary/department assistant who can verify student identity and hand them directly to the individual student.
However, it is permissible to post lists of grades by some code name or number agreed to by the student and the faculty member. If students are informed of grades on course assignments, tests, etc., online, such a code name should be used. Also, codes should be assigned randomly so the list does not reflect an alphabetical list of student names. Posting of student grades within systems (such as Canvas or SIS) that require individual students to authenticate to view their grades is permissible.