Safe handling of grading information

Grade posting and paper return

  • Encourage your students to use MyU to look up their final grades. Final grades are available for students to view in MyU one day after they are submitted and approved electronically in Faculty Center.
  • Do not display scores or grades publicly in association with names, ID numbers, social security numbers, or other personal identifiers. Identifiers such as code names, or code numbers are usually OK. The resulting posting should not be in alphabetical or numerical order by student name or full ID number.
  • Do not put graded papers and lab reports in public places. Students should not have access to the grades of others in the class. Return of graded papers or tests can be done by:
    • individually giving the test/paper to the student in class, faculty office, or department office
    • using code words or randomly assigned numbers rather than names
    • using self-addressed mailing envelopes
    • using locked student mailboxes

Retaining records related to grading

  • Store physical files in a secured location. Electronic files should be kept in secure University-supported file storage (not on a computer hard drive or flash drive).
  • Keep data such as test scores and paper grade books for at least a year. This will allow students time to question possible clerical errors.
  • If you haven’t returned graded materials to the students, you must keep it for 30 days after the end of the term. (https://policy.umn.edu/education/maintainingrecords)
  • If you will be inaccessible, leave this information with your department.