605- Record Retention Policy

Title:	Record Retention
Owner:	Registrar
Last Update/Revised:	08/31/2023

Policy:

All records obtained or held by Aspen University are maintained in accordance with current educational, administrative, business, and legal practices using the following safeguards. All public and business documents are maintained in accordance to our SEC and attorney’s requirements. Aspen University has policies and procedures for keeping official financial documents in accordance to SEC regulations and holds all Essential Documents in an electronic format. The LMS (Brightspace (D2L)) holds the master copy of each course and program. The website holds our electronic catalog and all student application information for admission and enrollment documents are held with the student information system. Specific BSN Pre-licensure nursing student required documentation is stored and secured by Castle Branch, which provides background screening, drug testing, fingerprinting, and immunization record management solutions for nursing programs.

In addition, the official documents received by the university including official transcripts are received by the Office of the Registrar. These documents are stamped as received and dated. Transcripts are then scanned and the digital copy is uploaded into the student’s academic record within the student information system. All financial aid documents are electronic documents that can be printed as PDF document types, and/or faxed/scanned images, which maintain its legibility and format. In addition, official documents received by Faculty Services include faculty resumes and official transcripts. These documents are stamped as received and dated. Resumes and transcripts are then scanned and the digital copy is uploaded into electronic file created for the instructor with our student information system too. All of these files are maintained permanently. All files are digital and are backed up by RackSpace.

Access

Only those employees or authorized third parties requiring access to confidential data in the regular course of their duties are granted access to confidential data, including both physical and electronic records. Computer and network access passwords are disabled upon termination of employment or relationship with Aspen University. Upon termination of employment or relationship with Aspen University, physical access to documents or other resources containing confidential data is immediately prevented.

Storage

Members of the Community will not store confidential data on laptops or on other mobile devices (e.g., flash drives, smart phones, external hard drives). In rare cases where it is necessary to transport confidential data electronically, the mobile device containing the data must be encrypted. To the extent possible, the university ensures that all confidential data is stored only on secure servers maintained by the University and not on local machines, unsecure servers, or portable devices. Paper records containing confidential data must be kept in locked files or other secured areas when not in use. Electronic records containing confidential data must be stored on secure servers, and, when stored on authorized desktop computers, must be password protected.

Removing Records from Office

Members of the Community are strongly discouraged from removing records containing confidential data from the office. In rare cases where it is necessary to do so, the user must take all reasonable precautions to safeguard the data. Under no circumstances are documents, electronic devices, or digital media containing confidential data to be left unattended in any insecure location. When there is a legitimate need to provide records containing confidential data to a third party, electronic records shall be password-protected and/or encrypted, and paper records shall be marked confidential and securely sealed.

Destruction of Confidential Data Paper and electronic records containing confidential data must be destroyed in a manner that prevents recovery of the data.

Administrative records are digital and stored indefinitely. Student records are also maintained digitally and maintained indefinitely.