Employment & Procedures Manual

AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT IS:

Definition: An official transcript is one that has been received directly from the issuing institution. Receipt may be by mail or through mutually approved electronic media. All mailed documents must bear the college seal, date, and appropriate signature. All electronically transmitted documents must be received in accordance with standard protocol procedures established by the participating parties. Transcripts received that do not meet these requirements should not be considered official and should be rejected for permanent use.

Endorsement: The definition of "official transcript" was endorsed by the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers on November 3, 1993.

Authentication: An official transcript will be sent or transmitted directly from the issuing institution. A mailed transcript will bear the correct institutional seal and signature from the issuing institution. An official transcript will be recently dated.

The Burden of Acceptance: This definition recognizes that the burden of acceptance for all forms of documentation lies with the recipient; it is the recipient who ultimately determines whether the document is official for their purposes.

Information on an Official Transcript: A transcript contains all essential academic data such as dates of attendance, courses taken, grades and credits awarded, degrees received. It may also contain a record of previous institutions attended, participation in honorary societies, and information related to the student's current status in the institution.

What are Unofficial Documents: Records which may have been in the hands of students or other parties are considered not official. Letters, grade reports, diplomas, and graduation lists are also considered not official.

What the Recipient Should Look For: Was the document mailed or transmitted directly from the issuing institution? If mailed, was the document received in a sealed institutional envelope using an institutional postage meter (rather than a stamp)? If transmitted, were the proper protocol procedures followed? If mailed, is there a registrar's signature and an institutional seal? IF transmitted or mailed, was the document received in the proper format? Does the document have recent date of issue? Are the records submitted or received consistent with the person's academic/employment background and with your personal knowledge of the candidate?

If You Have Questions: Telephone the Registrar's Office of the issuing institution to verify the dates of attendance, degrees granted, and honors received. Write for more details or return the actual document (or a copy) to the issuing institution for verification. If you receive a document other than an official transcript, ask the person to request that an official transcript be sent to you directly. Do not return suspect documents to the individual, they will be necessary should legal action be required.

Privacy: Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment), this information is being released to you on the condition that you will not permit any other party to have access to such information without the written permission of the student.

DETECTING FRAUDULENT CREDENTIALS

1. CHECK THE ENVELOPE the document arrives in before opening it for the following:
   1. Does the envelope have the colleges return address and/or logo pre-printed on it?
   2. Is the envelope postmarked from the correct point of origin?
   3. Does the envelope have an institutional meter mark instead of a postage stamp?
   4. Was it mailed directly from the colleges Records Office?
      
      Note: If upon checking the envelope you answer "NO" to one or more of these questions, you are probably dealing with an unofficial copy of the colleges transcript. You may be dealing with a fraudulent record.
2. CHECK THE DOCUMENT CAREFULLY for the following information and format:
   1. Does the document have a recent date on it?
   2. Is there a clear signature, name stamp, or facsimile signature on the document?
   3. Does the document have a clear impress, emboss, background, or laser seal on it?
   4. Does the seal indicate the same college as the document?
   5. Are the style and type fonts consistent throughout the document?
      
      Note: If you answered "NO" to one or more of these questions, you should be suspicious of the document's origin and validity. If you answered "NO" to one or more of the questions on the envelope and to one or more questions on the document, you may be dealing with a fraudulent record.
3. The best protection from credentials fraud is to call the colleges Records Office and ask for verification of the student's attendance. College personnel are allowed under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act to verify the semesters of attendance, the number of hours taken each semester, and any degrees that the student may have earned. This is usually enough information to determine if the record is fraudulent or not. A long distance call is a lot cheaper than replacing an employee that is burdening the institution by not performing at the level that his/her fraudulent credentials would indicate as acceptable.
   
   Note: Most colleges are now using security paper in an effort to combat fraudulent credentials. Security paper has subdued background that usually indicates "copy", "unofficial copy", or "official" when Xeroxed, or other reproduction methods are used. Such copies as well as copies which indicate "issued to student" should never be accepted as official.