Beginning this month, official transcripts will incorporate a number of changes to make the document a more complete record of a student’s academic history.
“While it was a complicated task to implement the approved changes, the Registrar’s Office has worked closely with Instructional and Information Technology Services and the Provost’s office over the last year to ensure that the final result is a transcript that is as transparent and as complete as possible,” explains Associate Registrar Ilze Kraulis.
As part of the transcript review process, changes to the graduation grade point average (GPA) and requirements for graduation have been approved and will be applied as follows:
Undergraduate students who began their degree or certificate program prior to fall 2011:
There is no change to the graduation requirements. The final Graduation GPA will be calculated and displayed on the transcript upon graduation, as it has always been done, and as is outlined in the Undergraduate Calendar for the year of a student’s admission. This group must meet all program requirements and achieve a minimum 2.00 Assessment GPA in order to graduate.
Undergraduate students who began their degree or certificate program in or after fall 2011:
The Cumulative GPA will now also serve as the final Graduation GPA. In addition to fulfilling the program requirements, students will have to achieve a minimum 2.00 Cumulative GPA as well as a minimum 2.00 Assessment GPA in order to graduate.
To provide context around a student’s academic record, class size and class average will be included on the transcript. This information allows a student’s achievement to be put into perspective with the rest of the class. However, class sizes or averages will not be reported for classes with fewer than five students nor for graduate-level classes.
“In order to make the transcript a more complete document, it will also include complementary university credits offered by the School of Extended Learning,” explains Kraulis. “In addition, if a student changes programs and is awarded transfer credits from an incomplete degree, certificate or independent studies done at Concordia, these transfer credits will now include the corresponding grades. A term GPA will also be included for information purposes,” she adds.
The graduate transcript will also have more information: A degree summary at the beginning of the document (for master and PhD programs) will provide information about the student’s program, status, basis of admission, minimum credits required for graduation, total credits earned, awards received, thesis title, thesis ranking, Cumulative GPA and graduation status. All of this pertinent information will be presented up front and available at a glance for anyone reviewing a student’s graduate transcript.
It should be noted that once the changes to the official transcript are implemented, the same changes will appear on the student record shortly thereafter.
A detailed listing of all the transcript changes is available on the Office of the Registrar website.
Related links:
• Complete list of changes to the transcript
• “Senate holds final meeting of academic year” – NOW, May 25, 2011
• Undergraduate Calendar
