About Us
Organizational Overview
The Office of the Registrar is an academic service unit, reporting to the Vice Provost of Enrollment and Academic Strategic Planning.
In collaboration with the Office of Admissions and the Office of Financial Aid, the Office of the Registrar provides
services and information to students, faculty, staff, and other constituencies. Our core functions include:
academic records and transcripts; certificates and diplomas; classroom and event scheduling; degree certification;
enrollment and registration; grade collection and recording; fee classification; student athlete and veterans certification;
and transfer credit processing. In addition, we provide support for the curriculum and lead internal, cross-unit, and institution-wide initiatives.
The organizational structure for the Office of the Registrar is shown on our
organizational chart (pdf).
Our main office is located at 426 Auditorium Rd., Room 150, Hannah Administration Building, East Lansing, MI.
We are available to assist students, faculty and staff, and the general public in person during the hours of M-Th: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and F: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Phone and email questions are answered by the Spartan One-Stop during the hours of M-Th: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and F: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Mission
The Office of the Registrar stewards academic records and data accurately, effectively, and with integrity to support student success.
Vision
We aspire to empower the Spartan community.
Values
- Teamwork – We collaboratively develop solutions with one another and campus partners. We are active and engaged contributors in the Spartan community.
- Innovation – We are forward-thinking academic data leaders who anticipate and respond to campus needs. We develop efficient, equity-minded processes and policies.
- Excellence – We are vital to the university’s integrity and are experts on student records. We provide trusted guidance, are accountable for our responsibilities, and continue to develop our professional expertise.
- Respect – We treat everyone with dignity and respect. We create an environment where students, our staff, and campus partners feel welcomed, included, understood, and appreciated.
- Service – We are a service unit committed to providing exceptional, reliable support and training for students, our staff, and campus partners. We clearly communicate our policies, procedures, and responsibilities.
Academic Records
- maintain student academic records and data from 1855 to present
- produce transcripts for current and former students
- manage end-of-term processes to include recording grades, calculating GPA, and processing academic status decisions
- process subpoenas in compliance with FERPA
- process students' requests to restrict directory information
- monitor students' progress toward degree requirements, certify students' completion of requirements, and issue diplomas and certificates
- post teacher certification recommendations to student academic records
- manage enrollment and degree verifications
- oversee reporting to the National Student Clearinghouse and updating students' records
- publish and maintain the Dean's List
- support admit-to-upper school and change of major processes
- conduct record verification for posthumous degree requests
- records retention and imaging
- manage processes associated with dual and linked programs
- manage general person functions such as address changes, deceased student processes, ethnicity reporting, sex changes, name changes, and tracking majors
Compliance and Articulation
- review requests for transfer credit, process requests for equivalency determination, update equivalency tables, and update student academic records
- provide training to the campus community regarding FERPA and MSU's Access to Student Information policy
- certify student-athletes in compliance with university, Big 10, and NCAA regulations
- oversee lifelong education processes including admission applications, advising, enrollment, and academic record functions
- process readmission applications
- process graduate assistantships
- create and publish the commencement program
- review and serve as a repository for articulation and consortium agreements
- manage enrollment processes and academic records for special student groups such as the CIC course share, Post-Doctoral appointees, Study Abroad, Traveling Scholars, Visiting International Professional Program, and Great Plains Interactive Distance Education (GPIDEA)
Registration Services and Classroom Scheduling
- oversee all facets of enrollment and registration related processes, including student withdrawals from the university
- schedule university classrooms and computer labs for courses and events
- edit work copy by examining class scheduling data to ensure alignment with grading, refunding, reporting, and academic policies and procedures
- schedule final examinations and publish final exam schedules
- assist students using veterans education benefits; identify and explain education benefits, services, and resources
- coordinate and oversee Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
- oversee marketing and administration of Summer Study
- pre-enroll incoming students into core classes prior to Academic Orientation Program
- provide enrollment-related support during Academic Orientation Programs
- establish and manage refund and grading deadlines for all course sections
- determine in-state fee classifications
- determine and process refund appeals
- manage enrollment process for China Turfgrass Program
RO Technology Services
- specialize in student data extraction, reporting, and dissemination
- work closely with University Systems Support Team to support the Student Information System, Degree Navigator, Athlinfo, and other systems
- maintain and support systems including but not limited to: academic integrity, academic progress reporting, academic programs, courses, degree audit,
early course reservation, electronic student academic folder, emergency contact system, event scheduler, pre-enrollment, readmission, Registrar's Office
Instructor System, satisfactory academic progress, Schedule of Courses, subterms, textbook, transfer credit articulation, web enroll, and work copy
- produce census, end-of-term, and ad-hoc reports for the campus
- manage access to the Student Information System and Office of the Registrar web systems
Curriculum and Catalog
- provide support related to curriculum, academic policies, and procedures
- create, publish, and update the following resources: the academic calendar and the University catalog (Academic Programs and Course Descriptions)
- update and maintain academic program information in Degree Navigator, and load courses into the Student Information System
Cross-functional
- comply with and educate the campus about state and federal legislation
- provide enrollment services related support to the College of Law
- assist with course demand analysis, providing academic and administrative units with data
- facilitate non-attendance reporting to ensure compliance with Federal legislation
- provide support to commencement ceremonies
- represent the Office of the Registrar, MSU, and the profession within the State of Michigan, regionally, and nationally