Purpose
The purpose of the Student Records Policy is to prescribe college-level requirements for the creation, management, storage, and archiving of all records for students who apply and are admitted to the Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) program at the University of Saskatchewan.
This policy ensures that the UGME program meets or exceeds the following Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) and Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation standards:
11.5 Confidentiality of Student Records: At a medical school, student educational records are confidential and available only to those members of the faculty and administration with a need to know, unless released by the student or as otherwise governed by relevant legislation. A medical school follows policy for the collection, storage, disclosure and retrieval of student records that is in compliance with relevant privacy legislation.
11.6 Student Access to Educational Records: A medical school has policies and procedures in place that permit a medical student to review and to challenge his or her educational records, including the Medical Student Performance Record, if he or she considers the information contained therein to be inaccurate, misleading, or inappropriate.
With the renewal of this policy in 2019, student files are now stored in the University of Saskatchewan’s Banner system; Document Management section. In order to implement this change a Standard Operation Procedure; Document Management (Appendix 2) was created.
Principles
Confidentiality: The College of Medicine is committed to maintaining the confidentiality and security of all UGME student records.
Responsibility: The Student Records Policy establishes clear responsibilities for administrative officers involved with the handling of UGME student records.
Transparency: The College of Medicine is committed to ensuring a transparent approach to the overall stewardship of UGME student records.
Definitions
Applicant File: Any documentation collected or compiled for a person currently applying or admitted to the UGME program at the University of Saskatchewan. Appendix 1 contains information on the types of documents included in such a record.
Active File: Any documentation collected or compiled for a student currently enrolled in the UGME program or who are on an approved leave of absence from the program, with the exception of documentation in the Professionalism File. The Active File is subcategorized into an academic file and a non-academic file. Appendix 1 contains information on the types of documents included in such a record.
Professionalism File: Any documentation collected or compiled for a student in response to a professionalism concern or the university-level academic or non-academic misconduct.
Permanent File: Any documentation collected or compiled for a student who is no longer enrolled in the UGME program due to graduation, dismissal, withdrawal, or death. Appendix 1 contains information on the types of documents included in such a record.
Scope of this Policy
This policy applies to all undergraduate students registered in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program at the University of Saskatchewan irrespective of the geographically distributed site to which they are currently assigned.
Related policies include: Management of University Records Policy, Medical Student Performance Record Policy.
Note: Files created in Student Services for the Office of Student Affairs or Career Advising and Mentoring Programs are managed independently of the UGME Student Record Policy.
Policy
The Office of Admissions within the College of Medicine is the custodian of all documentation contained within the Applicant File. This office provides oversight to the creation, and transfer of the file and is consulted in regards to archiving, destruction, and release of information contained in each Applicant File.
The UGME Office within the College of Medicine is the custodian of all documentation contained within the Active File. This office provides oversight to the creation, access, storage, transfer, archiving, destruction, and release of information contained in each Active File.
2.2 The academic component of Active Files can only be accessed by college personnel on a need to know basis. The Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education; Associate Dean, Regina; Associate Dean, Distributed Medical Education; Director Academic; Director Admissions; Manager, Undergraduate Medical Education; Manager, Finance and Administration (Regina); and administrative support staff in these offices are authorized to confidentially access these files for the purpose of administering the UGME program.
2.3 The non-academic component of Active Files can only be accessed by college personnel on a need to know basis. The Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education; Associate Dean, Regina; Associate Dean, Distributed Medical Education ; Director Academic; Director Admissions; Admissions Coordinator; Manager, Undergraduate Medical Education; Manager, Finance and Administration (Regina); Director of Admissions, and administrative support staff for the senior leadership in these offices (either personal support or College level committee support), are authorized to confidentially access these files for the purpose of administering the College admissions processes and the UGME program.
2.4 Requests to view Active Files by personnel other than those listed above (2.2) must be made in writing and be approved by the Associate Dean, UGME before being released. Appropriate documents may be printed for student reviewing upon request.
2.5 Medical students can make an informal request, in writing, that the UGME Office allow them to view the academic component of their Active File. Medical students are not permitted to view the non-academic component of their Active File. Student requests to view Active Files will be responded to by the UGME Office within five (5) business days.
2.6 Medical students can request in writing that the UGME Office provide them with copies of documents contained in the academic component of their Active File. Student requests for copies of documents in the Active Files will be responded to by the UGME Office within five (5) business days.
3.0 Professionalism Files
The Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education, is the custodian of all documentation contained within the Professionalism File. This office provides oversight to the creation, storage, transfer, archiving, destruction, and release of information contained in each Professionalism File.
3.1 Professionalism Files are created in response to professionalism concerns or the student code of conduct by medical students. The Associate Dean, UGME (or designate) will create each file. The file will contain correspondence with students related to professionalism incidents and processes, professionalism informal discussion and concern forms, Professional Conduct Committee decision letters, and Professional Conduct Committee hearing documents and decision reports.
Professionalism Files are securely stored in Maxient. Professionalism Files are retained for the entire duration of a medical student’s academic program and the student file is closed and removed from Maxient two years after the point of graduation, dismissal, withdrawal, or death of a medical student. A file can be revived for re-access at the initiation of the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education.
3.2 Professionalism Files can only be accessed by the Dean, Vice-Dean Education, Associate Dean Undergraduate Medical Education (or designate), and UGME Manager on a need-to-know basis.
Responsibilities
The Associate Dean, UGME, is responsible for providing oversight to the overall administration of the Student Record Policy College of Medicine
The Manager, UGME, with the assistance of the UGME Office and Office of Admissions, is responsible for the implementation, monitoring, maintenance, and evaluation of the Student Record Policy at all College of Medicine campuses and sites in Saskatchewan. This includes the development and stewardship of the standard operating procedures associated with this policy.
The Student Academic Management Committee (SAMC) is responsible for evaluating, reviewing, and updating this policy every three years.
Non-compliance
Instances or concerns of non-compliance with the Student Record Policy should be brought to the attention of the Vice-Dean, Education or the Associate Dean, UGME, within the College of Medicine.
Procedures
The Manager, UGME, provides overall stewardship to the standard operating procedures associated with the Student Record Policy at the College of Medicine.