Office of the Registrar | Ottawa University

COMMENCEMENT EVENTS

Ottawa University invites and encourages family and friends to attend and participate in celebrating our graduates annually at one of our commencement ceremonies. The commencement season is filled with hope and purpose as our graduates achieve a meaningful milestone and pursue new career opportunities. We recognize and applaud our graduates and their respective families during graduation ceremonies conducted at each campus.

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Registrar Office Staff

Julie McAdoo

University Registrar

Kellie Burdg

Registrar Specialist

Mark Ortiz

Associate Registrar

Lisa Rossman

Registrar Specialist

Enrollment and Degree Verification

Students may request enrollment verification letters for personal or professional use certifying enrollment by submitting a request in person or by contacting the Registrar’s Office at:

Registrar’s Office
Ottawa University
1001 S. Cedar Street
Ottawa, KS 66067
Phone: 800.755.5200

Please submit the following information when making your request:

Student Name
Student ID Number and Social Security Number
Semester for which you need verification
Address or fax where the letter needs to be sent
For verifications for insurance companies, name and id of policyholder

In accordance with the Ottawa’s FERPA Policy, only directory information will be provided in a verification letter unless we have received the written permission of the student.

The following is a sample letter verifying enrollment:

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is to verify that John Doe, social security number 000-00-0000, was enrolled full time at Ottawa University for Spring Semester 2006, which began 1/13/2006 and ended 5/13/2006. Full time status begins with 12.0 credit hours.

Sincerely,

Signature of the University Registrar

Third-Party Enrollment and Degree Verifications

Third-party entities may request enrollment or degree verifications for students by submitting an online request on our Degree Verification request portal.

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

Notification of Rights
Information for Parents

Notification of Rights

Notification of Rights Under FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, affords students certain rights with respect to their educational records. These rights include:

The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the university receives a written request for access.
The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
The right to provide written consent before the university discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the university to comply with the requirements of FERPA. Complaints should be filed with:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5901
1-800-872-5327

The university discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review and education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities. A school official is defined as:

A person employed by the college in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff).
A person or company with whom the university has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using university employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, collection agency, National Student Clearinghouse).
A member of the Board of Trustees.
A student serving on an official committee or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

Items defined by the university as “directory information” may be released without a student’s written consent unless the student has provided written notification to the university that such information should be withheld. The following are categories considered as directory information by the university:

Category I: Name, address, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of student and parent, dates of attendance, classification, and photographs.
Category II: Previous institution(s) attended, major field of study, awards, honors, degrees and dates of degrees conferred.
Category III: Past and present participation in officially recognized athletics and activities, physical factors (height and weight of athletes).

Students who wish to prevent disclosure of directory information should contact the registrar’s office at their campus. The university will honor a request to withhold any of the categories listed above but cannot assume responsibility to contact the student for subsequent permission to release them. Regardless of the effect upon the student, the institution assumes no liability for honoring a student’s request that such information be withheld.

Information for Parents

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA, also referred to as the Buckley Amendment) is a federal law that affords students certain rights regarding access and release of their education records.

When children are enrolled in elementary, middle, and high school, FERPA gives the student and his or her parents the right to access and control the release of the student’s education records. When the student enrolls at a college or university, these rights transfer directly to the student. Why? Because FERPA considers college students responsible adults and allows them to determine who will receive information from their education records. While parents naturally have an interest in their son or daughter’s academic progress (and may even be paying for their education), they are not automatically granted access to their records.

The quickest, easiest way for you to receive information about your student’s grades or other student information is to ask your student to provide it to you. Students have access to most student information through Ottawa’s web portal (MyOttawa), which provides online access to transcripts, schedules, grades, and degree audits from anywhere in the world. Financial aid records and student bills are also available through this portal. Some students and their parents also make appointments to log in together at regular intervals (i.e., when the student is home on semester breaks) to review the student’s records.

You can also receive information about your child if you submit proof that he/she is your dependent as defined by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, Section 152. We strongly recommend that parents first request the information from their student and use this method of obtaining information only in unusual or special situations. To make this request, contact the Registrar’s Office for a copy of the Parental Affidavit for Student Information form, complete it, attach a copy of your most recent federal tax form, and return it by mail or fax to the Registrar’s Office. This documentation must be provided every time a request for information is made, and any charges that apply to the release of information (i.e., transcript fees) will be assessed. Students will be notified each time their parents submit a Parental Affidavit for Student Information.

Additional Information

Ottawa University’s FERPA policy is available for review at https://myottawa.ottawa.edu/icsfileserver/archive/consumer_info/ferpa.pdf. Questions concerning this law and the University’s procedures regarding release of academic information may be directed to the Registrar’s Office at 800. 755.5200.

The U.S. Department of Education is responsible for overseeing FERPA. See the Department’s Web site for additional information: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/.

Replacement Diplomas

To order a replacement diploma, you will need to complete the process here.

The fees are as follows:

$35 replacement diploma (you will receive a digital and print version)
$30 surcharge for FedEx within the United States
$55 surcharge for FedEx International delivery

Transferring Credit

Guide to Transferring Credit

A Guide to Transferring Credit

If you are a current Ottawa University student interested in transferring a course from another institution to Ottawa University:

NOTE: You want to begin this process at least 4 weeks before you need to register. This will give you enough time to learn the transferability before payment is due to the transferring institution.

Determine the school you wish to attend and course(s) you wish to take. It may be helpful to view the course equivalency guides located on the Registrar’s website.
Fill out the Pre-Approval of Transfer Credit form that can be found online or in the Office of the Registrar.
Attach a course description and turn the form in to the Office of the Registrar. The course will then be evaluated to determine its equivalent.
On average, an evaluation may take up to 2 weeks. If your request requires consultation from the department (such as coursework being taken abroad or upper level/major coursework) it may take longer for your form to be processed.
You will receive a copy of the signed form in the mail at the address you provide on the form.
Contact the school you wish to attend to enroll for the course.
Once you have completed the course, request that an official transcript with the final grade is sent directly to Ottawa University's Office of the Registrar.

NOTE: Transcripts sent from a student or hand-carried to campus will NOT be accepted as official. Official transcripts must be sent directly to Ottawa University from the college, university or high school attended. Unofficial transcripts can be used for admission purposes only.

Study Abroad

If you are completing Study Abroad through an institution other than Ottawa University, you will need to complete a “Pre-Approval of Transfer Credit.”
If you are completing a study abroad course/program through Ottawa University and would like courses to count towards degree requirements, you will need to complete a substitution form.

If you are an incoming freshman or transfer student:

Test Scores

Request that your scores (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or CLEP) be sent directly to Ottawa University by the testing center/agency.
When Ottawa University receives the scores, they will be added to your record according to the policy in place.

College Credit (including dual credit)

Request to have an official transcript sent directly to Ottawa University from the previous college attended.
Once Ottawa University receives the transcript, it is evaluated in the Office of the Registrar.
On average, an evaluation may take up to 2 weeks. If your request requires consultation from the department (such as coursework being taken abroad or upper level/ major coursework) it may take longer for your form to be processed.
Eligible transfer work is added to the student’s academic record.
You can review all transfer credit by viewing the unofficial transcript which is accessible through the MyOttawa portal.
If you would like a transferred course to count for a requirement that it is not already being fulfilled, you will need to request the a substitution.
See “Guide to the Substitution Process.”
If a course is not transferred that you believe is academically worthy and equivalent to an Ottawa University course, you can bring more information (such as textbooks and syllabi) to the Office of the Registrar for additional review.
The Office of the Registrar and department will collaborate to determine if the course is eligible for transfer.
If your request is approved, your records will be updated to reflect the change.

NOTE: Transcripts sent from a student or hand-carried to campus will NOT be accepted as official. Official transcripts must be sent directly to Ottawa University from the college, university or high school attended. Unofficial transcripts can be used for admission purposes only.

Advanced Placement

Advanced Placement (AP) Program examinations are administered through high schools. For information regarding the courses or examinations, please contact your high school counselor or principal. Additional information may be obtained through the Advanced Placement Program at:

Advanced Placement Program
P. O. Box 6671
Princeton, NJ 08541-8300
(888) 225-5427
www.collegeboard.org

Students who complete an AP exam must send an original College Grade Report from AP to Ottawa University (the CEEB code is xxxx). A “P” (test) grade will be awarded for AP credit. This grade will not affect the student’s grade point average but will count toward total hours and fulfill degree requirements.

A brochure detailing the AP equivalencies for students entering Ottawa University is available by clicking here (2018-2019 Brochure). Equivalencies for future students are subject to change without notice as a result of changes in AP test content and Ottawa course/curriculum changes.

CLEP

College Level Examination Program (CLEP) examination and administration procedures are available from the Ottawa University Assessment and Testing Office (xxx) xxx-xxxx. Additional information may be obtained through the College Level Examination Program at:

College Level Examination Program
P.O. Box 6600
Princeton, NJ 08541-6600
(800)257-9558
www.collegeboard.org

Students who complete a CLEP exam must have an original College Grade Report sent from the College Board to Ottawa University (our CEEB code is xxxx).

Credit will be awarded when the student scores at or above the ACE recommended credit-granting score. A grade of “P” is granted to indicate credit received. The “P” grade does not affect the grade point average (GPA), but does count toward total earned hours.

These equivalencies are subject to change without notice as a result of changes in CLEP test content and Ottawa University course/curriculum changes.

Dual Credit

Ottawa University accepts dual credit and prior college credit for transferable courses from accredited colleges and universities. Dual credit refers to courses for which students earn both high school and college credit for the same courses. Prior college credit refers to courses taken at a college or university that are not used to satisfy high school graduation requirements.

Students who have participated in dual credit programs and/or those who have earned prior college credit are required to have official transcripts sent from all colleges and universities through which credit has been attempted. Official transcripts for first-time undergraduate students and new transfer students must be sent to the Admissions Office prior to matriculation at Ottawa University.* Undergraduate course work is evaluated by the Office of the Registrar for transferability and applicability. Credit and grades for transferable courses will become part of the student’s academic record at Ottawa University.

NOTE: Transcripts sent from a student or hand-carried to campus will NOT be accepted as official. Official transcripts must be sent directly to Ottawa University from the college, university or high school attended. Unofficial transcripts can be used for admission purposes only.

External Education Organizations

Effective January 1, 2021, Ottawa University (“OU”) limits the transferability and application of Straighterline and Sophia courses for all undergraduate majors to one course per term or semester for a total of 12 credit hours from all organizations (effective January 1, 2022) for an entire degree. Effective January 1, 2022, Coursera, TEL Education, and Study.com are included in this policy. Students can take a course in an 8-week term but cannot take a course in the 16-week semester at the same time and have that count towards the 12-hour total. If the student takes a course in the 16-week semester, the student cannot take a course in any of the 8-week terms and have it count towards the 12-hour total.

Credit awards are based on recommendations of the American Council of Education (ACE) whenever possible. OU does not consider coursework from Straighterline, Sophia, Coursera, or Study.com (effective January 1, 2022) as an equivalent for any required major courses. Furthermore, Straighterline, TEL Education, Sophia, Coursera, and Study.com (effective January 1, 2022) courses are not considered equivalent to any required courses in the General Education Breadth Areas or Liberal Arts Studies sequence.

The full policy can be found in the University catalog.

International Baccalaureate

International Baccalaureate Program

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program’s examinations are administered through high schools. For information regarding the courses or examinations please contact a high school counselor or principal. Additional information may be obtained through:

International Baccalaureate Global Centre, Washington DC
7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 200 West
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
(301)202-3000
Email: ibna@ibo.org
http://www.ibo.org/

Students who complete IB exams must send an original grade report from IB to Ottawa University (the CEEB code is xxxx).

If an exam that you are taking, or that you may take, is not included in the list below, please contact the Ottawa University Office of the Registrar at registrar@ottawa.edu for equivalency information.

University Credit Hour Policy and Procedure

Credit Hour Definition

Updated and Approved by University Academic Council on December 7, 2023

Ottawa University complies with the federal definition of a credit hour (34 CFR 600.2), for all course types, programs, credential levels, and formats, regardless of modality. The federal definition states that:

“… a credit hour is an amount of student work defined by an institution, as approved by the institution’s accrediting agency or State approval agency, that is consistent with commonly accepted practice in postsecondary education and that—

(1) Reasonably approximates not less than—

(i) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different period of time; or

(ii) At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1)(i) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours; and

(2) Permits an institution, in determining the amount of work associated with a credit hour, to take into account a variety of delivery methods, measurements of student work, academic calendars, disciplines, and degree levels.

Furthermore, the university adheres to the federal formula for calculating minimum instruction time, as described in 34 CFR 668.8: “a semester or trimester hour must include at least 30 clock hours of instruction.” To support credit hour consistency across all locations and modalities, the university applies the federal definition of distance education, “providing the opportunity for substantive interactions with the student on a predictable and scheduled basis commensurate with the length of time and the amount of content in the course…” (34 CFR 600.2).

Procedure: Assigning Credit Hours

Updated and Approved by University Academic Council on January 11, 2024

Credit Hours are assigned as Faculty propose new courses, collaborating with the School Dean to apply the university’s Definition of a Credit Hour, using the following worksheet as a guide:

TABLE 1: Calculation of Instructional Hours Per Modality (Minimum per Credit Hour = 15 hours)
Face-to-Face Courses	A: Number of Weeks	B: Sessions per Week	C: Hours Per Session (1 hour = 50 minutes)	A x B x C: Total Hours Face-to-Face Instruction per Term
CALCULATE:	A =	B =	C =	A x B x C =

Online Courses	A: Number of Weeks	B: Number of 50-minute Hours per Week in Instructor-Student Engagement		A x B: Total Hours Online Instruction Per Term
CALCULATE:	A =	B =
DESCRIBE:	Based on guidelines from Instructional Design and Technology, please describe distribution of time in instructor-student engagement activities (item B above).

Hybrid Courses (Mixed Delivery)	A: Number of Weeks	B: Weekly Total Hours of Face-to-Face Instruction	C: Total 50-minute Hours per Week of Distance-Based Instructor-Student Engagement	A x (B + C): Total Hours of Instruction (Distance & Face-to-Face)
CALCULATE:	A =	B =	C =	A x (B + C) =
DESCRIBE:	Based on guidelines from Instructional Design and Technology, please describe distribution of time in instructor-student engagement activities (item C above).

TABLE 2: All Courses: Calculation of Homework Hours (Minimum per Credit Hour = 30 hours)
Readings, Research, Preparation for Discussion, Assignments, Journals, Presentations, etc.	A. Number of Weeks	B. Homework Hours per Week	A x B = Total Hours Homework
CALCULATE:

TABLE 3: Calculation of Total Hours of Student Work

(Total Hours of Instruction) + (Total Hours of Homework) = (Total Hours of Student Work)

CALCULATE HERE:

Calculation of Assigned Credit Hours

(Total Hours of Student Work) ÷ (45) = (Number of Assigned Credit Hours)

CALCULATE HERE:

Veterans

Ottawa University has three Veterans Representatives (also known as School Certifying Officials - SCO). SCO’s are physically located in Surprise, AZ; Ottawa, KS; and Brookfield, WI. These representatives serve as a liaison for those students who are eligible to receive Veteran’s benefits. Students who are eligible for Veterans benefits should contact their Veterans Representative for an application and procedures.

Any time a schedule change is made, it is the student’s responsibility to immediately notify the Veterans Representative of the change. Schedule changes include adding courses, dropping courses, or withdrawing from the university.

GI BILL® COMPARISON TOOL

This innovative tool makes it easier to research colleges and employers providing training under the GI Bill®. It displays median borrowing amounts, graduation rates, and loan-default rates by school and indicates whether or not the school participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program or has agreed to adhere to the Principles of Excellence. Further, the tool allows Veterans, Service members, their spouses, and dependents to estimate the amount of funding they may receive under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®.

‘‘GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill."

GI BILL® FEEDBACK TOOL

GI BILL® FEEDBACK TOOL

The GI Bill® Feedback Tool is a centralized online reporting system that allows Veterans, Service members, and eligible dependents to report negative experiences with educational institutions. VA serves as the intermediary to resolve complaints between the student and school. Submitted complaints may be reviewed by state and Federal law enforcement agencies including the Department of Justice. Students may submit feedback on their educational institution by visiting www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/feedback.asp.

Veteran's Benefits

The Veteran’s Representatives provide services to persons who are eligible to receive educational assistance (GI Bill®) as administered through the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Students who are veterans, dependents of veterans or members of reserve and National Guard units must visit the University Veterans Representative to initiate their GI Bill®.

Once admitted to the University, additional veteran services provided include: certifying veterans enrolled in classes; conferring with veterans and dependents of totally disabled veterans; and ensuring that veteran students are in compliance with federal and state laws governing their educational benefits.

GI Bill®

The GI Bill® provides educational assistance to service members, veterans, and their dependents.

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Federal Benefits

Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents, and Survivors

The Department of Veterans Affairs most popular publication, the Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors booklet provides brief descriptions of VA programs and benefits, including compensation and pension benefits, health care, memorial and burial benefits, facility phone numbers and addresses, and more.

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Post 9/11 GI Bill® Questions