Academic File

Is it common protocol for a university to keep personal information on former students in their academic file, including personal MySpace and Facebook blogs, newspaper articles and television interview transcripts?

Judge for yourself:

HARDY ACADEMIC FILE - MEDIA STORIES

On February 13, 2009 I was given access to inspect my entire academic file.  A reporter from the Associated Press attended my file review.  BYU would not give my attorney my entire academic file previously because some of the documents have other people's names and emails on them.

Those missing documents were emails to and from:

Cecil Samuelson, BYU President

Carri Jenkins, Assistant to the President, University Communications

Jan Scharman, BYU vice president for Student Life

Alexis Plowman, Assistant to Carri Jenkins

Greg Nolte, Director of Development, College Relations

Julie Walker, BYU Broadcast News Manager

Roger Reynolds, BYU Bookstore Director

The names of these individuals were blacked out before they were copied for me.  You can review these documents at the following links:

EMAILS CONCERNING DELETING GRADUATION & DIPLOMA

WHISTLE BLOWING FROM BYU BOOKSTORE DIRECTOR

CONVERSATION REGARDING A STUDENT OUTRAGE LETTER (notice that if this person were a BYU student, she would have received counseling.)

There also were many emails in my file that the general public had sent to the school sharing their opinion of BYU's actions after the story hit the media.  Not one mentioned that BYU did the right thing.  Those who took the time to send your opinion, your voice was heard and are now part of my permanent BYU academic file.  The emails sent to Norm Finlinson were not initially in my file, but after I brought attention to them, they were added.