Student Support: Registrar

 The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 identifies the rights of students and their families with respect to student educational records kept by institutions. The following information provides operational procedures for certain aspects of FERPA-related policies at Golden Gate University.

• Confidentiality
• Student Rights Under FERPA
• Directory Information
• FERPA Frequently Asked Questions

Golden Gate University recognizes that some students prefer to be known by chosen or preferred names rather than their legal names. The university strives to use and display chosen names wherever and whenever possible in its student records, learning management systems, and communications information systems. To that end, once declared, chosen names will appear in Self-Service, GGU4YOU, eLearning and other information systems where students’ instructors or classmates can see their names. In addition, if students have declared preferred pronouns, they too will appear on instructors’ GGU4YOU class rosters. In addition to declaring their chosen names and preferred pronouns, students may enter their nicknames and gender identities via the Personal Identity form by following the steps below.

To declare chosen names and pronouns, students should complete the following steps:

• Login to myGGU.
• Click on the Self-Service resource icon.
• Click on the User Profile icon, located in the upper-right hand corner of the page.
• Click on the Edit Personal Identity button.

The following policies apply to the declaration of chosen names:

• When entering chosen names into Self-Service, the first letter of each declared name must be capitalized, i.e., all lower-case names are not allowed.
• Students who want to be known by two first names, name (e.g., Mary Beth), should enter them together into the First Name field.
• After students have declared their chosen names by entering them into Self-Service, they may obtain student ID cards showing their chosen names from the GGU Hub, free of charge.
• Submitting a chosen name via Student Self-Service will automatically generate a new GGU student email address. Consequently, it is recommended that students enter their chosen names between academic periods to ensure there is no disruption in communications.
• Chosen names will not be used where legal names are required by law or institutional policy, such as: financial aid records, official transcripts, payroll records, and federal immigration records.
• Chosen names may appear on students’ diplomas so long as they have been entered by the students into Self-Service. However, if students need copies of their diplomas with their legal names, they will be required to pay for additional copies of their diplomas. Notarized copies of diplomas must display the student’s legal name on record.
• Students may change their chosen names or delete them from their records by updating the Personal Identity form via Self-Service.
• The use of chosen names for purposes of misrepresentation or fraud will be considered a violation of the student code of conduct.

The Registrar's Office coordinates the grading processes. Grades are made available to students via myGGU/Self-Service once they are recorded. Grade reports will be provided to students upon request. To request a grade report, contact the Registrar's Office. Grades are never released in person or over the telephone. Instructors in most JD courses may select a student to receive the Excellence for the Future Award, sponsored by the Center for Computer Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI). A notation is made on the transcripts of award recipients.

JD students are ranked twice a year, at the end of the fall and spring semesters after all of the grades have been recorded. Full-time and part-time students are ranked together among a group of students with whom they are likely to graduate. Students are notified of their class rank by e-mail. JD graduates are ranked with their entire graduating class for a final time. Graduating class rank is determined once the summer term graduates degrees have been conferred. LLM students and graduates are not ranked.

The Registrar's Office maintains the Law School's academic program requirements in the student information system. Academic program requirements include required GPAs (both overall and for the required courses), required total units, required courses, and required number of elective units. These program requirements allow students and administrators to perform degree audits, also known as academic program evaluations, which show how students are progressing toward graduation. Continuing students may view their academic program evaluation reports via myGGU/Self-Service. Students should click on "Student Planning" to view their reports. The academic program evaluation report is a useful tool for schedule planning prior to registration.

The Registrar's Office reports enrollment status information for all students enrolled in Law School courses electronically to the National Student Clearinghouse. Consequently, most lenders will be notified of students' enrollment statuses and will update their records accordingly. Students whose lenders do not participate in the clearinghouse, or those who need enrollment verification for other purposes, such as rental agreements, may obtain them free of charge. Enrollment verification letters may be requested with the Student Status Letter Request form. Loan deferment forms will also be processed free of charge. Requests are generally processed in the order received and may take up to three business days to be completed. Consequently, requests should be submitted well in advance of any pending due dates.

To obtain photo ID cards, students must first upload their photos to their myGGU profiles. After uploading their photos, they should email the GGU Hub to request to have their ID cards printed. Students then have the option of picking up their ID cards on campus or of having them mailed to them. Note: In order to enter the building, students must complete the COVID-19 Vaccination Attestation form. A link to the form is accessible via myGGU under the FAQs section. Students may obtain replacement ID cards from the GGU Hub for a $10 fee. Students must present their ID cards to gain access to the Law Library.

The Registrar's Office confers degrees on behalf of the faculty to students who have completed their academic program requirements. Students must apply for graduation online via myGGU/Self-Service in order to have their degrees awarded. The Law School does not charge a graduation fee, but the application is required for the Registrar's Office to determine how students want their names to appear in the commencement program and on their diplomas. Applications should be submitted in a timely manner in order to ensure students receive important information relating to the commencement ceremony held every May. Students who intend to participate in the ceremony must submit their applications by December 1 of the year preceding the ceremony. JD students pursuing specialization certificates must also submit JD Specialization Certificate Application forms. The Registrar's Office also provides degree verification for Law School graduates. Degree verification letters may be requested with the Student Status Letter Request form. Duplicate or replacement diplomas may also be ordered at a cost of $50 each by submitting payment along with the Additional Diploma Request Form.

Every state requires that an individual be licensed in order to practice law. Each state has different requirements for licensure; almost all require an applicant to pass a general examination for competence, pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, and establish his or her moral character and fitness for practice.

JD students planning to practice in states other than California should consult the individual admissions requirements of those states. A list of state admissions offices is available from the National Conference of Bar Examiners or most individual state Websites can be located by searching "Bar Exam" for that particular state.

The rules of the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California require each law student who plans to take the California Bar Examination to register with the Committee and pay the prescribed fee after beginning the study of law. The registration form is available from the State Bar of California's Admission Requirements page.

LLM students who obtained their first degrees in law from law schools located in foreign countries who are seeking admission to the State Bar of California should order official transcripts through the National Student Clearinghouse to be sent to the Office of Admissions in Los Angeles as discussed on the Guidelines for Applicants with a Foreign Law Degree page. Note: the word "certificate" on the California State Bar webpage means "transcript." See the Foreign Education page for additional information regarding registration requirements.

Mateo Jenkins in the Dean's Suite schedules rooms for all Law School courses and Law School related activities such as review sessions, student group meetings, and special events. Students and faculty should be sure to schedule rooms before publicizing their events. Detailed room requests should be sent to Mateo Jenkins at mjenkins@ggu.edu.