To plan your academic programs for the next term, you will need grade information promptly.

Previous generations of students received their grades by mail or by visiting the registrar's office, often after the new term had begun. More recently students have been able to obtain grades more promptly by telephone. However, the longer students must wait and the more trouble it is to access grades, the less instructive and the less useful the grades from the previous term become.

The ability to access grade and transcript information online from anywhere at any time is a measure of an institution's service to students and of the priority it places on using information technology to enhance the overall learning environment.

As is the case with accessing your personal information online, you should be sure that access to your grades is protected by a level of security and authorization controls that will guarantee this information will remain confidential and free from tampering or being viewed by unauthorized persons. Often campus regulations require that you change your password regularly and that you not share your password with anyone else.

Additional information about privacy in a networked world is available from the EDUCAUSE Web site.