Office of the 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
• Confidentiality Forms

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.

Most students can register for most courses online via the myGGU portal.

• Registration for an academic period begins approximately eight weeks before the start of the “A” (trimester) term, per the Academic Calendar.
• Students may be allowed to add courses after the “Last Day to Register/Add Course” per the Academic Calendar, by completing the Late Registration Process. The process requires submission of the following to the Registrar’s Office:
  • Approval of the course instructor
  • Approval of a senior administrator of the school offering the course, such as the dean, program director, or department chair
  • Payment of the $100 Late Registration Fee

Golden Gate University has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to provide an online transcript ordering service. You can order your transcript using any major credit card. Your credit card will not be charged until your order is completed.

• To order an official transcript(s), go to the Transcript Ordering Center site. You can also track your transcript order via the Transcript Order Status page. In addition, you can choose to receive email and/or text communications regarding your order status.
• To avoid having to sign a consent form, start the ordering process from the Self-Service resource after signing in to your myGGU account. Otherwise, you can sign the consent form using your device.
• The Clearinghouse website will walk you through placing your order, including delivery options and fees. A fee of $10 per transcript copy and a processing fee of $2.90 per recipient will be charged. You can order as many transcripts as you wish in a single order, provided they are all sent to the same recipient.
• Note: when ordering a transcript via the National Student Clearinghouse, if you last attended GGU prior to 1983, you may get a message that says, “Your school was unable to find your record.” If that happens, click on the “No” button and then the “Continue” button to proceed with placing your order. We will research our archived records once the order has been received to produce your transcript.
• Attention Law School JD students: If you are seeking to transfer to another law school, in addition to ordering an official transcript, you will also need to request a letter of “good” academic standing by completing and submitting the Student Status Letter Request form to lawreg@ggu.edu. You may also need to have your Law School Admissions Council Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report sent directly from LSAC to the school to which you are attempting to transfer.
• If you need to change the legal name that will appear on your transcript before ordering a copy, submit the Student Information Change Request form, and wait until we have confirmed your name change before submitting an order.
• When requesting a copy of your transcript to be sent to WES World Education Services for credential evaluation, it is highly recommended that you select the PDF option.
• Download our Transcript Ordering Fast Facts for general transcript ordering information.

If you need further assistance, would like to order a transcript off-line, or have questions regarding your order, you may contact us at records@ggu.edu or 415-442-7260. If you have requested your order online via the National Student Clearinghouse, please include your order number in your communication to us.

Golden Gate University now offers digital diplomas and certificates. These are certified electronic credentials known as a CeDiploma or CeCertificate (CeDiploma/CeCertificate).

• Learn how it works
• Validate your diploma

You may order an additional or replacement copy of your diploma or certificate via CeCredential Trust. Note, if you want to have your diploma notarized by GGU’s Registrar’s Office, you must submit the Notarized Document Request form.

The Records Office will notarized your diploma (and transcripts if needed) in order to be authenticated by the California Secretary of State to become legal in certain countries outside of the United States. Please note that the Records Office does not provide the Apostille or Certification. You must obtain it from the California Secretary of State after you receive your notarized diploma. You may submit your copy of your diploma for notarization or request a new copy using the Notarized Document Request form. There is a charge of $10 for the notarized diploma. If you need to change your legal name-of-record before ordering a diploma, submit the Student Information Change Request form.

If you need further assistance or have questions, you may contact us at graduation@ggu.edu.

For Student Requests: Domestic students may obtain an enrollment certifications and degree verifications from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) by logging in to NSC MyHub page. NSC MyHub dashboard allows students to obtain these documents and their official transcripts in one convenient place.

The benefits of MyHub include:

• Convenient 24/7 access
• Immediate download of enrollment certifications and degree verifications

For Third Party Requests: Golden Gate University has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to provide verification of our graduates’ degrees and current domestic students’ enrollment information. Outside organizations or persons can obtain a verification using any major credit card. The requestors’ credit card will only be charged if the degree can be verified.

To obtain photo ID cards, students must first upload their photos to their myGGU profiles. After uploading their photos, they should email bsf@ggu.edu 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. Students must present their ID cards to gain access to the Law Library.

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.

Jennifer Rupert 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 Jennifer at jenniferrupert@ggu.edu.

• Request to Withhold Directory Information
• Student Information Change Request
• Student Information Release Authorization
• Student Status Letter Request
• Practical Training of Law Students (Note: The Declaration by Dean of Law School form should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office at least one month before the applicant’s first court date.)

• Intent to Return from Leave of Absence
• Leave of Absence or Visit Away Hiatus Request
• Withdrawal from Law School

• Election for Credit No-Credit Grade

• • Apply For Graduation (Degree Programs) (via myGGU and Self-Service)
  • Certificate Program Request (Graduate Law Certificate Programs)
  • Additional Diploma Request