ARTICLE INTENDED FOR:

Faculty and staff users of Starfish

INTRODUCTION:

All users of Starfish, regardless of role, are expected to meet the standards of record-keeping detailed below, consistent with federal and University policy. For academic advisers, documenting recommendations and interpretation of policy is a basic expectation of professional and ethical practice.

Maintaining records of interactions with students is essential for facilitating continuity in a student’s educational development. Notes maintained in Starfish are part of the student’s educational record and are viewable by individuals in particular roles and educational connections with the student.

These records protect both the student and the University by allowing mistakes to be corrected and students to be held accountable for instructions provided by university personnel. These documentation standards ensure that the content of records is consistent with policy and ethical guidelines.

ARTICLE BODY:

Use of Starfish notes should be consistent with all federal and University policies, as well as the ethical standards of the advising field, including:

Respect for student confidentiality rights regarding personal information;
Understanding of the institution’s interpretation of applicable laws, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA);
Accessing student information only when relevant to the educational process;
Entering or changing information on students’ records only with appropriate institutional authorization to do so;
Documenting contacts adequately to meet institutional disclosure guidelines and aid in subsequent educational interactions.

When creating a new record in Starfish, users can see which other Starfish roles are permitted to view this note. Users can choose to email students a copy of Starfish notes they create. Students do not see these notes within Starfish but may request to see their Starfish notes under their FERPA rights.

Self-Check Questions When Accessing Student Records

When accessing student records, ask yourself:

Do I have a specific, job-related need to access this record?

Self-Check Questions When Entering Notes

When entering notes, assume others will read your notes. Ask yourself:

Is this something another Starfish user connected with this student would need to know?
Is this something the student would want other people to know?
- Do not include medical diagnoses or details about traumatic events; use general words instead (e.g. "student experienced a medical issue that is disrupting attendance"). See also the section on "Sensitive Subject Matter" below.
- Do not copy and paste student emails verbatim, if avoidable; summarize communications instead.
Are the details in my notes based on fact?
- Avoid including personal observations or perspectives that might influence another reader's interpretation of the facts.

Standard Topics to Be Documented

Every substantial contact with a student or relating to a student should be documented and should include appropriate details and the date of the interaction. Typically, this documentation will include the content of the discussion with the student—including interpretations of policy, issues raised, and recommendations made.

Sensitive Subject Matter

Caution should be exercised when documenting topics that contain sensitive subject matter. These include: disability, religious and/or political affiliation, sexual orientation, medical diagnoses, or information that could be detrimental to the student if it were revealed to a third party. Penn State’s policy AD11 excludes from the educational record any records created or maintained by University Police and Public Safety, records related to an individual’s employment, and records made or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist.

Official documents related to these topics are not to be kept in Starfish notes, even if necessary for legitimate academic business. Records with medical or judicial content that are included in petitions to the University Faculty Senate should be kept in a different location, separate from the educational record.

Policies on Disclosure of Student Records

Records in Starfish are visible to others in Starfish who have a legitimate educational need for that information, depending on the user’s Starfish roles and the permissions associated with the particular type of record.

Penn State policies AD11 (University Policy on Confidentiality of Student Records) and ADG06 (Appropriate Use of Student Data) should be consulted regarding any release of Starfish records.

"Private" Notes

Private notes are not shown to anyone else in the student folder, but even notes marked as "private" can be seen in exported reports and should follow ethical guidelines for creating Starfish records. Anything truly private should not be recorded in Starfish.

Starfish: Ethical Guidelines for Accessing and Creating Starfish Records