Where do you keep your college degrees?

[pryncess527]

Educational records are considered a private record and pretty much no reputable school will release a record without the direct permission of the student (or former student). Typically it has to be in the form of a direct request by the student, although it can be mailed to the employer/school/etc that is requesting it. I requested a few for my own records, and they come with special seals on the envelope. I don't think they're that tamper proof, but I guess some recipients feel better if it has some special tape over the envelope.

Transcripts themselves are private, but verifying that a person has or has not completed a degree, along with major and dates of attendance, are considered basic directory information and is not protected by FERPA unless the student has specifically requested an additional layer of privacy block.
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/mndirectoryinfo.html

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I don't think I ever got my college diploma. I think I had some library books due (that I later returned) so they withheld it but I never got my diploma. Doesn't matter to me (Obviously). I've had my transcript printed for jobs before so it's not like I don't have proof that I graduated.

 

[tvguy]

They don't ask YOU, but that doesn't mean they don't ask for proof. It's fairly common to call the University, give them your SSN and ask for verification that you did indeed earn the degree that you said that you did.

As to my degrees; they are in their leather folders in a bookcase. DH has his framed on his office wall, but that's expected in his profession; while it is not commonly done by members of mine.
Whether or not you frame them and put them up at work tends to depend on the kind of work you do; clients would think it was weird if a physician or attorney didn't put them up.

Now that I think about it, I don't think I even gave my last two employers a resume. They probably have no idea what my educational background is. Being that I worked for a competitor in the same city, they could see my work every day, and had for the previous 16 years.

 

[winterman]

Mine and DH's are in the storage box where I keep old pictures and memories. The box is in a closet, not the basement. They came in folders that have kept them safe. I had DD's and DS's framed. I don't think either of them has it hanging in their homes but I'm ok with that.

 

[bcla]

Transcripts themselves are private, but verifying that a person has or has not completed a degree, along with major and dates of attendance, are considered basic directory information and is not protected by FERPA unless the student has specifically requested an additional layer of privacy block.
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/mndirectoryinfo.html

I looked it up, and perhaps that's correct to some degree. However, most employers want more than just a message, but something official with an official seal. Where I've gotten one, that couldn't be released without my specific permission.

 

[NotUrsula]

I looked it up, and perhaps that's correct to some degree. However, most employers want more than just a message, but something official with an official seal. Where I've gotten one, that couldn't be released without my specific permission.

Not in my experience, not if transcripts are not requested. (Some employers do ask for transcripts, but IME in most fields that is rare once you are at least 5 years out of school. Naturally if that is what is requested, then the applicant has to give written permission ... and normally pay the fee as well)

As the PP noted, if all you are asking for is confirmation of a degree earned and when, it can be confirmed over the phone.. It is a simple Y/N question: "This is Mary Miller at Monsanto HR. I have a work application here from John W. Smith, SSN XXX-XX-XXXX. He states that he completed a BS in Chemistry at your institution in 2001. Can you confirm that for me, please?" The college has no reason to lie about it; either they say yes and the question is answered, or they say no and the applicant is asked to produce an official transcript.

 

[macraven]

no joke.
i keep my high school diploma, the undergradulate degree and the advanced degree in my underwear drawer.
also keep my passport there too.

if i ever need them for any thing, i always know where they are
keeps my lif simple
but each yeari get older, those documents becomes less importatant to me.

 

[TaylorEar]

Both my and my husband's degrees are in what most would consider and unusual spot....the guest bathroom!!

Years ago, I decided to decorate my guest bathroom in a library theme (after all, some people jokingly call it 'the library'...). I did a leather-look treatment on the walls, found a wallpaper border that looks like a shelf of old books. Hung a neat wrought iron magazine rack in there; found a tissue box cover that looks like a stack of books....you get the picture. Well, libraries are good places to hang important documents...so I had our degrees framed and they hang in there. I didn't want our kids left out (at the time I did the room they were very young) so the fancy hospital birth certificates they got when they were born are framed and hanging in there too.

I get a lot of great comments from guests about the room!

I personally think the guest bathroom is the best place to hang degrees! Without fail I hear a chuckle every time a new guest uses the bathroom and notices my degrees hanging/taped above the toilet.

 

[ZachnElli]

Framed and hanging in the home office behind the desk. Looks great to me! DH comes from a family that does not value education, his parents didn't even graduate high school along with one of his 2 sisters and now the next generation, a niece. That's just high school! They called him all sorts of things when he went back as an adult; vain, up on his high horse, thinks he better than them, and a bunch of stuff I can't post on the Dis. I'm damn proud he did it being raised like he did and graduated with high honors with a full time job and 3 kids at home! Damn right brag wall!

 

[topolino]

Framed and hanging in the home office behind the desk. Looks great to me! DH comes from a family that does not value education, his parents didn't even graduate high school along with one of his 2 sisters and now the next generation, a niece. That's just high school! They called him all sorts of things when he went back as an adult; vain, up on his high horse, thinks he better than them, and a bunch of stuff I can't post on the Dis. I'm damn proud he did it being raised like he did and graduated with high honors with a full time job and 3 kids at home! Damn right brag wall!

That is sad, but I'm glad your husband overcame the negativity and followed his path. Keep those degrees framed and on the wall. They are a true source of pride.

 

[cedricandsophie]

My husband has a bachelors from university of Illinois and law degree from Harvard. We have been married 35 years and together over 40. I’ve never seen the certificates.

 

[GreatLakes]

Both mine and my wife's are hanging on the wall in our office. My MBA degree will be joining hers in july.

 

[JimMIA]

You should always protect your original college degree and keep it in a safe place, if you are thinking about replacing your college diploma for framing or want to purchase a fake joke diploma, get more details from our website nd-center.com

SPAM is not permitted on the Dis. If you are interested in becoming a legitimate DIS sponsor, please contact the admin.

 

[China Expat]

On my office wall

 

[Pyotr]

 

[NYCgrrl]

No idea where my first degree is as I was too busy working on the next one to care, LOL.
Found my next to last degree at my mother’s home after she passed. Kinda of felt like she’d earned it .
I do know where all my transcripts are though.

 

[MomOfDisneyPrincess]

In a box at the back of a closet somewhere. I don't think I would ever tell someone it's tacky to hang theirs, but I only ever see them in offices where it's pertinent, like doctors and my boss who is a CPA. Mine and my ex-hubs are both just BA degrees and neither of us are working in our original field of study.

ETA - OOPS, just realized this is an old thread from before I even joined.

 

[Bibbobboo2u]

My husband had my diploma framed as a gift years ago. I graduated during the 200th year of the university I attended, so the diplomas were oversized and hand written by calligraphers in Latin. It is hanging in our office.

 

[Silver saucer]

Both my bachelor and masters diplomas are in the closet somewhere.
Zombie threads can be fun!

 

[bcla]

Here's to zombies.

When I was a kid my dentist had three diplomas on that walls of the patient rooms. I think it was a bachelors in English from UC Berkeley, a doctor of pharmacy from UC Berkeley (they discontinued it years ago), and a DDS from UC San Francisco. Not sure why in there and not a business office.

The weirdest was when my kid did some martial arts. The owner had a bachelors degree as a computer science major and put that up in the studio wall. Didn't seem terribly relevant, but there it was.