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Former students of Union Institute & University, an online university based in Cincinnati that closed over the summer, say they cannot access their transcripts, causing problems for those hoping to pursue further education.
WVXU, Cincinnati’s NPR affiliate, reported that the link on the institution’s website to access transcripts leads to a page on Parchment, a digital credential management service, that says users cannot order transcripts because the university is closed. Parchment’s parent company, Instructure, told WVXU that Parchment has the capability to continue providing credentials for shuttered institutions “if the custodian of the closed university elects to do so.”
Former university leaders did not respond to WVXU’s request for comment. In a statement, the Ohio Department of Higher Education said the matter is Union’s responsibility to sort out.
“Union is currently working on an agreement and we are urging them to provide guidance to students soon on how they can obtain their transcripts,” the statement read. “As part of the institutional accreditation process, federal and state law/regulations require institutions of higher education to have a process for records retention and transcript release during operation and a plan for continued access to transcripts after closure.”
One 2014 Union alumna, Tammy Land, told the radio station she has been working to get her transcript since August in the hopes of attending a master’s program.
