aper products are out at NIU.

In years past, NIU students have been able to obtain their semester grades by receiving a grade report in the mail.

With budget cuts being made throughout campus, grades now only will be sent home by request.

About $15,000 is spent annually on postage, printing, envelopes and handling costs, and now will be saved by not sending grades in the mail.

Students should not have any problems finding their grades, said Robin Hendricks, assistant director for registration and records for records, public contact and transcripts. Student grades are available through WebConnect on NIU’s Web site and TRACS.

Donald Larson, executive director of Registrar Enrollment Services, said he has tried to inform students that grades only are available online and on the telephone.

“Having grades available online and phone only is actually becoming quite common among colleges and universities,” Larson said. “Because of inflation, e-delivery of information is going to be used more across the board as we strive to become more efficient administratively as a university.”

Students’ parents may find it harder to look at their grade report for the semester.

“There are some parents who are used to opening their children’s grade reports when they arrive in the mail, although the reports are addressed to the student and not to the parents,” Larson said. “Parents will now have to get grade information directly from their student. We will continue to work with parents to educate them about the privacy rights of their children once they enroll in college.”

If parents claim their children as dependents, then they have rights to access the student’s grades, Hendricks said.

“Just paying for a student’s education does not include them within the privilege of being able to see their grades,” Hendricks added.

Graduate student Araceli Ramirez said she didn’t have a problem accessing grades, but could see how it may be a problem for others.

“I can see if you don’t have a computer to access from how it could be an inconvenience,” Ramirez said.

Hendricks is not sure if grade reports will be sent home to each student again.