Academic Security & Student Grade Privacy

1. Overview & Business Value#

This comprehensive operational guide details the architecture, business workflows, configuration parameters, and execution steps for Academic Security & Student Grade Privacy within SmartERP.

Information security controls, FERPA-aligned grade privacy policies, cryptographic transcript signatures, and audit trails.

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2. Prerequisites & Security Access Groups#

• Required Modules: smarterp_higher_education, smarterp_student_records
• Security Groups:
  • Admissions Officer (Technical ID: smarterp_higher_ed.group_admissions_user)
  • Registrar / Academic Dean (Technical ID: smarterp_higher_ed.group_registrar_manager)
  • Faculty Member / Instructor (Technical ID: smarterp_higher_ed.group_faculty_user)
• Master Data Dependencies: Faculties, departments, ECTS modular curricula, academic semesters (Ethiopian/Gregorian calendar), tuition fee schedules, and student master files.

3. Step-by-Step Configuration & Execution#

Step 1: Navigating to the Module Interface#

1. Log into your SmartERP instance at https://smarterp.et/odoo.
2. Open the main App Switcher (grid icon in the top-left corner).
3. Select the Higher Education app icon.
4. From the top navigation bar, open Higher Education → Academic Registry → Students / Admissions / Courses / Grading.

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Step 2: Creating and Parameterizing Records#

1. Click the New button in the top-left control panel.
2. Complete the mandatory fields in the record form:
   • Student ID Number (Mandatory): Unique institutional student registration identifier
   • Full Name & National ID (Mandatory): Legal name matching Ministry of Education (MoE) enrollment records
   • Academic Program & Faculty (Mandatory): Approved undergraduate or postgraduate modular program
   • Semester Term (Mandatory): Active academic term adhering to ETA curriculum guidelines
3. Configure optional operational parameters and localized tags as required:
   • Course Prerequisite Override (Optional): Authorized waiver for advanced module enrollment
   • Tuition Sponsorship (Optional): Cost-sharing agreement or private employer corporate sponsorship
   • Dormitory & Campus Facility (Optional): Assigned residential block and meal plan access
4. Click the Save icon in the control bar to commit the record.

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Step 3: Validating and Processing Transactions#

• State Transitions: Execute operational state progression (Applied → Admitted → Registered / Enrolled → Active Study → Grades Finalized → Graduated).
• Ledger & System Impact: Semester registration automatically generates student tuition invoices in Accounts Receivable; fee settlement via Telebirr/CBE Birr marks student financially cleared.
• Audit Verification: Automated recording of author ID, timestamp, and immutable revision history.

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Grade Privacy & Data Protection Principles#

Academic performance records represent sensitive personal data. SmartERP adheres to international educational privacy principles (aligned with FERPA guidelines and Ethiopian personal data protection standards).

Core security mandates:

1. Public Grade Posting Prohibited: Posting grades on physical departmental notice boards using student names or full ID numbers is strictly prohibited. Grades are visible only through authenticated private student portal sessions.
2. Immutable Grade History: Once the Department Council locks a grade, direct edits in the database are programmatically prohibited. Any grade alteration requires a formal Senate Grade Change Petition with documented justification.
3. Segregation of Academic & Financial Privileges: Financial cashiers can view tuition balances and payment receipts but have zero read access to student grades, exam marks, or academic standing records.

Role-Based Access Control Matrix#

Cryptographic Transcript Verification#

Every official transcript generated by SmartERP contains an asymmetric digital signature:

• A cryptographic hash of the student's complete academic record is signed with the University Registrar's private key.
• Employers, foreign universities, and embassy officials scan the printed document's QR code to verify authenticity against the university's public key portal (https://verify.university.edu.et), instantly detecting any forged grades.

4. Advanced Configuration Points#

• Automated Actions & Scheduled Tasks (Crons):
  • Education: Compute semester GPA and cumulative CGPA (smarterp_higher_ed.ir_cron_cgpa_calc): Runs at the end of each examination period to compute student academic standing
  • Finance: Generate semester tuition fee invoices (smarterp_higher_ed.ir_cron_tuition_invoices): Runs prior to semester registration deadline
• Custom Print Templates & Reports:
  • Official Student Academic Transcript (MoE & ETA Standards)
  • Semester Course Registration & Clearance Slip
  • Student ID Card with Cryptographic QR Verification
  • Examination Results & Faculty Grade Distribution Ledger
• Multi-Company Rules: Record-level security isolation under Company 1 (Ashewa Technology Solutions S.C.), preventing cross-company ledger leakage across parent and subsidiary legal entities.

5. Comprehensive Troubleshooting Matrix#