• Content
• When to Send
• How to Send
  • Credential Uploads to WECAN
• Procedures Used for Sending
• Special Requests
• Updating the Credential/Dossier
• Reference Policies
• Reference Review

Content

Credential: An EPCS credential contains a one- or two-page resume, transcripts, professional education certificate or license, and 3-10 professional references.

Dossier: The EPCS dossier contains reference letters, and may also include transcripts.

Photographs are prohibited in credentials/dossiers under State legislation. If you have other material to send to an employer (such as lists of publications, exhibits, performances; copies of news articles, programs; tapes; slides; etc.), include them in a portfolio,or when appropriate, with the letter and resume or vita you send directly. Otherwise, keep them in your personal file of materials to take to an interview.

When to Have the Credential/Dossier Sent

When you hear of a job opening for which you are qualified (either from a vacancy listing we send you or from some other source), write a letter of application, and send a copy of your resume or vita and anything else requested in the vacancy information, to the prospective employer. In the summer months or when there are early deadlines, you may want to initiate contact by phone to ask for an application blank and to arrange an interview as soon as possible.

Your Professional Credential/Dossier should be sent only for a known vacancy when:

1. The employer has responded to your letter of application or inquiry, specifically requesting it, OR
2. The vacancy information indicates you should send it, OR
3. The opening is an immediate one and applications will be accepted for a limited time, OR
4. It is late in the placement year (July or August) and positions will be filled rapidly.

REMEMBER to keep track of where your credentials/dossiers have been sent. Duplicate requests made by you will be honored and, therefore, counted toward your 20 credentials sent. After 20, there is a $2.00 charge per credential. Please see Summary of Procedures and Charges for detailed information on fees.

IT IS THE PREROGATIVE OF EDUCATION PORTFOLIOS AND CAREER SERVICES TO REQUIRE EVIDENCE OF EMPLOYER INTEREST IN ALL CASES.

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How to Have the Credential/Dossier Sent

Credentials requests can now be made by submitting labels to the EPCS office or via the EPCS On-line account.

• Credential/Dossier Requests
• WECAN UPLOAD requests (Credential Service)

Credential/Dossier Requests

Requests can be made on-line by going to the EPCS web page and logging into your EPCS On-line account. From the EPCS On-Line Services menu, select Job Search Account menu, choose Credential Requests which allows you to address your own labels on-line.

Submit complete addresses of bona fide employers as follows:

• Name of employing official
• Title of employing official
• Department (for college addresses)
• School Name
• Street Address (if available)
• City, State, Zip Code

If you don't have a complete address, or the job is a non-school position, indicate the source of your vacancy information and the position for which you are applying to avoid delay.

If your credential/dossier is ready to be sent, your request will usually be honored within one to three days.

WECAN Upload Requests (Credential Service)

With an active account, EPCS will also upload your credential file to WECAN. (If your account is not active, see Charges: Inactive Accounts)

To request a WECAN upload, here's what you need to do:

1. Apply to the district through WECAN (you must apply to a district before materials can be uploaded)

2. Log in to your EPCS ON-Line account > Job Search menu > Add Your Credential File to WECAN > Enter you WECAN UserID and submit

3. Allow 2-3 days processing. You will be notified when completed.

4. In WECAN, login and in the attachments section, edit the UW-Madison credential file attachment and set employer access appropriately.

Other On-Line Application Systems Credential Requests

Please contact an EPCS consultant when applying through other on-line application systems where electronic copies of materials are requested to discuss how to best send your UW-Madison credential.

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Procedures Used in Sending Your Credential /Dossier

1. Once you have established your account with us, we send a copy of the entire credential/dossier to an employer. Any deviation from this would be considered special handling. If you request special handling, an ADDITIONAL $5.00 will be charged. (See deleting references from your circulating credential.)
2. Credentials/dossiers are not sent unless there is at least one reference. It is best to b e sure your file is complete at the time your request it be sent since this mailing will count toward your 20 requests included with your Processing Charge.
3. If you have submitted new materials (i.e., resume, transcripts) or know a reference has recently arrived at EPCS and you want to be sure these materials are included in the credential(s) you are having sent, indicate "include the "new materials/reference from (name of person writing reference)" via email to epcs-online@education.wisc.edu.
4. You may ask to have additional references sent to an employer who has already received your Professional Credential/dossier by providing another label and the names(s) of the reference(s) to be sent. This mailing will count toward your 20 requests included with your Processing Charge. If you are already beyond the 20, there is a $2.00 charge for this service.
5. Updates of material other than references are not sent to employers who have already received a copy of the original pages. Please communicate necessary revisions directly to the employing official who is considering your application
6. If your credential/dossier needs to be mailed to an employer outside the USA, it will automatically be sent air mail. However, this request will count as 2 mailings. If you have exceeded 20 credential/dossier requests, a payment of $4.00 for each request is required. If you want your credential sent SPECIAL DELIVERY anywhere, you must provide additional Special Delivery postage with your request. If you want credentials sent express, you must make the arrangements and pay the costs yourself.
7. If your file is inactive *, your credential can be sent for $5.00 per copy (payment must accompany the request), if you don't want to completely reactivate the file and pay the Processing Charge. This charge cannot be applied to the Processing Charge if you decide to activate your file at a later date. See Summary of Procedures and Charges for detailed information on fees.
   
   * Job Search accounts are active for the hiring year: September 1 through the following September 30th. After the time period has ended your file status will become inactive. For detailed information see Inactive Account Charges and How to Reactivate Your Job Search Account

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Special Credential Requests

1. We will send just your references for graduate school admission only without a special handling charge. Please supply complete address information, and note the specific references you want sent.
2. Requests to have your credential/dossier sent to commercial agencies will not be honored.
3. If you are a member of a national professional association in your field which offers placement services to its members, we will send your credential/dossier to that association upon request.
4. Requests to send credentials/dossiers for non-school positions should include an explanation of what the position is and how you were informed about it, as well as the employer's title and organization.
5. If you have any other special credential/dossier needs in your job search, please contact an EPCS consultant for assistance.

Please see Summary of Procedures and Charges for detailed information on fees.

Revisions in Your Credential/Dossier

It is important to keep your Professional Credential/Dossier current, so both employers and EPCS can contact you. If mail is returned to us, your name will be removed from the mailing list, and if employers cannot contact you, you will miss a job opportunity! Changes and additions can be made, at no charge, whether or not your file is active. Please note for credentials that it is your responsibility to submit an updated version of your resume to EPCS when your information changes during the hiring season. To revise your address, send an email to: epcs-online@education.wisc.edu .

A special note to people making a name change - we suggest you carefully consider your alternatives. If you use a hyphenated name, be consistent in using it. If you use your married name, and later return to your birth name, any reference in your file that refers to you only by your married name cannot be changed to your birth name without the permission of the writer. Such vacillation may cause problems with your Professional Credential/Dossier and with other aspects of your job search, so consider carefully which name you will use.

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Reference Policies

1. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GIVE THE FORMS TO YOUR REFERENCE WRITERS AND TO CHECK WITH US TO VERIFY THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED THE REFERENCES. If the writer is not on campus, provide a stamped envelope addressed to Education Portfolios & Career Services.
   
   
2. We will accept only the signed ORIGINALS of references, since we must maintain their credibility. They should be sent directly to us, and not given to you. You may review the reference in our office, and/or request a review copy of it from us (see Reference Review).

   ONCE REFERENCES HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO OUR OFFICE, THEY BECOME THE PROPERTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON, AND THE ORIGINALS MAY NOT BE REMOVED FROM OUR OFFICE.

3. The maximum number of references to be circulated with your credential is 10. You can add a new reference to your file at any time and delete any which are outdated or no longer applicable. In fact, you should always obtain letters of reference before leaving an employment situation and have them submitted to our office, so they will be available when you are seeking a new position. References deleted from your circulating credential are retained permanently in your master file. They can be returned to circulation for the placement year, but may not be added and deleted more than once during the year.

4. Your letters will be presented in the order they are received, most recent first. You can request to re-order your letters one time each placement year. Requests need to be in writing and forms are available at EPCS or in word format or pdf format on-line ( word | .pdf file)
   ...
5. We maintain an up-to-date record of references received for your credential/dossier. You may check on-line to see which references have been received. Or, you may call us to find out which of your references have been received. References that arrive before you have handed in your job search account materials will be held and added to your file as your materials are processed.

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Reference Review

• Available Information
• Limitations on Access
• Access Procedure for References
• Record of Access
• Right to challenge reference information
• Waiver of right to review

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of l974 (the Buckley Amendment), you have the right to review your employment references or to waive your rights to access. Access and review are subject to the following conditions, as set forth by the Amendment and/or the University of Wisconsin-Madison and EPCS guidelines:

Available Information

• Most information in your credential/dossier file is available for your review:

1. Your Resume, Transcript OR Data Sheet and Course Summary page
2. References originally sent to EPCS and received January l, l975, or later:
• those being circulated with your credential/dossier which are sent to employers.
• those not being circulated with your credential/dossier.
• if you do not yet have a file, those references received prior to your registration and held in our "Not Registered" file.
• those prior to January l, l975, where the writer has sent a written waiver of confidentiality.
3. A list of where and to whom your credentials/dossiers have been sent.
4. A list of all references circulating with your credential/dossier.

Limitations on Access

1. References received prior to January l, l975, or originally on file with another placement office, or for which you have waived the right to review are not available to you.
2. Only EPCS may grant access to records originally filed with us. Review in person must be supervised by EPCS staff.
3. No review will be done on the telephone. Requests for review must be in person and/or in writing for identification purposes and, in the case of references, as a record that you requested access.
4. EPCS has 45 days in which to respond to your review request, although we will try to do so as quickly as possible. Much time and effort can be saved if you wait until all your references are in your file before requesting review.
5. Copies of materials cannot be issued if you owe us money.

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Access Procedure for References

In person:

1. Check with the receptionist to see that your references are in.
2. Present your ID.
3. The receptionist will indicate whether references are immediately available for review.
4. You may request a review copy of your reference (only one, stamped "Campus Copy" will be issued) which is free if you have a file; if you do not have a file, there will be a $l.00 charge each time you make a request.

By mail:

1. Check on-line or call the EPCS office to find out if all your references are in.
2. When all references are in, make a written request to review them and send it to EPCS with a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
3. One review copy of each reference (stamped "Campus Copy") will be sent to you free of charge, if you have a file; if you do not yet have a file, there will be a $l.00 charge each time you make a request.

For a list of credentials/dossiers sent and/or of circulating references, you may ask to see the original record in your file or ask for a copy to be sent to you.

1. You will be notified automatically via email each time a credential/dossier is sent or a reference is added to your file
2. A list of all circulating references is also available on-line.

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Record of access

1. Your written request to review references, with the date and whether a copy was made, is kept in your file permanently.
2. Record of your review is available only to you and to EPCS staff; it is not communicated to anyone else, including employers.

Right to challenge reference information

References are used as written and the statement of evaluation cannot be edited except with the express written permission of the author. If you believe that any information in your references is inaccurate, misleading or inappropriate, you have the right to challenge that information so it won't adversely affect any decision made about you:

1. Discuss the reference with an EPCS consultant to determine if it's one you need and want to use; if not, it can be deleted from circulation.
2. If the reference will be used, discuss with the writer the information in question, and ask him/her to revise or eliminate it.
3. If the writer won't revise the reference, you may decide not to use it or you may request a formal hearing to challenge it by writing to the Director of EPCS. All parties will present their views and the Director's decision will be final as to whether the reference must be amended or is accurate. After the hearing, you have the right to have a statement of your viewpoint included in your file.

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Waiver of right to review

If you decide to waive your right to review references, you may sign a blanket waiver for all references or waive on an individual basis.

1. A reference writer may ask you to waive your right to see his/her reference; if you agree, you should give a completed waiver to the writer and ask him/her to return it with the completed reference to EPCS.
2. A blanket waiver may be revoked as it applies to future references; revocation for any current references listed on a waiver is only possible with the written consent of the reference writer.
3. Record of your waiver is available only to you, EPCS staff and, for individual waivers, the reference writer; no indication of confidentiality is communicated to anyone else, including employers.
4. No information regarding reference contents can be provided to you if you waive your rights, but you may still request a list of the references circulating with your file.

Waiver forms are available at EPCS or online in word or pdf format.

A complete policy statement regarding credential records and the Buckley Amendment is available upon request.

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