A retention and disposition schedule is a plan of action that indicates the period of time you should retain your records. Records schedules allow you to dispose of records in a timely, systematic manner by setting retention and disposal guidelines based on administrative, legal, fiscal, or research needs.
All faculty and staff have responsibility for identifying and retaining college records-paper and electronic-in accordance with the College Records Retention Management and Schedule. Records are to be archived or destroyed after the retention period, subject to the exceptions stated in this policy regarding retention for audit and litigation purposes.
Purpose
- Accountability. This policy is written to assure compliance with state and federal law. As a private institution, the college has an obligation of accountability. By preserving college records, the institution documents its policies, actions, and determinations.
- History. Key records of the institution document its history and its character.
- Efficiency. An appropriate records retention policy assures maintenance of records needed for ongoing operations. Conversely, records that are no longer useful should be discarded or archived to increase efficiency.
Records Retention Schedule
All faculty and staff have responsibility for complying with the provisions of the College Records Retention Management and Schedule which addresses the management and preservation of specific college record types. The Schedule indicates the required–
- Duration for which each record type must be retained
- Responsibility assignments for the management of active records, the storage of inactive records, and the archival of permanent records
- Confidentiality of each record type
- Disposal method (if applicable)
- Contact information for submitting additions, updates, and corrections to the Retention Schedule
Permanent retention: The department chair or director (or designee) must be consulted regarding permanent storage decisions. Permanently retained records are to be stored in a media form and location that will adequately endure the passage of time.