Record Retention and Destruction Policy

Convenience Copy means a copy of an original Record created for convenience or reference purposes. Convenience Copies may be destroyed at any time because they are Non-Records, unless such copies are subject to a legal disclosure or discovery obligation. 

Designated Campus Colleagues (DCC) means affiliates, associates, volunteers, and interns who are granted DCC status by the University, who contribute their time, services, and expertise to help the University accomplish its mission of teaching, research, and service.

Digital Record means any Record that exists in a digital form and resides within some type of technology (digital tape or disc, software application, hard drive, server, cloud storage, etc.).

Digital Record Destruction means digitally altering a Digital Record to the point where it is rendered unintelligible or inaccessible without resorting to some extraordinary forensic data recovery measure.

Non-Record means any item that does not qualify as a Record. Non-Records are exempt from following standard Record Retention and Record Destruction policies. Examples of items that qualify as a Non-Record include, but are not limited to, (1) extra copies or drafts of a Record that are used for convenience (Convenience Copy) or reference purposes and that do not have a Record Series assigned to the copy or draft; (2) blank forms or templates, form letters, etc., that are copies of the original; (3) uncirculated personal notes; (4) personal correspondence unrelated to official University business; (5) stocks of publications or documents intended for sale or distribution; or (6) library or museum material made or acquired only for the purpose of reference or exhibition.

Physical Record means any Record that exists in a tangible physical form either on its own or as part of some type of non-digital tangible physical media (paper, plastic film, magnetic tape, etc.).

Physical Record Destruction means physically altering a Record to the point where it is rendered unintelligible, and the remnants are securely discarded using an approved method per the Records & Archives guidelines.

Record means any documentary material, regardless of its digital or physical form or characteristics, made or received by the University that demonstrates how the University conducts itself in connection with the transaction of University business or as a matter of law. An item also may be considered a Record due to its informational or historical value. Records include documentary materials that provide evidence of the University’s existence as well as its functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or activities. A Record excludes anything that is a Non-Record.

Record Destruction means the destruction of a Record to make it unintelligible or inaccessible. Once a Digital Record or Physical Record is destroyed, the expectation is it will remain destroyed and be considered permanently unavailable.

Record Retention means the process of safely storing a Record for a specified period of time once it has fulfilled its intended administrative function and is eligible to begin serving its predetermined Retention Period based on the Retention Schedules in use by the University.

Record Series means the classification given to a specific set of Records based on what the Records have in common, such as origin, subject matter, function, administrative or informational value, etc. Each Record Series normally consists of a Record Series number, title, general description of the Record Series, minimum predetermined Retention Period, and remarks as to when the Retention Period begins or any other important retention considerations specific to the Record Series.

Retention Period means the amount of time a Record is required to be retained prior to determining its disposition. The Retention Period will be determined by information found on the Retention Schedules in use by the University or by some additional retention requirement determined by the Unit or University that is unique to a specific set of Records or Record Series, whichever is longer.

Retention Schedule means a categorized list of Record Series (Record types) that is approved for use by the University.

Unit means any University college, school, department, program, office, or other operating unit. 

University Community means, for the purposes of this Policy, any of the following individuals: University students; University employees; or third parties acting for or on behalf of the University, including, but not limited to, contractors, vendors, volunteers, or DCCs.