Records Retention Guide
The "year of record" for administrative files is normally calendar year or fiscal year. If any other time period, such as academic year, is used, the records must be retained until that year is completed before taking the appropriate disposition steps.
| Description of Record | Year of Record | Dept. Action Required | Auth # |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activity Consent / Liability Waivers and Release Forms (Adults) | 2011 & Prior | Destroy | 00-013 |
| Activity Consent / Liability Waivers and Release Forms (Minors) | Retain twenty-three (23) years after created, then destroy. | 00-013 | |
| Affirmative Action/EEO Records | Retain until superseded, then transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-013 | |
| Appointment Calendars | 2014 & Prior | Destroy | 00-013 |
| Association/Organization Records[1] | 2014 & Prior | Destroy | 00-013 |
| Awards, Honors, Fellowships, Scholarship Files (Students, Faculty, Staff) | 2011 & Prior | Transfer to Campus Archives. (Microfilm option) | 00-013 |
| Building Coordinator Files | Retain until superseded or no longer of administrative value, then destroy. | 00-013 | |
| Committees | |||
| Ad Hoc Committee Files (Official files of boards, task forces, search committees, etc., appointed for a specific purpose and the committee disbands when the task is completed. Files normally kept by chairperson or committee secretary) | Retain until work of committee has been completed and disbanded, then transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-013 | |
| Committee Member Files (Informational copies kept by standing committee and ad hoc committee members) | Retain until member no longer on committee, then destroy. | 00-013 | |
| Standing Committee Files (Official files of all committees that function on a continuing basis. Files normally kept by Chairperson or committee Secretary) | 2013 & Prior | Transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-013 |
| Conference and Non-Credit Course Program Files |
10/11 & Prior |
Destroy | 00-019 |
| Conference Credit Course Program Files |
10/11 & Prior |
Destroy | 00-019 |
| Conflicts of Interest | |||
| Grants | Retain for three (3) fiscal years after final payment, then transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-010 | |
| Non-grants | Retain for three (3) fiscal years after termination of the conflict, then transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-010 | |
| Departmental Surveys | 2013 & Prior | Destroy | 00-013 |
| Directives, Policy and Procedure Records | |||
| Informational Copies | Retain until superseded, then destroy. | 00-013 | |
| Official Record (Original) | Retain until superseded, then transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-013 | |
| Equipment Maintenance Records | Retain for one (1) year after disposition of equipment, then destroy. | 00-013 | |
| Foundation Records | Retain until no longer of administrative value, then transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-013 | |
| General Administrative Files | |||
| Correspondence sent or received in the transaction of University business | 2011 & Prior | Transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-013 |
| Subject files that document the department's role in University affairs. | 2011 & Prior | Transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-013 |
| Personnel [2] | |||
| Personnel Records To see a list of personnel records permitted in departmental personnel files, see Records Retention Authorization 00-016, item #2, here - for disposition of employee records, see instructions for terminated or transferred employee files. |
00-016 | ||
| Prohibited Personnel Records Many personnel related records are confidential in nature and are not to be retained within the departments. The list of prohibited records is too long to list here. See Records Retention Authorization 00-016, item #3, here for list of prohibited records and instructions on disposition of those records. |
00-016 | ||
| Application for Employment: (Rejected Faculty Positions - originals and copies) | 2013 & Prior | Destroy | 77-104 |
| Application for Employment: (Rejected Staff positions - copies) | All years | DESTROY -- Not to be retained at department level. | 77-104 |
| Application for Employment: (Rejected Staff positions - originals) | All years | Not to be retained by departments. Transfer to appropriate Human Resource Office. | 77-104 |
| EEO/Affirmative Action Records | Retain until superseded, then transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-013 | |
| Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9) and support documents (originals) | All years | Transfer to appropriate Human Resource Office. | 00-016 |
| Terminated Employee Files (Faculty) | 2015 & Prior | Transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-016 |
| Terminated Employee Files (Staff)[2] | 2015 & Prior | DESTROY - Except all originals of disciplinary materials and performance appraisals to be transferred to Campus Human Resource Office. | 00-016 |
| Transferred Employees (Staff) | All years | Forward to new department. | 00-016 |
| Photos and Slides | 2011 & Prior | Transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-013 |
| Publications | Send one copy to Campus Archives at time of publication. Retain balance until no longer of administrative value, then destroy | 00-013 | |
| Publicity Release Records | Retain for five (5) years after last use, then destroy. | 00-013 | |
| Reference Materials, External | Retain until no longer of reference value, then destroy. | 00-013 | |
| Reports/Project Records - Ad Hoc | 2011 & Prior | Transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-013 |
| Reprint Permission for Copyrighted Materials | Retain for five (5) years after material was reprinted, then destroy. | 00-013 | |
| Statistical Data Records | 2013 & Prior | Destroy | 00-013 |
| Strategic Plan Records | Retain until superseded, then transfer to Campus Archives. | 00-013 | |
| Vehicle Records | Retain for five (5) years after vehicle is traded or sold, then destroy. | 00-013 | |
| [1] See Authorization 00-013-13 for exception to 2 year retention. | |||
| [2] UMC departments contact Human Resources for guidance on handling student employee files. | |||
Reviewed 2019-08-05