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WKU Records Management Program
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3rd Floor Kentucky Building Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 4:30 pm Closed: December 15, 19-31 January 1 & 21 |
phone: 270-745-4793 e-mail: archives@wku.edu Faculty/Staff |
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What is Records Management?
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What is the Records Retention Schedule -- State University Model?
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It's the Law
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Benefits
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Risks
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Following the General Records Schedule
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Destroying Records
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Transferring Records to University Archives
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WKU Archives
What is Records Management?
Records management at Western Kentucky University is overseen by the University Archives and includes:
- Maintenance
- Preservation
- Disposition
of university records, according to local, state and federal guidelines. The archivist coordinates unit record surveys and recommends methods of disposal, storage, or preservation of documents. Probably only 3% of the paper produced each year by the university is worthy of permanent preservation. The archivist works with staff to determine which materials can be safely destroyed and how long non-permanent records should be retained for reference and legal use.
The archivist is also available to consult on records management issues such as filing systems, computerization, and microfilming.
What is Records Retention Schedule -- State University Model?
The Records Retention Schedule -- State University Model lists records series created by most units in the university, indicates how long records are to be retained, if and when they are to be transferred to the University Archives, or destroyed in the office. Commonly called the General Records Schedule, it provides administrative and support staff with the necessary information needed to administer unit records in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The general records schedule is maintained, revised and approved by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.Benefits to Following the General Records Schedule
- Following the General Records Schedule will make an audit go smoothly.
- Identify and preserve vital records. Vital records contain information necessary to establish or continue the operation of the university in the event of a disaster.
- Identify records series that have historic or permanent value and makes provision for transferring these records to the University Archives at the end of their in-office life.
- Identify for destruction records that are no longer useful to the unit or the university.
- Helps insure efficient use of storage space within the unit.
Risks of Poor Records Management
- Litigation. All records created by the university are potential documentation in lawsuits. Keeping records beyond their retention period or destroying documents too soon can be costly to the university.
- Excessive storage costs from keeping records beyond their retention period.
- Inability to retrieve important documents when needed.
Following the General Records Schedule
The most common type of disposition listed on the general records schedule is:
- Destroy in office when reference value ends OR after a set length of time
The most common types of retentions listed on a records schedule are:
- Retain in office permanently
- Transfer to the University Archives at the conclusion of each academic year for permanent retention.
Most disposition/retention instructions take effect at the end of the fiscal year, but some records are still kept on a calendar year. The records schedule should be consulted twice a year, in December and July.
Click here to see the General Records Schedule.
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