The University of Minnesota's Records Management program provides systematic control of information from creation to final disposition. The Records Management program also provides a timetable and consistent procedures for maintaining the University's information on all campuses and in all media, moving the records to inactive storage when appropriate, and disposing of the records when they are no longer valuable to the organization.
The Records Management program will do the following: reduce the cost of records maintenance; retain records as required by federal, state, and other regulatory agencies; preserve the records that are vital to the University; and provide needed documentation in the event of litigation.
There are no forms associated with this policy.
- Active Files
- Files needed to support the current business activity of a department. The active period may be determined by record category (see the U-Wide Retention Schedule).
- Archival Files
- Files which have long-term value to the University, such as historical documents.
- Inactive Files
- Files for which the active period has passed and are being held for the remainder of the specified retention period. May be located in a storage area.
- Information / Data Classifications
- A determination that information requires a specific degree of protection against unauthorized disclosure or modification. Examples of classification at the University of Minnesota are:
- Public
- Information / Data that is available to anyone for any reason.
- See Appendix A - Examples of Public, Private, & Confidential Information for examples.
- Private
- Information / Data about an individual that is available only to the subject and to anyone authorized by the subject or by law to see it.
- See Appendix A for examples. Private information / data that is not about an individual is called "non-public data" (for example, trade secrets).
- Confidential
- Information / Data about an individual that is not available to the public or to the subject. Available to authorized University employees.
- See Appendix A for examples. Confidential information / data that is not about an individual is called "protected non-public data (for example, sealed bids).
- Data on Decedents
- This information is available to the spouse, child or parents. Private and confidential data on decedents is public 10 years after their death and 30 years after creation of data.
- University Records
- Documents in any format (including written and printed matter, drawings, maps, plans, photographs; microforms; motion picture films, sound and video recordings; computerized data on disk or tape) or copies thereof made or received by an academic or administrative office of the University in connection with the transaction of University business, and retained by such office as evidence of the activities of the University or because of the information contained therein.
- Records Management
- The systematic control of information from creation to final disposition.
- Retention Period
- The length of time for which a college, department, or unit is responsible for the maintenance of a particular type of record. The retention period begins when the fiscal year ends for the referenced transaction.
- Departments
- Retaining records according to the University-wide Record Retention Schedule, forwarding records to the archive when appropriate, and disposing of University records appropriately when applicable.
- Records and Information Management Office
- Provides a timetable and consistent procedures for maintaining the University's information, moving the records to inactive storage when appropriate, and destroying the information when it is no longer valuable to the organization. Also serves as Responsible Authority as required by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA).
There is no FAQ associated with this policy.
- Amended:
- January 2003 - Added Retention Guidelines for Financial Documents to appendices.
- Effective:
- December 1999
- Supercedes:
- Retention, Archival, and Destruction of Records and Record Retention Schedule A
REPLACES: 4/89, 4/92, 1/93.
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