Records Management and Retention

Roger Williams University adopted a Records Management Policy in 2015.

WHAT WE COLLECT

Following is a list of common types of records that should be retained permanently by the creating offices or departments and transferred to University Archives after the time specified in the University Records Retention Schedule:

  • Executive Correspondence
  • Accreditation Reports and Self-studies
  • Annual Reports
  • Organizational Charts
  • Policies and Procedures Documents and Handbooks
  • Department and Program Records, including agendas, minutes, reports, and correspondence
  • Committee and Task Force Records, including agendas, minutes, reports, and correspondence
  • Public Relations and Marketing Records, including press releases and promotional materials
  • University Publications, including catalogs, student newspapers, and yearbooks
  • Lectures and Performances Records
  • Special Events Records, including Commencement
  • Faculty Research, including sabbatical reports
  • Student Research and Theses
  • Audio-visual Materials, including photographs, slides, videos, and sound recordings

The above is not an exhaustive list. Please refer to the University Records Retention Schedule regarding other types of records. Contact the University Archivist with any questions.

HOW TO TRANSFER PERMANENT RECORDS TO THE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

All records transfers must be approved by the University Archivist before those records can be transferred, and all transfers must include a Records Transfer Form. Below are instructions to help you prepare your records and transfer them to University Archives.

Each records series listed in the Records Retention Schedulehas specific disposition instructions (under “Period of Time Retained”) that indicate how long those records must be kept in your office. Some records have a disposition of “permanent;” some permanent records may be transferred to the University Archives after their retention period has ended.

Records should be transferred to the University Archives in the original order in which they have been arranged in use. Original groupings of documents and folder titles are necessary for proper arrangement and description of archival materials, so please do not remove records from the folders in which they were placed in your filing cabinets.

Unless otherwise specified, up to two copies of any item will be maintained in the Archives, one for use by patrons and one for preservation purposes. Additional copies of materials in high demand will be considered for storage.

Complete a Records Transfer Formwith a list of the boxes, folders, items, or files being transferred to University Archives. Use only one form -- you do not need to fill out separate forms for each box or item being transferred.

When you have completed the form are ready to transfer your permanent materials, contact the University Archivist to make arrangements for transporting materials to University Archives.