Records Management and Retention

Records Management and Retention

RWU'sRecords Management Policy and Records Retention Schedule, adopted in 2015, details specific disposition instructions for each record type indicating how long records must be kept in the originating office. 

Following is a list of common types of records that should be retained permanently by the originating offices or departments and transferred to University Archives after their retention period has ended, as specified in the 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 contact the archivist for more information or for a copy of the Records Retention Schedule.

All records transfers must be approved by the archivist and all approved transfers must include a Records Transfer Form. Records should be transferred to the Archives in their original order and groupings in to facilitate proper arrangement and description of the material for permanent storage.

Questions?