Policy 01:050
Retention and Disposition of University Records

All records created, received, or maintained by departments are the property of the University and must be retained and disposed of in accordance with this policy and with schedules approved by the State Records Commission. Records include any unit of information, regardless of form, made or received by University personnel while transacting official University business. Examples of records include books, papers, maps, photographs, films, microfilm, electronic files and data processing output, and sound recordings.

University records must not be disposed of until minimum retention periods have elapsed. Departments should establish retention schedules for those records in their custody that are not covered by the general records schedules published and approved by the State Records Commission. When the minimum retention period has elapsed, University records may be disposed of if the department does not need the records for future administrative, legal, or fiscal purposes. Records have administrative value if they contain information applicable to current or future University operations; legal value if they contain evidence of legally enforceable rights or obligations of the University; and fiscal value if they are required for budget development, financial reporting, or audit purposes. Records may be disposed in two ways: those containing sensitive and/or confidential information should be destroyed (i.e., shredded or burned); those that do not have to be destroyed may be recycled.

Copies of the Alabama University General Records Schedules approved by the State Records Commission are available in Division Head offices.

Approved 2/99