These general guidelines have been established to help academic departments and administrative offices manage their records and determine which ones have long-term historical value. Transfer to the Archives materials that document the main work of the department, rather than day-to-day routine transactions. When selecting what to send, consider these questions:
- Do the records provide evidence of the purpose and major functions of the department/office?
- Do the records document key decisions of the department/office and their outcomes?
- Would the records be useful to somebody researching the history of the department/office?
Transfer records to the College Archives regularly, preferably on an annual basis, but no less than every 5 years. Follow the transfer procedure on the Records Management website.
Instructions for transferring records | Records with archival value | Records with no archival value
Types of records with archival value
The following is a general, non-inclusive list of College records that should be transferred to the Archives. For specific guidance, including details by division/department, please consult the retention schedules (requires CamelWeb login) for records denoted as permanent.
- Articles of Incorporation
- Annual reports
- Policy statements
- Program assessments—accreditation records, external reviews, self-studies
- Reports, surveys, planning documents
- Handbooks/procedure manuals and guidelines
- Significant correspondence about policy, programs, and major events; includes related files and attachments
- Meeting agendas, minutes, reports of faculty, staff, advisory, and other committees or groups
- Grant applications (successful only) and reports
- Publications and publicity materials—newsletters, brochures, pamphlets, press releases, newspaper clippings, posters/flyers, event programs
- Celebration and special event records
- Curriculum documentation—course planning documents, program proposals, course/major changes, syllabi
- Faculty/staff documentation—planning and hiring justification documents, CVs, photographs
- Photographs, slides, audio-visual materials—must be identified at least with date and event
Types of records with NO archival value
- Operational records related to routine activities—invoices and receipts, work and purchase orders, room reservations, etc.
- Routine correspondence
- Student records—grades, evaluations, disciplinary actions, papers or projects EXCEPT Honors papers and SIPs/Capstone projects with written permission of the student (contact the Archivist for details)
- Personnel records—contracts, evaluations, disciplinary actions, etc.
- Unidentified photos or audio-visual materials
- Blank stationary, forms, envelopes, etc.
- Published items not published by or about the department or College