A16.01.04 Records Management and Retention Policy

Policy Statement

Scope of Policy

Definitions

Procedures and Rules

Education and Awareness

Policy Statement

Douglas College will manage its records to be compliant with legal, operational and administrative requirements of the College.

Scope of Policy

Records management and retention provides standards and guidelines to control the documentation required to administer and operate the College.  This policy applies to all departments and administrative units; to employees who create or maintain records on behalf of the College inclusive of any media format, print and electronic documents.

Definitions

1. Records Management and Retention: enables ready access to information by providing systematic control of all records.
2. Record: includes books, documents, maps, reports and plans stored either on paper or electronically.  Electronic business records are typically in email format.  It is inclusive of research papers or thesis documents that may be stored at the College.  Records include materials created by College employees on behalf of the College.
3. Records Holder: includes the department, office or person responsible for creation, distribution, use maintenance and disposition of the record.
4. Original Records: records created by the record holder.
5. Active Record: records which are referred to frequently.  During this time the record is located with the orginating department or person.
6. Semi-Active Record: records that may be accessed periodically.  These records may be stored outside the local area.
7. Inactive Record: records stored according to the retention guidelines prior to disposition.
8. Disposition: the action regarding the retention or transference to archival storage or final destruction of a record.
9. Destroy: eliminating or deleting records beyond any possible reconstruction by in-office shredding, purging of electronic records, or the use of commercial sevices for secure destruction.

Procedures and Rules

1. All records are the property of the College, except where provided for under intellectual property rights of employees or under the provisions of collective agreements, policies or individual contractual arrangements.
2. Records will be created, maintained and disposed of in accordance with specifically developed guided by the Records Management and Retention Schedule Guidelines, (see Appendix A).
3. Each administrative and operational office of the College is responsible for electronic and paper file and storage procedures based on the Records Management and Retention Guidelines, (see Appendix A).
4. Retention is based upon the administrative or operation nature of the record and other legal or regulatory record retention requirements.
5. The storage, retention and destruction of the records remain with the record holder unless the record is deemed to be of archival importance at which time the records may be transferred to the College Archives and/or Library Collection e.g. theses.
6. Records transferred to the College Archives are managed by Learning Resources in the Library Archives.  Prior review and approval required.
7. The record holder must ensure secure maintenance and disposition of records at all times including at the destruction stage.
8. Records destruction activity must ensure that all personal and confidential information is destroyed in a permanent and secure manner.
9. There are seven record retention classification codes.  These will be used in Appendix A to illustrate the development of Retention Guidelines.

Edcuation and Awareness