Records Management

"Create the desired, maintain the required, destroy the expired"

Records Management services are available to all faculty and staff members who create, use, or otherwise interact with official University Records, both paper and digital.

The Program also assists the Suffolk community in managing active records, secure records storage and destruction, department shared file planning, large-scale digitization projects, identifying permanent archival records, and customized trainings based on your staff or department needs.

Resources

Policies

Records not only provide evidence of business activities, but are vital resources on the history and accomplishments of the Suffolk University community. Recognizing this, the Office of the Provost has enacted a policy regulating the creation, maintenance, and proper disposition of all records, regardless of format. The Record Retention Policy should be considered in conjunction with the guidelines set forth in the Written Information Security Policy and the Records Retention Schedule.

The Records Retention Schedule [PDF] lists records commonly found in many divisions throughout the University, indicating their respective retention periods and other instructions for the disposition of those records. The Schedule is updated yearly, so be sure to replace any downloaded copies you save to your computer regularly.

To identify the record or record category, check the schedule’s functional headings and table of contents on the left side menu, or search for keywords using the search feature or by pressing CTRL+F on your keyboard. The Schedule tells you how long to keep your records, and what to do with them when you no longer need them.

Remember to determine whether you have the official version of the record. Unofficial, convenience copies of a record have no retention requirement and, therefore, can be destroyed when no longer administratively useful. Some Schedule entries will define the official record copy holder.

If you do not see a particular record type in the schedule, or if you are having trouble identifying a record in hand, please contact the University Records Manager.

Some records will become inactive before they are eligible for destruction or transfer to the Archives. Since most offices have a limited amount of space, the University has contracted with Meyer, Inc. to provide us with cost-effective offsite storage.

Inactive records that must be retained for a year or more should be transferred to Meyer's special records warehouse located in Windsor, CT. The warehouse combines state-of-the-art construction with a streamlined service operation and online inventory management system to provide the University with an extraordinarily high level of physical control, environmental protection, and inventory security for their collections. By using the storage service, staff can clear offices of inactive records that absorb resources better dedicated to more active records. Active records, however, should not be sent offsite, where their retrieval incurs a charge.

Transferring records to offsite storage

To transfer records to offsite storage, you must first have a storage account. Once your account is set up, you will receive login information to Meyer's online inventory system. To set up an account, fill out the New Department Add [PDF] and New User Add [PDF] forms, and email them to the Records Manager, Michael Dello Iacono, who will assist you in your first box transfer.

If your office already has a storage account, refer to the forms below for instructions on sending new boxes offsite or requesting box deliveries to your office.

Instructions for transferring records offsite [PDF]

Instructions for searching for boxes and folders online [PDF]

Instructions for recalling records to your office [PDF]

Instructions for requesting digitalization of non-indexed files [PDF]

In accordance with its mission to capture and preserve corporate memory and legacy, Suffolk University requires that records designated as having permanent historical research value be transferred to the Archives. The Archives has the trained staff and facilities to ensure the preservation, reliability, accessibility, and authenticity of permanent records over time. Any records you send to the Archives can always be accessed if you need them in the future.

To transfer records to the permanent Archives

  • Note on the Records Retention Schedule if the retention plan states to “transfer to the Archives” or “contact Archives for review”
  • Make sure the retention period for the records has expired
  • Contact the University Records Manager for archival boxes and instructions for pickup or digital transfer.

If a record has reached the end of its required retention date, as stated in the university’s Records Retention Schedule, please do the following:

  • Records that do not contain Personal Information can be recycled or otherwise disposed of in your office.
  • For records that contain Personal Information [DOC], please use a secure Shred-It container, located in the freight elevator areas on each floor of 73 Tremont, 120 Tremont, Samia Building, or Sawyer Building. These containers are shredded on-site once a month.
  • If you have a large amount of paper records that need to be shredded, or an electronic storage device/drive that needs to be wiped, please contact the University Records Manager for assistance.

 

The Records Management Program also provides guidance on keeping and destroying records, help in identifying records of permanent historical value, assistance on maintaining compliance with University records retention policies, consultation on controlling costs associated with records storage, assistance in transferring records to offsite storage facilities, guidance on managing the records of new and separating employees, help in preparing for office moves and clean ups, and information on resources for large scale scanning and destruction projects. Below is a selection of helpful guides: