Skip to main content

Records Management

What is Records Management?

Records Management is the official term for controlling all the records we create during the course of our daily work. Having administrative control of records throughout their life cycle ensures efficiency in the creation, use, handling, control, maintenance, and disposition. That's quite the list! That's why educating employees is an important step in ensuring the University remains in compliance with Public Records Law. In a nutshell, Records Management is understanding what constitutes a record, and then identifying how long we have to keep it through the approved Record Schedules.

Why would anyone care about my records?

Because we are state employees, our paperwork is considered a state public record. We cannot discard any records that may be deemed of administrative or historical value according to an established Record Schedule. Conversely, some of us tend to hang on to every type of record just in case and it can get overwhelming looking at the sheer volume in our file cabinets and computer drives. By abiding with the University's Records Management Program we know specifically what is OK to discard and when; what must be kept in our files and for how long; and what should be transferred to the University Archives for permanent retention.

It is important to realize that State and Federal Laws apply to all records we create as public employees, regardless of form or format.

What is a Record?

What is a Records Schedule?

What are the laws?

I don't have time for this! Do I really need to do this?

Yes. It is illegal for any UW-Green Bay employee to destroy a public record in their office without an approval from the Public Records Board.  Don't despair!  It's not as difficult or as time-consuming as you might think. Review Recordkeeping 101 to get started!