What is a Records Schedule?
Retention Policies Set for Records
A Records Schedule is a policy document that identifies and describes an organization's records, provides a timeline for the disposition of the record, and the proper disposal method. A record schedule lets us know how long to keep a record, and when to transfer the record to the Archives or destroy it. Your goal is to locate a record schedule that matches the records within your department. There are only two courses of action to occur once a record falls outside of the Record Schedule retention: Transferring Records or Destroying Records.
What does a Schedule look like?
UW-Green Bay has only a handful of Record Dispositon Authorization (RDA) specific to UWGB records, otherwise, we look to the Universities of Wisconsin General Record Schedules (GRS). All approved RDA's and GRS's are listed on the Record Schedules List. This list allows for easier searchability than the current standard PDFs and is the recommended tool for locating a record schedule. The Record Schedule List appears like this in excel format:
As stated above, all approved GRS schedules have been added to the Record Schedules List. Should you choose to use this method for looking up a record schedule use the Universities of Wisconsin General Record Schedule link and locate the GRS PDF. According to the record schedule UWADM007 below, each Schedule sets forth a Schedule number, retention period, disposal method, and if the record is considered confidential.
Interpreting a Record Schedule
| Schedule Requirement | Explanation | Record Schedule Example |
|---|---|---|
| Record Schedule Number | The assigned schedule number assigned by the Public Records Board. | UWADM014 |
| Record Type | Record description by topic. | Unit/Department Training/Course Materials |
| Description | Full description of the record. | Materials prepared and used by staff to provide information targeted to internal and external audiences. This series may include handouts, flyers, presentation files, or any other materials used in the course of training sessions. |
| Retention Period | Duration a record is kept. | EVT + 0. (After the end of Course + 0 years) |
| Event | The factor that determines the use of a record. | End of Course or when no longer relevant to course. |
| Mode of Disposal | How you should dispose of a record once the retention period has passed. | Destroy. |
| Confidentiality Requirements | Determines if a record is considered confidential. | No. (If record IS confidential, it must be destroyed confidentially, not through a regular recycle or shredder. It would be shown as: Yes. See Destruction of Records). |
| Copies | Determines if copies must also follow the same requirements for the record. | Destroy when no longer needed. (This means all copies can be destroyed without waiting for the retention period to pass). |
Where can I find one?
See the Locating Record Schedules webpage or open the Record Schedules List for existing University record schedules.