Records Management

What is Records Management?

"Records Management is a concept which views all recorded information as having a "life-cycle" of its own from creation, to active office use, to inactive storage, and finally to eventual destruction or transfer to the Archives for permanent preservation."

General Record Retention Schedules

The University of Wisconsin Records Officer Council has been establishing General Records Schedules that can be used uniformly throughout the UW System.  These schedules:

• Provide agencies with uniform guidelines for retention and disposition of common records.
• Ensure that records are maintained for the established minimum time periods to meet all applicable program requirements and statewide legal, fiscal and historical requirements.
• Are designed to cover administrative records, thereby freeing up resources for agencies to focus on their program-specific records.

For the most current approved schedules, go to https://www.wisconsin.edu/compliance/landing-page/general-schedules-and-records-management-services/general-records-schedule/

Legal Issues

The law forbids the destruction of any records while an open records request is pending, until the request is granted or at least 60 days have passed since the date the request is denied.  Court orders may extend this time period.  if an audit or pending litigation involves any records listed in a RDA, agencies must suspend any disposition until such time as the audit or litigation is completed.

Electronic Record Keeping

For guidelines on electronic record-keeping, visit University Archives and Area Research.

For further questions or to set up a meeting for Records Management concerns, contact the Area Research Center (Archives) at 715-232-2300 or archives@uwstout.edu