What are retention schedules and why does the university have one?

The University of Oregon Records Retention Schedules (RRS) 

• provides timeframes, high level responsibilities, and any special handling instructions associated with records in any media (paper, digital, or other);
• does not prescribe a filing structure, but does supply terminology for labeling or tagging content;
• serves as a core procedure that supports the University Records Management Policy.

While the RRS covers many categories of material, regardless of whether these are paper based or digital, the Policy lists material which may be disposed of without a schedule (learn more). The RRS, and the Program that has been developed to implement it across the institution are built around best practices and international standard ISO-15489 Information and documentation -- Records management.

How is the RRS organized?

At the highest level, the RRS is organized by five functional sections, as detailed below. While some of the section headings resemble department names, it is important to keep in mind that they represent functions, not departments.

• Example: an academic department will find information about records that pertain to its work not only in the II. Academics, Instruction and Research but also sections IV. Finance, Administration and Infrastructure, and V. Human Resources.

I. Governance

• Board of Trustees and University Senate meeting minutes
• University wide policies
• Legal cases and litigation

II. Academics, Instruction, and Research

• Curriculum development, delivery (courses), and assessment
• University funded research projects and sponsored awards
• Management of library and museum collections

III. Administration of Student Affairs

• Health services
• Admissions, academics, scholarships/financial aid, conduct, housing
• Intercollegiate athletics

IV. Finance, Administration, and Infrastructure

• Office and university management
• Accounting, budget, contracting and procurement
• Facilities, property, construction, environmental health, and public safety

V. Human Resources

• Search and recruitment
• Personnel and payroll
• Training

What specific kinds of information does the schedule offer?

The schedule is a list of entries, with guidance for handling and disposal, the covers the different kinds of records the university receives, generates, and maintains. The groupings are based on the activites -- not the office -- that generates them. Each entry on the schedule has the following elements:

• Series Name
  • describes a conceptual grouping of records that are related by the activities generating them and shared requirements. Each series has a heading and a brief description and/or list of the kinds of material that make it up. Where present, the lists are not exhaustive.
• Custodian
  • the program, unit, department, or other entity accountable for maintaining reliable, complete, and accessible records in the given series for the duration of assigned retention period. Being named the "Custodian" is not always synonymous with having physical custody of the material. In cases where third parties are used to store or manage data that are records, the "Custodian" remain(s) accountable for access to usable, reliable, complete records for the duration of their life cycle.
• Retention and Disposal Instructions
  • Minimum time to keep records in the series and what happens when that time has been met. These instruction are based on government regulations, funding agency rules, UO policies, collective bargaining agreements, and professional standards and best practices.
• Citation
  • References that link to laws, regulations, standards, or best practices that serve as the basis for the retention rule established in the schedule.
• OAR Predecessor
  • Link to any guidelines that were in place prior to the current UO RRS.

Finding information through filtering

To improve search efforts, it is helpful to understand how the schedule is organized. At the highest level, the schedule is organized by 5 functions: I. Governance; II. Academics/Instruction/Research; III. Administration of Student Affairs; IV. Finance/Administration/Infrastructure; V. Human Resources. 

• Each of these functions are further subdivided by the activities that make up the functions. For example, admissions, registration and enrollment are activities found under the function II. Academics/Instruction/Research. 

Use the drop down ("Select Record Function") to filter by function of the records. While some of the terms in this drop down sound like department names, they are not. Example: when searching for how long to retain personnnel material, select V. Human Resources from the the drop down menu. Select the "Apply" button, and browse the search results.

We are currently adding records series to the UO Records Retention Schedule (RRS); if you are unable to find the information you need, please contact us by emailing records@uoregon.edu and we will work with you to develop any necessary updates to the content of the RRS.