Records Management

The OSU Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) preserves university records of permanent value, including records of administrative, legal, fiscal and historical significance. The retention of these materials ensures that important university accomplishments and challenges are retained for the benefit of future generations.

Confidential student and personnel records are retained in the Offices of the Registrar, Bursar, Student Services or OSU Human Resources.

We do not accept confidential records or information.

More information is available on OSU (https://registrar.okstate.edu/ferpa/)

Contact

The Records Management Coordinator for OSU is Benjamin Hedges, Assistant Professor/University Records Archivist for SCUA. Records Destruction and Transfer Forms should be emailed as an attachment to benjamin.hedges@okstate.edu. If email is not possible, forms can be sent via campus mail to University Archives Edmon Low Library, ATTN: Benjamin Hedges, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078

The General Records Disposition Schedule

This document details the various types of records a department manages, separating them into series with specific retention and disposition instructions. Use ctrl+F on the schedule to keyword search the types of records for which you are inquiring.

**Important** Unless otherwise stated, most dispositions are subtracted from the most recent Single Audit for the State of Oklahoma, not the current fiscal year,

Most up to date Single Audit: June 2021

State Universities and Colleges General Records Disposition Schedule (U&C) (GRDS Universities and Colleges Disposition Schedule)

Series # Quick Guide:

Administration
Athletics
Bookstore
Curriculum
Finance and Accounting/Business Affairs
Library
Maintenance
Medical Clinic/Dispensary/Wellness Center
Personnel
Public Relations
Security
Student Personnel
Student Records
Hospitality Services
Legal Counsel
Printing Services
Archives
Veterinary Medical Records
Miscellaneous Operations

It is the responsibility of departments and administrative personnel to assess the type of records and whether they are to be retained, destroyed or transferred to the archives. However, the Records Management Coordinator is happy to provide guidance if requested.

Convenience Copies and Redundant Records

Duplicate copies of records can be destroyed when they are no longer deemed useful to departmental needs. Permission is not required to destroy additional physical copies of records.

Imaged Records

A record that has been imaged or digitized into an accessible departmental server is considered a convenience copy and can be destroyed even if it has not yet met the disposition requirements. However, permission must be given before these records are destroyed.

For continuous destruction of imaged records through the current fiscal year, a form letter must be submitted at the beginning of the fiscal year and a report with the estimated cubic feet of records destroyed must be submitted at the end of the fiscal year to the Records Management Coordinator. Please contact the Records Management Coordinator for details on this process and a copy of the form letter.

Forms For Records Destruction

Before records can be destroyed, it must be approved by the Records Management Coordinator and have final approval from the Oklahoma Department of Libraries

Filling out the Form:

Start by filling out the appropriate information at the top of the form.
The first column “Schedule or RDA Number” will always be “U&C”.
The second column will have the series # associated with the record in the schedule.
The third column is for the series title. Simply use the title from the schedule.
The fourth column is for the dates of the records you are destroying, just use the year or year range.
Finally for the fifth column, estimate the cubic feet of records you are destroying. The easiest way to estimate is to think of a standard banker’s box, which is one cubic foot. Estimating how many boxes your records would fill is the amount of cubic feet you are destroying.
You do not need to sign or date anything below the middle section.

ARC-Form 4 (Click Here for ARC-Form 4): Agency Notice of Intent to Destroy Records

ARC-Form 12 (Click Here for ARC-Form 12): Agency Notice of Intent to Destroy Records That Have Been Imaged.

Here is an example of how an ARC-Form should look when submitted to the Records Management Coordinator.

The approval process typically takes up to a week but can take upwards of 30 days if edits need to be made or clarifications need to be addressed.

Records Transfer to the Archives

If a record’s disposition states that it must be transferred to the archives for permanent preservation, please use this form to indicate what records you are sending. You can refer to this document for more detailed information on the process and a guide to the types of records that are typically mandated for permanent preservation. Transfers to University Archives

For the ease of processing and creating finding aids for transferred materials, please include as much labeling and description as possible. While this is not a requirement for transferred materials, this allows for more efficient organizing and gives our department more opportunity to tell a complete story of your department's work and accomplishments. Examples of good description would be clear labeling and dating of file folders. Additionally, adding descriptions on photographs of individuals or locations is also helpful, either on the backs of the photos themselves or on the folders or envelopes containing them.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Benjamin Hedges at 405-744-6076 or benjamin.hedges@okstate.edu.