Retention Guidelines for Administrative Divisions
This section provides a retention schedule for the administrative records of the college. It includes the offices of the President, Provost, and Vice-Presidents, and the Deans of the main divisions of the College, as well as various special offices. Also included are the Board of Trustees, Faculty Councils, and the Assembly and Council of Administrative and Professional Staff.
To practice good record keeping, you are encouraged to use the guidelines reported below for the retention of documents in the various divisions, and the office of the President of Oberlin College. A pattern of consistency in the care of records will assist your office in many ways — especially in preventing the loss of records and in the saving of staff time. Information that is retained in hard copy or electronic files is the property of Oberlin College.
Records and documents which must be preserved and filed systematically:
| Description of Item | Normal Period of Retention | Referral (Destination) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| The minutes of the meetings of the Board of Trustees, Faculty Councils (General, Arts and Sciences, and Conservatory of Music), and other institutional document files supporting the minutes. | 4 years | Vault, Cox Admin. Bldg. First copies transferred to Archives after 20 years. | Office of the Secretary holds custodial responsibility for the originals. |
| The minutes of the meetings of Faculty committees and the other institutional document files supporting the minutes. | Active + 2 years | Archival Review | |
| Copies of all constitutions, past and present, and by-laws, both of the corporation and of its auxiliary organizations. Articles of Incorporation and amendments thereto. | Indefinite | Archives | |
| All official correspondence and memoranda of the President, Provost, and Vice-Presidents, and the Deans of the main divisions of the College (e.g. attached statements of policy, major reports, and other appropriate materials). | 6 years | Archives | |
| Copies of the official minutes and reports of all the College's academic departments, administrative units, commissions, and student life organizations. | Active + 2 years | Archives | |
| The non-current treasurers' records (annual reports). | 5 years | Archival Review | |
| Histories of the College, Program Reviews, etc. | Indefinite | Archives | |
| Copies of the deeds and descriptions of the College properties, titles, leases, surveys, etc. | 10 years | Archives | |
| Records of the Assembly and Council of Administrative and Professional Staff. | Active + 2 years | Archives | |
| Special Project files or unpublished reports or studies. | Active + 3 years | Archives | |
| Copies of all appointment letters and the acceptance letters of appointees, as part of individual employee files. | Active + 3 years | Archives | |
| Summary records of special offices—Affirmative Action, Chaplains, Counseling, Health Services, etc. | 10 years | Archives |
Printed and other media containing other kinds of documentary evidence which ought to be preserved in the Archives:
| Description of Item | Normal Period of Retention | Referral (Destination) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promotional materials, bulletins, and College catalogues. News releases, newspaper clippings, etc. | While useful + 3 years | Archives | |
| Source materials (for instance, original returns of a survey or questionnaire). | While useful + 2 years | Archives | |
| The Observer, Oberlin Review, and other student-based publications. | While useful + 2 years | Archives | |
| Films, recordings, tapes, and photographs produced in support of institution's mission—teaching or otherwise. | While useful + 2 years | Archives |