The Suffolk University Records Management Program supports the teaching, scholarship, and research missions of the University by ensuring access to its records for the full period of time they are needed to achieve its goals.

The Program aims to manage risks to the University by maintaining records in accordance with legal requirements, ensure the orderly and appropriate destruction of records as appropriate, and permanently preserve records that document the University’s accomplishments and form its corporate memory.

Records Management services are available to all faculty and staff members who create, use or otherwise access or interact with any University Records.

What is Records Management?

Records Management is a systematic approach to organizing and storing your documents—official University records—throughout their lifecycle. Everyone who creates, files, maintains, and disposes of records is managing them.

Why do we need Records Management?

The University is legally and fiscally responsible for the management of institutional records in compliance with state and federal laws. Effective records management has the additional benefit of improving access to and retrieval of documents, saving storage space and safeguarding proprietary and personally identifiable information.

What can Records Management do for me?

We conduct trainings on records policies and procedures, improving access to records, disposition of inactive records, and other record keeping issues. We also offer no-cost consulting services, and would be happy to set up an appointment with you to discuss your recordkeeping issues and needs. Records Management can also help with identifying vital records, preventing disasters, and choosing electronic document management systems.

     During a record's active life

Records Management services include assistance with creating office and electronic filing schemes, providing advice on formatting and records preservation, training employees to better manage records, and conducting records appraisal and scheduling.

     At the end of a record's active life

Records Management provides assistance with records storage, archival transfer, and destruction. For more information about records management policies and services or to sign up for training class, please contact the University Records Manager.  

What is a Records Retention Schedule? How do I use it?

A Records Retention Schedule provides instruction on how long to keep records (retention) and when they can be destroyed or transferred to the Archives (disposition). It ensures that records are kept to fulfill audit, legal and regulatory requirements, and empowers you to make thoughtful decisions about retaining and destroying records. There are several benefits to having a records schedule:

• provides a basis for consistent recordkeeping practices
• ensures that valuable information assets are protected and remain accessible and retrievable
• provides a legally defensible means for the disposal of records
• ensures that records are kept long enough to fulfill legal, fiscal, and audit requirements
• identifies records of permanent value in order to preserve corporate memory

Most importantly, it takes the guesswork out of records destruction for you. It tells you how long to keep certain records, and when you can destroy them.