January 23, 2023
The following message was sent to all faculty, staff, and graduate employees.
Dear colleagues,
As a public institution, the University of Oregon is responsible for ensuring the orderly management and retention of all records related to the institution. Each of us, as university employees, is obliged to keep records created in our daily work in such a way that they are reliable, available and accessible for the duration of their established retention periods. The Questions and Resources section of this notice explains how to learn more about established retention periods.
What is a Record?
A record means any information that:
- Is prepared, owned, used, or retained by the university;
- Relates to an activity, transaction, or function of the university; and
- Is necessary to satisfy the fiscal, legal, administrative, or historical policies, requirements, or needs of the university.
In practice this looks like all the paper, email, spreadsheets, digital images or video, and other material that we make, receive, file, or record at the university in connection with the transaction of any university business or activity or pursuant to law, whether confidential or restricted in use or access, are considered records.
However, only some records are subject to strict preservation requirements. The University of Oregon Records Retention Schedule lists the kinds of records subject to very specific preservation requirements; the Question and Resources section of this notice explains how to learn more about records and their retention.
What is your role?
- Understand our shared responsibilities as a UO employee by perusing this 8 minute video.
- Know who the Records Steward is for your unit and coordinate the care of records with them.
- VPs, Deans, Directors, and managers or their delegates are asked to assign a Steward for their unit as needed by completing this form.
- Before destroying records, review UO Records Destruction Procedures.
Questions and Resources
If you have questions about records management or would like to learn more, visit the Records Management website or email your questions to records@uoregon.edu.
Sincerely,
University Records Management