University Records, Archives, and Publications (Policy 1020)
University Policy 1020
Download a Printable Version of Policy 1020
Effective Date
July 1987
Last Revision Date
April 26, 2021
Responsible Party
Office of the President, (208) 426-1258
Scope and Audience
This policy applies to all institutional records and publications.
Additional Authority
- Idaho Code §67-5751
- Idaho Code §33-2505B
1. Policy Purpose
To establish policy for the retention and disposal of institutional records and publications.
2. Policy Statement
The University recognizes the important role that records and other institutional publications play in maintaining the organization’s history and identity. Therefore, the University is committed to ensuring that documents necessary for the preservation of that history are handled correctly.
3. Definitions
3.1 Institutional Records
Documents or records created or received in connection with the activities and business of the University. Institutional Records are preserved for varying periods in order to provide information and evidence concerning policies, decisions, procedures, functions, or other activities of the institution.
3.2 University Archives
Documents or records defined above which have been deposited with the university archivist for permanent preservation and control and to be made available for use in accordance with the provisions under which they have been placed in the archives.
3.3 Public Records
Correspondence, minutes, reports, and other materials related to the official function of the University are public records. Their preservation, transfer, disposal, and destruction are governed by this policy.
3.4 Source Material Considered Public Records
Records relating to faculty, staff, and student organizations, which provide source material that could be valuable to researchers engaged in tracing the history of the University should be treated in the same manner as public records. Examples of source material that should be considered public records include minutes, agendas, and committee reports of Faculty Senate, Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU) entities, local chapters of professional groups, and so forth.
4. Responsibilities and Procedures
4.1 Inventory of Records
The officer in charge of each administrative unit, including department chairpersons, is responsible for initiating and maintaining an inventory of records under their direct control.
4.2 Boise State University Publications
For Boise State University publications retained under Idaho Code §33-2505B at the Idaho Commission for Libraries “Commission”, the Commission will determine documents that meet the code requirements and obtain electronic copies of the needed Boise State publications from the University website. The documents are stored in the state digital repository.
4.3 Retention and Disposal of Records
Records should be maintained only for the minimum periods required to serve the basic official functions of the office involved. At the end of those periods, records will be destroyed according to the procedures enumerated below or be transmitted to the university archives in accordance with the schedule provided in Appendix A.
4.4 Request for Record Destruction
Any University department, unit, or organization desiring to destroy unwanted records must write a letter of request to the appropriate vice-president. If the specific vice-president concurs that the records in question should be destroyed, the vice-president will write to the Director of Department of Administration for the State of Idaho, describing the records to be destroyed with sufficient enough detail to establish whether or not the records have fiscal or historical significance.
4.5 Necessary External Entity Authorization
Upon receipt of the University’s request (through the respective vice-president), the Department of Administration will obtain the necessary sign-offs from both the legislative auditor and the Idaho State Historical Society.
4.6 Notification of Decision
The University will receive written notification authorizing destruction of records as requested, or stating reasons why the records should be retained.
4.7 Authorization for Destruction
Records authorized for destruction should be disposed of according to the following methods:
a. Confidential records will be burned or shredded by the generating agency.
b. Non-confidential records will be disposed of by transferring them to the Division of Building Services for recycling.
5. Appendix A
5.1 University Records, Archives, and Publications Governance/Legal Appendix
| Records | Where Maintained (Office) | Minimum Period of Retention | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Records (Student) | Registrar (Vault) | Permanent | Retain in Registrar's Office vault on microfilm & alternate location |
| Accreditation Documents & Reports | Provost | Permanent | Retain in Provost's Office & Univ. Archives |
| Annual/Biennial Reports | President | Two Years | University Archives |
| Audit Reports (Fiscal) | Audit | Five Years | Finance & Administration |
| Blackboard course content | Office of Information Technology (OIT) | Archive after two years | OIT purge from archives after five years* |
| Budget Records | Budget Officer | Five Years | Finance & Administration |
| Contracts>$10,000 or VP Designated | University Archives | Six Years | Destroy |
| Contracts (Buildings) | University Archives | Building Life | Archive |
| Contracts <$10,000 | Respective Offices | Six Years | Destroy |
| Correspondence (Univ. Offices) | Respective Offices | Time Needed | Review--items of historical value to University Archives |
| Departmental Academic Records | Faculty or Dept. Files | Five Years | Retain by faculty member or destroy |
| Dept. or Unit Reports | Respective Offices | Time Needed | Review--items of historical value to University Archives |
| Faculty Evaluation (Information, tenure, rank, or tenure review) | Department Chairperson or Dean's Office | Time Needed | Destroy |
| Sponsored Projects | Grants (grant proposals, awards, reports) | Five Years | Destroy |
| Health Records | Health Service | Discretion of Physician (as per established internal policies) | Destroy |
| Institutional reports | Institutional Research | Five Years | University Archives |
| Payroll | Human Resources | Permanent | Retain in Human Resources |
| Personnel Records | Provost & Human Resources, Affirmative Action | Permanent | Retain in Provost's & Human Resources Offices |
| Purchasing | Finance & Administration | Five Years | Finance & Administration |
| Student Placement Records | Placement Files | Discretion of Director (as per established internal policies) | Destroy |
| Student Records (other than academic, health, and placement) | Respective Staff Office | Time Needed | Destroy |
| Student Organization Files | Student Activities | Five Years | University Archives |
| University Publications (bulletins, catalogs, handbooks, programs, etc.) | Library &Univ. Archives (Print Shop send at least one copy of every item to Library for archival purposes.) | Permanent | Retain in University Archives |
| Minutes: | |||
| -- A. Faculty Senate | Fac. Sen. Secretary | Five Years | University Archives |
| -- B. ASBSU | Student Union (Director's Office) | Five Years | University Archives |
| -- C. Other committees, councils, etc | Chairperson Files | Two Years | University Archives |
* Opted out course sites will have their term identifier modified to prevent archive and/or purge.
Revision History
Revised: November 1998; October 2007; September 10, 2012; November 2015; April 26, 2021