Records Management
Records management at Texas State University maintains the integrity of record-keeping, benefiting both current operations and long-term archival preservation. The University Libraries support the records management of the university, providing support for both active records management and archiving records, per the Records Retention Schedule and for those identified for preservation in the Special Collections and Archives.
Records Management Info
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Records and Non-Records
The distinction between records and non-records is important, because only records are covered by the Records Retention Schedule (RRS). Active records are those covered during the RRS. After that period of time, records are either added to archived collections or disposed of.
Records
Record
Record: recorded information, in any format, created or received in the course of performing university business and maintained as evidence of and information about the transaction of university business. This information meets the definition of a state record in the Texas Government Code, Texas Government Code, §441.031 and §441.180.
Record Copy
Record Copy: the primary copy of recorded information - often referred to as the “official” record. The official record copy must be retained according to the Records Retention Schedule, and must be listed on a Records Disposition Log prior to disposition.
Non-Records
Non-Record
Non-record: recorded information that has no administrative, legal, fiscal, or archival value. Non-records do not have any retention requirement; they may be disposed of at any time and do not require a Records Disposition Log (RDL).
Convenience Copy
Convenience Copy: additional copies of records that are held by individuals or offices. Convenience copies are often distributed for information, are not necessarily related to the function of the department, their existence in the department does not trigger an action, and they are exact duplicates of the record copy. Convenience copies are considered non-records as long as they are held no longer than the retention period for the record copy.
Note: Convenience copies are not records, and thus they are not covered by the Records Retention Schedule. You can dispose of convenience copies at any time, and you do not need to fill out a Records Disposition Log (RDL). The purpose of the RDL is to verify that the records listed on the form no longer exist anywhere in any format. But when you dispose of a convenience copy, you are not disposing the record - you're disposing a non-record, and the official record exists elsewhere.
Records Management Policies
UPPS 01.04.32
The University's Records Management Policy was established in the summer of 2016. This policy details records management responsibilities across campus and provides authority for employees to follow the RRS when retaining and disposing university records. Section 02.08 defines the term "Records Administrator" as an individual who is assigned authority by a record owner to create, retain, access, or dispose of university records. Section 05 encourages records administrators to attend training once every two years to stay up-to-date with policies and procedures.
Ethics and Compliance Training
Texas State University's ethics and compliance training helps protect the university from regulatory errors, omissions and failures by improving communication and information among members of the university community. All staff members must complete compliance training every two years to renew their Ethics Compliance Certification. Records management is one of the subject areas included in this program.
State of Texas Certification
The University's current Record Retention Schedule (RRS) has been recertified was certified by the State of Texas and is valid through December 2029. This RRS applies to all University records, regardless of format.
The University's Records Retention Schedule (RRS) is in compliance with Federal and State retention requirements. It is an authoritative document designed to provide guidance to employees for how long records must be retained and when the records should be disposed.