Active Record: A record that is needed to perform current operations and should be easily accessible by the record’s user. Active records are not eligible for retention storage.
Designated Campus Colleagues (DCC): Affiliates, associates, volunteers, and interns who are granted DCC status by the University, who contribute their time, services, and expertise to help the University accomplish its mission of teaching, research, and service.
Digital Record: Any record that exists exclusively in a digital form and resides within some type of technology (digital tape or disc, software application, hard drive, server, cloud storage, etc.).
Digital Record Destruction: Digitally altering a Digital Record to the point where it is rendered unintelligible or inaccessible without resorting to some extraordinary forensic data recovery measure.
Inactive Record: A record that is no longer needed to conduct current operations but must be preserved until it fulfills its retention period. Inactive records are eligible for retention storage.
Non-Record: Any item that does not qualify as a Record. Non-Records are exempt from following standard record retention and destruction policies. Examples of items that qualify as a Non-Record include but are not limited to (1) extra copies or drafts of a Record that do not have a Record Series assigned to the copy or draft version and are used for convenience or reference purposes, (2) blank forms or templates, form letters, etc., that are copies of the original, (3) uncirculated personal notes, (4) personal correspondence with no ties to official University business, or (5) stocks of publications or documents intended for sale or distribution.
Over-Retention: Unnecessarily storing a Record well beyond State or University predetermined retention period requirements or well beyond any reasonable additional retention requirements, whichever is longer.
Physical Record: Any record that exists exclusively in a physical form either on its own or as part of some type of non-digital physical media (paper, plastic film, magnetic tape, etc.).
Physical Record Destruction: Physically altering the Record to the point where it is unintelligible and the remnants are securely discarded.
Record: Any item made or received by the University (regardless of its digital or physical form or characteristics) that demonstrates how the University conducts itself in connection with the transaction of public business or as a matter of law. An item may also be considered a Record due to its informational or historical value. Records are formal evidence of the University's existence as well as its functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, intentions, or activities.
Record Destruction: The destruction of a Record to make it unintelligible or inaccessible. Once a Digital Record or Physical Record is destroyed, the expectation is it will remain destroyed and be considered permanently unavailable.
Record Disposition: The determination of what to do with a Record once all retention requirements are fulfilled. The most common option is Record Destruction. Less common options include extending the retention period based on a reasonable additional retention requirement or storing permanently based on the Record acquiring some historical or other significant value.
Record Hold: The temporary suspension of any disposition decision or action that would cause a Record to be made permanently unavailable. Common types of holds include legal holds, audit holds, and administrative holds.
Record Information Resource System: Any internal or external electronic system, or software application, where Digital Records belonging to the University are created, collected, modified, stored, transmitted, or controlled by University personnel.
Record Retention: The process of safely storing a Record for a specified period of time once it has fulfilled its intended administrative function and is eligible to begin serving its predetermined retention period based on the retention schedules in use by the University.
Retention Schedule: A categorized list of Record Series (record types) that is approved for use by an organization.
Record Series: The classification given to a specific set of Records based on what the Records have in common, such as origin, subject matter, function, administrative or informational value, etc. Each Record Series normally consists of a Record Series number, title, general description of the Record Series, minimum predetermined Retention Period, and remarks as to when the Retention Period begins or any other important retention considerations specific to the Record Series.
Retention Period: The amount of time a Record is required to be retained prior to determining its final disposition. The Retention Period will be determined by information found on the Retention Schedules in use by the University or by some additional retention requirement determined by the Unit that is unique to a specific set of Records or Record Series, whichever is longer.
Under-Retention: Knowingly storing a Record for less than State or University predetermined Retention Period requirements or less than any reasonable additional retention requirements, whichever is longer.
Unit: Any University college, department, program, office, or other operating unit.
University Community: Consists of (a) University students; (b) University employees; (c) University Units; and (d) third party individuals, which include but are not limited to contractors, vendors, volunteers, or Designated Campus Colleagues.