What is Records Management?

Each and every day the Suffolk community creates records that document the various activities and transactions of the University including email messages, contracts, correspondence, reports, invoices, memoranda and student records. Records management is a systematic way to make decisions about what to keep, who is responsible for keeping it and for how long in compliance with state and federal regulations.

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 benefits of improving access to and retrieval of documents, saving storage space and maintaining the University’s institutional memory.

What records should we keep?

Every department creates records in many formats -- some documents should be kept for the long-term while others can be discarded after they are no longer useful. Retention schedules outline the specific type of materials that need to be saved and for how long. The list below contains common types of records created in a university setting.

Additional resources

Web sites

• Association of Records Managers and Administrators (ARMA) http://www.arma.org/
• What is Records Management and why should I care? (ARMA) http://www.arma.org/pdf/WhatIsRIM.pdf
• Society of American Archivists Records Management Guidelines for College and University Archives http://www.archivists.org/governance/guidelines/cu_guidelines3.asp
• Massachusetts Secretary of State Electronic Records Mangement site http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/preerecords/erecords.htm and
  http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/preerecords/erecordsidx.htm

Books in the Suffolk Archives

• Preserving Digital Information by Gregory Hunter
• Record Keeping Requirements by Donald Skupsky