RECORDS MANAGEMENT

Office for Business Affairs

What is Records Management?

• It is the application of management techniques to the creation, use, maintenance, retention, preservation, and destruction of state records. (Texas Government Code §441.180)

OBJECTIVES:

• Four main objectives of a Records Management Program:– Improve efficiency of record keeping– Properly manage records for efficient retrieval

and disposal– Protect important legal, financial and vital

records– Preserve historical records

Record Management Program:

• Records Management program consists of:– Development of retention schedules– Management of filing and information retrieval system in any

media– Establishing procedure for efficient storage of inactive records– Providing protection of state records that are archival, vital and

confidential– Establishing control over the creation and distribution of reports,

correspondence and forms– Maintenance of public information to facilitate access under the

Public information act, chapter 552 (Open Records Requests)– Establishing procedure for timely and proper disposal of records

eligible for final disposition.

Benefits:

• Benefits of proper management of Records:– Compliance with legal requirements– Efficient use of resources which is cost

effective and leads to increased productivity– Protection, control and maintenance of state

records– Easy access to state records for open records

request

State Records:

• Any written, photographic, or other recorded information created or received by or on behalf of a state agency or an elected state official that documents activities in the conduct of the state business (Texas Government Code §441.180)

Record Copy

– Record Copy:• Original or official document which is kept on file.• These records are subject to the retention schedule. • These require Internal approval before they can be

dispose of when retention requirements have been met.

• You need to complete Record destruction form and Record Disposition log before any of these records can be disposed of.

Convenience Copy

– Convenience Copy• Convenience copies are all other copies of the

record copy created for convenience, reference, or research.

• Convenience copies can be destroyed any time. • No approval is needed• Do not have to complete any forms.

Problem with Convenience Copies:

• Must be disposed of before the end of retention period or as soon as they have served their purpose

• Can’t be kept longer than record copy• If kept after record copy is destroyed:

- Convenience copy becomes record copy

- Results in noncompliance

Keep at your own risk !!

Transitory Records

• These are records of temporary usefulness and not an integral part of a record series of an agency, not regularly filed with an agency’s records, and required only for a limited period of time

• Examples:– Routine messages– Internal meeting notices– Routine information used for communication, but not for the

documentation, of a specific transaction

• These records should be disposed of as soon as they have served their purpose

Disposition of State Records:

• Two ways a state record can be disposed of:

– Archival Preservation: If a record is designated as archival record, then that record has to be preserved. “An archival state record is of enduring value that will be preserved on a continuing basis by the Texas state library and Archives commission or another state agency.”

– Destruction: If a record is in the System Record Retention Schedule and has met the retention period then it should be destroyed in a timely manner. This process has to be approved and documented.

Destruction of State Records:

• Following steps are necessary before record copies can be destroyed:

– Make sure that they are in the system record retention schedule– The retention period for these records has expired– Notify the university records officer– Complete the record destruction form– Complete the record disposition log– Obtain necessary authorization– Keep copies of the completed form for yourself and send the

originals to PVAMU Records Officer

CAUTION:

• Records cannot be destroyed:

– If any • litigation, • claim, • negotiation, • audit, • open records requests or • administrative review

is pending!

Storage of Inactive Records:

• Store inactive records in such a way that it is easy to locate and retrieve: – Use Records Boxes – Label the boxes with the

• description of the records • record series number and • date of the records

– Write a unique box number on each box– Enter the disposition date on the box

Useful Websites:

• TAMU Records Management Webpage:– http://tamusystem.tamu.edu/offices/policy/recordsretent

ion.htm/

• Texas Records Management Laws:– http://tamusystem.tamu.edu/offices/policy/recordsretent

ion.htm

• Trainings at Texas State Library and Archives Commission– http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/slrm/state/registration.html

PVAMU Records Management

• Contact Information– Tasmina Quddus

Phone: 936-857-2202

Fax: 936-857-2638

E-mail: taquddus@pvamu.edu