A records retention schedule is an inventory of records maintained by all or part of an organization, listed together with the period of time that each record or group of records should be kept. Records retention schedules are considered format neutral and apply to records regardless of medium (paper, born-digital, audio-visual, etc.).

Based upon Princeton’s Records Management Principles, the University is developing Records Retentions Schedules for its Central Administrative Offices (CAOs), in addition to an Administrative and Common Records Retention Schedule for records generated across the organization. These schedules will provide a foundation for transparency and accountability when it comes to managing university records and data. Implementing Records Retention Schedules helps Central Administrative Offices to improve efficiency, maintain legal and regulatory compliance, balance access with data privacy, and produce records and information when needed.

Princeton's Records Retention Schedules each specify the following:

• Record Category - the topical area of the record (such as Administrative, Fiscal, Real Estate/Housing)
• Record Series - the name of a type of record, or group of records created and maintained together that serve the same function
• Record Description - examples of what is included in the records series
• Retention Period - how long the record must be retained due to policy, law, best practices, and/or business needs
• Office of Record - the department or unit responsible for maintaining the record

Steps for Using a Records Retention Schedule

Review the records found on the retention schedule for your Central Administrative Office. The Records Retention Schedules are organized alphabetically by department unit and record series, and can be browsed by keyword search.

If you are searching for a specific record series, be sure to check both the department-specific and Administrative and Common Records Retention Schedules.

1. If you are having trouble finding a record, or you think that a record series should be added to the schedule, please contact University Records Management.
2. Take note of the Office of Record, which is the office or department ultimately responsible for managing a record series until its final disposition, when the record is destroyed securely, kept permanently in office, or transferred to the University Archives. 
   1. If your department is the Office of Record, you likely have the official version of a record and should follow the retention period listed on the Records Retention Schedule.
   2. If your department is not the Office of Record, you likely have a duplicate or reference copy of the official record. Copies should be destroyed securely as soon as they no longer have administrative value, and should not be kept longer than the designated retention period.
      1. Some Central Administrative Offices keep copies of certain record series permanently within their offices. This should be specified on the Records Retention Schedule for your department.
3. Once the retention period for a record series has passed, it is time to securely destroy your records. First, confirm that there are no legal holds for the records you intend to destroy. Princeton University must preserve and, if required, provide access to records that relate to pending or reasonably anticipated litigation. For further details, please contact the Office of General Counsel.
   1. For paper-based records, Princeton University works with Polar Shredding to meet records destruction needs. Check your building first for secure, locked bins that are designed for easy disposal of paper records. Polar Shredding also offers onsite records destruction.
   2. Digital records must be deleted beyond recovery. Please contact University Records Management for assistance in wiping hard drives, clearing network directories and digital file locations, and other best practices for securely destroying digital records. You can also consult Records Management's guide to destroying electronic records in the RM Toolkit.
4. Records denoted as “permanent within Office of Record” have enduring operational value for the department and extended periods of active use, but are not suitable for historical research. These records must be maintained permanently within the originating office. University Records Management can assist with migrating electronic records from a legacy system during the useful life of the records.
5. Records with a “permanent” retention are transferred to the University Archives in Mudd Library after they are no longer actively used in the department. Permanent records are deemed to have enduring historical and research value for the university. Please follow the University Archives' instructions for transferring permanent records to Mudd, or contact University Records Management for assistance.
6. If you have physical, temporary records that need to be maintained for longer periods of time, but you need to create space in your department, you can transfer boxed, inventoried records to Princeton University's Storage Facility (PUSF) at 755 Alexander Road. Records stored at PUSF must be within retention according to the University's Records Retention Schedules. Please contact University Records Management for further details.
7. Please also contact Records Management if you need assistance auditing and destroying born-digital materials. Many storage or content management systems, including SharePoint and Google Drive, have retention functions built into the platform itself. University Records Management can offer consultations as needed.

Steps for Creating an Implementation Plan

Understanding your office's Records Retention Schedule and using it to clear out “ROT” (redundant, obsolete, and transitory records) marks the beginning of the retention schedule's implementation. You may choose to formalize the implementation process within your office by developing a shared plan for all staff to follow, in order to coordinate records storage and destruction projects, designate internal responsibility for certain record series, and/or ensure that the Records Retention Schedule is sustainably integrated into existing workflows.

The following steps can assist in the creation of an office-wide Records Retention Schedule implementation plan:

1. Schedule a virtual or in-person implementation kick-off meeting with Records Management to introduce the approved Records Retention Schedule to staff members. Records Management also can give presentations at senior management or all-hands meetings.
2. Designate a point person or task team to liaise with the units of your office or department, as well as with Records Management. This helps to streamline records-related communication and coordinate intraoffice destruction and storage.
3. Gather data about which units, teams, or individuals manage which records within your office. The “Office of Record” column on the Records Retention Schedule should contain related details.
4. Create a checklist in a shared physical or digital environment of which units, teams, or staff members will store, destroy, or transfer which records along a determined timeline. You may choose to establish a records assessment, storage, and destruction cycle following the academic, calendar, or fiscal year, depending upon your office’s or unit’s established operations.
5. Be sure to reach out to Records Management for guidance and support during implementation.

If you have any questions, please check with your department lead or contact University Records Management for assistance.

Anne Marie Phillips

Assistant University Librarian for Archives 

and Records Management

609-258-3213

[email protected]

Kathleen Brennan

Records Manager

609-258-1737

[email protected]