Records Management

As the University has adopted document management systems and fully electronic business processes, many departments are looking to transition to paperless recordkeeping in order to improve efficiency and save space. The Archives provides resources and guidance for those offices looking to transition from paper-based to electronic recordkeeping systems. Departments can pursue such a transition with the approval of the Office of the General Counsel (OGC).

To get started, review the Guidelines for University Records in Electronic Format [PDF]. Departments are strongly encouraged to follow the metadata and imaging guidelines outlined in this document, to ensure that records can be discovered and accessed over the long term.

For questions about these guidelines, please contact the Drexel University Archives at archives@drexel.edu.

For questions on how to handle especially sensitive data, such as that involving patients or human subjects research, please consult with the OGC.

It is important to write down local procedures for records management within your department. Documenting your local procedures and responsibilities will ensure consistency, help staff members locate needed records, ensure proper destruction or preservation of records as appropriate, and provide continuity in the case of staffing changes.

Consider creating a Local Records Guide [PDF] for your department. Use the Sample Records Guide [PDF] as a model. A local records guide will help you get started with defining local procedures, responsibilities, and conditions.

If you need help implementing any parts of your plan, or have questions about how to proceed, contact records@drexel.edu.

The Archives provides a set of best practices for destroying records, as well as a records destruction form that you can use to document your local practices.

Proper records destruction is an important part of implementing records management in your department. Only about 5% of the records created today will end up in the Drexel University Archives, which means that 95% of all records will be destroyed.

While sending the 5% of records that have historic value to the Archives is important, it is just as important to ensure proper destruction of records that will not be preserved permanently.

University Policy

Drexel University's Records Management Policy outlines proper destruction methods in Section VI, F. When destroying expired University records that do not have historic value consult this section of the policy for proper destruction methods.

Best Practices

• As outlined in the Local Records Guide [PDF] template, document your destruction practices.
• Choose a time each year that you will destroy expired records and stick to the schedule.
• Be sure to document destruction on a records destruction form or contract with Iron Mountain for the destruction of records.
• Make sure to shred any and all expired hardcopy records that contain confidential and/or sensitive information. This includes all records protected by FERPA and/or HIPAA.
• Shred hardcopy financial records.
• Recycle hardcopy records that do not contain confidential and/or sensitive information.
• Require approval from your department's records management administrator and department head to destroy expired records.
• If you are destroying records in-house use a records destruction form. If you use DocuVault for records destruction, permanently retain the certificate of destruction.
• If you think a record series might have historic value, but are not sure, contact the Archives for a records appraisal at records@drexel.edu.

It is good practice to track your destruction of records in order to show that records have been destroyed in accordance with regular business practices. Use this Records Destruction Form [PDF] to track your records destruction.

Looking to jumpstart your records management efforts?

A records clean-up day is an opportunity to bring your team together to keep your department running smoothly. Staff will clean up their working files, destroy expired records, and prepare records for transfer to the Drexel University Archives. The benefits include freed up office and server space, compliance with University policy, the ability to more easily find active records needed for day-to-day business operations, and a tamed email inbox.

These resources will help you plan and execute a successful records clean-up day. Archives staff are also available for guidance.

• Planning a records clean-up day [PDF]
• Executing a records clean-up day [PDF]
• Email Management & clean-up

While a records clean-up day is a great way to get started with records management, it is also an excellent maintenance tool. Taking one day each year to destroy expired records acts as a tune-up, ensuring that you can find business critical information, that unneeded information is destroyed efficiently and securely, and that you are in compliance with University policy and local, state and federal laws. Consider making it a yearly event!

In order to preserve the history of Drexel University, administrators and staff are required by the Records Management Policy to retain paper and electronic files of historic records for the purpose of eventual transfer to the Drexel University Archives.

To arrange for a transfer of historic records to the Archives, please contact records@drexel.edu. You will also need to fill out and sign our Records Transfer Form [PDF] before we pick up the records.

Specific guidance for faculty, students and staff if located on our What We Collect page.

With the large volume of email that many faculty and staff receive, managing email accounts can be challenging. Drexel University Archives has collected resources to help you identify strategies to help you keep your inbox uncluttered. Take control of your inbox by setting up filters and using other Outlook functions.

Not sure what to delete? Here's a handy flowchart: Email Management Flow Chart [PDF]

If you have email that is of historic value, or your job function requires you to keep email longer than you are able to keep it in your active Exchange account, archiving may be an option for you. Check out the guide on deciding whether or not you should use Outlook's archive function: Should I use the archiving function? [PDF]

You can also check out these tips and resources to help you with your email management:

• Drexel Specific Email Tips [PDF]
• Additional Email Management Resources [PDF]