Records Management at the University of Lethbridge
Records Management is the orderly control of records through their life cycle.
What does this mean?
It means the records need to be managed as corporate assets from the moment they are created in response to business needs to the final disposition when they are destroyed or transferred to the University Archives.
Principles of Records Management
- Information is an important asset of the University. (An essential principle for the management of recorded information is that information is managed as a resource or asset of the entire University and not as the property of individuals, branches or divisions. )
- The management of information is planned. (An organization's business planning processes require both strategic and operational records and information management planning.)
- A life-cycle management approach is adopted. (Records need to be managed from creation or receipt; classification; maintenance and use; disposition through destruction or transfer to an archives; preservation; and finally to reference and use in the University Archives.
- All records are included. (Recorded information, regardless of physical form or characteristics including: reports, correspondence, letters and Maps, Website content, E-mails, text messages, blogs, and even voice messages, photographs (slides, negatives, digital images) tapes, disks, microfiche, drawings, film, etc. even RFIDs and wikis. Records include evidence of business transactions, support for decision making processes, documentation of activities and services, and documentation of corporate history.)
- Accountability is assigned. (It is the responsibility of every employee to maintain business information in order to serve the business administrative, legal, audit, regulatory, customer and competitive interests of the University. We are all Records Managers!)
Records Management Program Elements
Policies and Procedures for creating and storing records in both paper and electronic format that are supported by the University's senior administration and include a corporate policy, and a Legal Hold policy.
University Business Classification System that organizes information based on business functions and business processes and activities.
Retention Schedules that clearly outline guidelines for keeping records in all formats and in all business units, and identify the method of disposition.
Vital Records program that identifies and protects those records that are criticil for immediat restart of the University's business process following a disaster.
Records Management Training to train University employees in the policies, procedures, workflow and systems required to assure quality recordkeeping.
Electronic Records Management
Periodic audits to assess the clarity of procedures, effectiveness of training, and compliance to current legislation and standards.
Maintained by
Content Revised: August 10, 2010
