Records Retention Schedule

The UND Records Retention Schedule is an approved policy that lists common record series found in university departments. It provides retention guidelines for the Office of Record and Copy Holders based on administrative, fiscal, historical, and legal value. It also provides guidance on the proper disposal methods for each record series after the approved retention period has been met.

UND Records Retention Schedule - Complete (PDF file - 45 pages)

• Last updated September 25, 2024

UND Records Retention Schedule - Most Commonly Used Records Series (Excel file - 4 pages)

• Last updated July 15, 2020
• This document includes the most commonly used records series from the Records Retention Schedule
• These records series can also be found in the UND Records Retention Schedule - Complete

Shred Vendor Pickup Schedule

• Please submit your request no later than 3 p.m. on Tuesday during a pickup week.
• The shred vendor will be on campus every Thursday.

Abbreviations

ACFY = After Current Fiscal Year

A fiscal year starts each July 1st and runs through the following June 30th. For example, we are currently in FY23 (July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023).

ACM = After Conditions Met

The term After Conditions Met refers to additional details regarding retention triggers for the record series.

AE = After Expiration

ALA = After Last Action

AT = After Termination

CY = Current Year (Calendar Year)

PERM = Permanent

SUP = Superseded

Records that are routinely updated, revised, or replaced with a newer version, and where the previous version has no continuing value.

UD = Updated

WA = While Active

The term while active is used to identify a "triggering event date." This event must occur before the retention period can begin. For example, with personnel files, the retention guideline is WA+6 years. In this case, from reading the record series description we can see that the triggering event date would be the date of employee termination. Using the date the employee terminated, we would add 6 years to that, and that date would be our disposition date.

Terms

• Record - The complete set of documentation, regardless of media format, which serves to document the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the institution.
• Records Management - The systematic control of information from creation or receipt, through processing and use, until final disposition or placement in an archive.
• Records Retention Schedule - An approved timetable stating retention periods (length of time to maintain) and the method of disposal for the records.
• Records Series - A group of related records filed and used together as a unit and evaluated as a unit for retention purposes
• Retention Period - The length of time a record must be maintained, based on administrative, fiscal, historical, and legal values before disposition can take place
• Disposition - Action to be taken on a record series at a specified time. May entail destruction, reformatting, transfer, or permanent retention.
• Office of Record - The department that is responsible for maintaining the official record copy of a document for the institution.
• Copy Holder - Department(s) that hold a copy of a record for their own use. They are not responsible for maintaining the official record copy, and in most cases have a reduced retention time frame.

Fiscal Year Easy-Reference Disposal Chart (FY 2025)