Records Management

Cornell University has a records management program. This program provides a cost-effective approach to the management of all records created, received and maintained by the university. Records that are determined to be of enduring value and are transferred to the Cornell University Archives will be preserved and made available to researchers.

Records

The Records Management Program is responsible for managing records, regardless of format, from their creation to their final disposition.

The University Archives located in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections for permanent retention of records of enduring value.
Scheduled records should be shredded/recycled according to the university records retention schedule.

University Records Retention Policy

Email Retention Policy

If an e-mail message was

created or received in the transaction of business,
retained as evidence of official policies/decisions,

has historical significance valuable informational content

it is considered a University record and is subject to the same retention period as the paper equivalent. (i.e. e-mail may be equivalent to formal correspondence) As such it may need to be retained for longer than an e-mail system is capable of retaining it. It is the responsibility of the sender/recipient to determine if a particular e-mail message constitutes a University record.

E-mail messages which require long-term retention should be either retained electronically on retrievable media or printed, including all header and transmission information, and filed with their electronic or paper equivalents by the sender/recipient.

In a court of law, liability can become involved when such documents (paper or electronic) are not available to be provided. Be aware that your decision to retain or destroy an e-mail message may become an issue in a court situation.

University Archives

The University Archives is within the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections located in Kroch Library. The Archives collects and preserves records of historical, legal, fiscal, and/or administrative value to Cornell University. Holdings include official records and reports of the university, its officers, and component parts; private papers of faculty, students, staff, and alumni; official and student publications; maps and architectural records; audiovisual materials including still photographs and negatives, motion picture film, oral history interviews, and audio and video tapes; and artifacts and ephemera documenting Cornell's history.

What the University Archives collects: https://rare.library.cornell.edu/collections/cuhist/preserving

Donating Faculty Papers:

Unlike official university records, faculty papers are the property of the individual and must be transferred through a deed of gift.

Professional and personal papers may include, but are not limited to:

Biographical sketches, resumes, curriculum vitae
Bibliographies
Correspondence, including email
Course related materials, descriptions, syllabi, lecture notes, reading lists, class presentations
Research notes, subject files
Material concerning policies/programs that reflect development or change in a discipline
Speeches and presentations
Meeting minutes
Diaries or journals
Photographs, preferably identified, and other audio visual material
Scrapbooks
Family papers may be included

What is not collected without consultation:

Personnel files, including tenure review files
Student records that fall under FERPA, such as grading or advising materials
Financial records, such as check stubs, tax returns, etc.
Routine university materials-administrative mailings
Duplicates
Clipping files
Memorabilia, plaques, awards (with some exceptions)

Donating Records of Student Organizations:

Items to be transferred include:

Founding documents, constitution, by-laws
Meeting minutes and proceedings
Officer and member lists
Correspondence and memoranda and subject files concerning projects, activities and functions
Historical files documenting policies, decisions, committee and task force reports, annual reports
Publications, newsletters
Event brochures, posters and announcements issued by the organization
Photographs, preferably identified, and other audio visual material
Scrapbooks

What is not collected without consultation:

Records of specific financial and membership transactions
Duplicates
Bulky objects of little historic value

Confidentiality:

Records can have restrictions on access or use. Restrictions must be generic and not apply to a particular class of people. Restrictions with time limits are very much preferred, such as twenty years from date of creation or twenty years from date of gift.

Transferring Material to the University Archives:

Email: universityarchives@cornell.edu in order to:

request acid free boxes
discuss the transfer of physical records or electronic records
receive a deed of gift form for the transfer of faculty papers
receive the excel template in order to create a box list (inventory) of what is being transferred to the Archives. Once collections are processed the guides to the collections are put on the web and can be accessed by doing a Google search, by searching the library catalog, or by going directly to the Division of rare and Manuscript Collections website: http://rmc.library.cornell.edu

Some Common Do's and Don'ts:

Do not send hanging file folders as they break the box edges
Boxes may be numbered in pencil only

To Review Material in the University Archives:

Material in the University Archives does not circulate. In order to use the material, you will need to register and use the material in the reading room in Kroch Library. Guidelines for using the material can be found at: http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/find/registration.html

Records Management Websites

Records Management Forms

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Records Management