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- What is a University Record?
- What is my responsibility for University Records?
- What services are available to help me?
Welcome to University Records Management
Records Management Services manages and oversees University compliance with state and federal laws and regulations relating to the preservation and destruction of electronic and paper information.
The program is the legal authority, designated by the University and by The California State University to determine how long electronic and paper records and information must be retained. The office is responsible for developing Records Retention Schedules that identify records created or received by the University and specify how long those records must be retained. It is responsible for establishing standards, relating to University business requirements and needs, which ensure the legal legitimacy of University record-keeping systems. The program counsels and advises the University administration on the implementation of policy and procedure which promotes adherence to these standards and minimizes risk. It provides a wide range of services which are designed to help ensure the University is meeting its record-keeping responsibilities.
Records Management for Student Records is under the overall direction of the Vice President for Student Affairs. All questions regarding records retention scheduling and records storage for student records should be initially directed to the Registrar Office at 916-278-7748.
Records Management for medical records is under the overall direction of the Student Health Center Director. All questions regarding records retention scheduling and records storage for medical records should be initially directed to the Health Center Director at 916-278-6049.
Legal questions regarding release of records to the public should be directed to the University Counsel Office at 916-278-6940.
North entrance sign.
What is a University Record?
University records include information, regardless of physical form or characteristics, which have been created or received by the California State University, Sacramento. These records may include: correspondence, reports, studies, data, maps, drawings, photographs, e-mail, audio and visual recordings, administrative logs or other documents whether on paper, computer (magnetic tape, disk, or hard drive), film or other media.
University records are public records and may not be destroyed, transferred to the State Records Center, or transferred to the University Archives without an official retention period approved by the Records Management Advisory Committee.
However, please note that records pertaining to ongoing or pending audits or judicial or public disclosure proceedings must not be destroyed until the issue is resolved.
What is my responsibility for University Records?
Each University office has primary legal responsibility for the proper care and management of its records. To meet this responsibility each office should designate a Records Authority and a Records Coordinator.
Records Custodian: The title of the campus-designated administrator who is the individual with management responsibility for records associated with a university administrative function, and who maintains the official/original copy of the record/information. The Records Custodian is the Program Center Administrator (PCA) who is the ultimate individual responsible for records within their program center.
Records Custodian Contact: Point of contact for the Program Center Administrator who can answer questions from campus constituents regarding their department/unit records.
Department Records Authority: Department HEERA designated manager assigned responsibility for management of records for a department or unit. Also is the individual who can authorize the destruction of records.
Department Records Coordinator: Individual assigned responsibility for maintenance of records for a department or unit.
The Records Custodian has final approval for both the disposition of records and for departmental retention schedules. The Records Custodian Contact is able to answer questions on behalf the Records Custodian. The Records Authority is the HEERA manager who is responsible for the department/units records and has the authority to authorize destruction of records via the campus process and procedure. The department/unit Records Coordinator administers all day-to-day transactions associated with the office records and related functions. This can include files organization and maintenance, implementation of retention schedules, inactive records storage, and records destruction. The department/unit Records Coordinator also acts as liaison with University Records Management Services.
What services are available to help me?
The following free services are provided to University offices:
- Management of Electronic Records
- Development of Records Retention Schedules.
- Training
- Litigation and Audit Support
- Assistance with Vital Records Identification, Protection, and Recovery.
- Files Management- Electronic and Paper
- Inactive Storage, Retrieval and Re-file Services at the State Records Center
For questions on the content of this page, please contact Records Management Services at 916-278-6312 or e-mail at recmgt@csus.edu.