Disposal Resources
The Disposal Process
Once per year the Records Management Program in Bismarck will send NDSU a Records Disposal Report with a list of the records series and dates to be disposed of according to the approved NDSU Records Retention Schedule. The information will then be passed along to the unit records coordinators who will complete documentation to certify that the corresponding records have been disposed of. The actual method of disposal is determined by the record series. Options for disposal of records which are not to be retained are shred, recycle, and archive.
When disposing of documents. The NDSU Certification of Records Disposal is required to be completed and submitted to the Office of Ethics, Compliance and Audit. This form documents that the user reviewed the Records Retention Schedule and the Records Disposal Report, then requires the user to identify the record series and volume of items disposed.
This process began in 2009. This portion of the Web site will be updated as more information becomes available.
Certification of Records Disposal
After identifying the records which will be disposed, the user must complete the Certification of Records Disposal. Through the use of this form, the user certifies:
- They have reviewed the NDSU Records Retention Schedule and it accurately reflects all records and documents utilized in their office or work area
- They have reviewed the current Disposal Report and identified all records which will be disposed
- ALL records identified for disposal in the current year's Disposal Report have been appropriately destroyed and documented in the Disposal Volume section of the form
- Any exceptions to the above attestations should be documented and submitted to the Records Management Coordinator
A note about litigation holds
As defined by the North Dakota Solicitor General, a "litigation hold" is the process of identifying and preserving documents, electronic information, and other materials that may constitute evidence in pending or "reasonably foreseeable" litigation. Information subject to a litigation hold should not be disposed of until the hold is canceled or removed.
If you know of litigation or possible litigation that might affect your records to be disposed of, or if you receive a "destruction hold notice", please immediately contact the NDSU General Counsel for guidance.
NDSU Records Disposal Report
The latest disposal report for NDSU is available as a searchable Adobe Acrobat format. This is for files to be disposed of as of July 1, 2010. The next disposal report will be posted in August, 2011:
NDSU Records Disposal Report for 2010-11
Disposal Methods
Retain
Records with a disposal method of "Retain" are to be kept by the holder or in a designated storage area. At this time NDSU does not have a central storage facility for records.
Recycle
Once the retention/disposal schedule has been approved and disposal begins, paper records with a disposal method of "recycle" will be disposed of in normal recycling bins. Other media (electronic, microforms) would also be appropriately discarded or recycled.
Shred
Records with a disposal method of "shred" often contain confidential information and must be disposed of properly. Paper or microform records must be shredded in an office shredder or through a shredding service. If you have large volumes of documents to shred please contact purchasing for options (there will be a charge). Other media should also be disposed of so as to destroy any data. For electronic media this may mean that the device has to be physically destroyed or completely overwritten with data at the end of its life.
No shredding is to be done until the record series disposal schedule has been approved by the state. If you have records you want to shred immediately please contact the NDSU Records Management Coordinator .
Archive
Records with a disposal method of "archive" are transferred to the NDSU Archives at the end of the hold time and must be documented by the NDSU Archives internal transfer form. For instructions and a list of items that can be transferred to the University Archives, go to http://library.ndsu.edu/archives/services/university-records-transfer.
Please contact the University Archives at univarchives@www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu or 1-1017 or 1-8914 prior to sending anything.
See University Archive FAQ for further information.
Records commonly transferred to the University Archives
Academic Administrative Records
Accreditation Records
Administrative correspondence
Administrative, college, and departmental histories
Agenda and Minutes
Annual Reports
Architectural renderings of campus facilities
Articulation Agreements
Audio/Visual Presentations
Budget
Building/Construction/Plant Improvement Inventories/Major Equipment
Bylaws
Charts, maps, and/or blue prints
Committee and task force reports
Constitutions and by-laws
Departmental Files
Departmental Meetings
Directives/Policies/Procedures/Guidelines
Educational Catalog Records
Employee Manual
Faculty Guidelines and Policies
Faculty personnel files
Fund-Raising Records
Gender Equity Reports
Gifts/Donations
Honors/Awards
Minutes and proceedings
Newsletters/Publications
Office files (correspondence and memoranda)
Organizational Charts
Photographs
Policy files
Program Evaluations
Program reviews and accreditation reports
Project files
Public Relations Material
Publications (produced by NDSU)
Reports/Plans
Retreats/Workshops/Seminars/Conference
Sports Information
Student Guidelines and Policies
Subject files
Summary Awards
