UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls
Records management is the systematic and administrative control of records throughout their life cycle to ensure efficiency and economy in their creation, use, handling, control, maintenance, and disposition.
The UWRF Records Management Program assists departments and employees in identifying and managing records and information assets used in the course of university business. It is imperative that all records, regardless of form, are managed according to legal, historical, regulatory, and operational requirements.
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls Records Management Program is mandated and governed by UWRF Administrative Policy 01-201 and the UW Board of Regents Policy 3-2.
In accordance with Wis. Stat. 16.61(2)b, “Public records" means all books, papers, maps, photographs, films, recordings, optical discs, electronically formatted documents, or other documentary materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received by any state agency or its officers or employees in connection with the transaction of public business.
Wis. Stat 16.61(b) also indicates what is not a public record, these include:
Records must be kept in accordance with approved records retention schedules. Records retention is the legal minimum amount of time that a record must be kept and cannot be disposed of prior meeting the scheduled retention. The retention of a record is determined based on legal, fiscal, and administrative requirements. Records retention schedules are searchable here or email Records Manager morgan.paavola@uwrf.edu.
Records retention schedules also determine what is to be done with a record once it has met retention. This is called Disposition, and one of three actions will occur.
Applying records retention and disposition should be a part of regular business practice.
Yes! Both email and text messages record business activity and are considered records. Click here for more information on retaining business communications.
Just like records destruction, transfer of records for permanent preservation at the University Archives should occur as a regular business process. Other events, however, may require early intervention such as departing staff and faculty, or department moves. Before sending records, please email archives@uwrf or call 715-425-3567.
