The Coordinator of Records Management will prepare and publish the Records Retention Schedule (RRS), in consultation with the Dean of the Library. The schedule will be in compliance with all legal and legislative requirements. The Coordinator of Records Management will review and update the RRS as needed to remain in compliance.
Employees will file or otherwise organize their College records in a manner that allows access and retrieval of records quickly and easily, when required. Employees will reference the college’s Records Retention Schedule when filing.
Employees will protect the privacy of individuals by ensuring that records containing personal information are stored in a secure environment while in the office and are confidentially destroyed by shredding according to approved retention and disposal schedules.
Officers with Primary Responsibility will ensure compliance with privacy guidelines for the collection, storage and disposal of personal information records.
Employees will follow the approved retention and disposal schedules established for their department’s original, official College records, and will notify their Officer with Primary Responsibility of any changes to their business processes that would require updating their department’s Records retention.
Employees may retain duplicate or reference copies, i.e., secondary records, created and maintained by other departments for as long as needed for reference purposes, but no longer than the retention and disposal schedule established for the original, official record.
Departments that create or maintain vital records will establish and follow procedures to ensure that such records are protected in the event of a disaster.
Employees will follow procedures described in the Records Management sections on myVCC.
Employees who leave the College or change positions will leave all official college records for their successors, subject to approved retention and disposal schedules.

AUTHORITY

The Dean of the Library and the Coordinator of Records Management have the authority and responsibility to ensure that the record management program is implemented, that practices are current, and to ensure employees have the training and documentation support to comply with the Records Management policy.

Term	Description
Active Records	Records in constant use that need to be retained in the office close to users.
Archival Records	College records of enduring historical value or permanent value. VCC’s Archival Records Policy describes the types of records included in the Archives.
Common Records	Records that provide evidence of administration of functions or activities that are not unique to one particular management unit. Common records often share a similar style or format, but the content is different. In some cases, common records are copies of original records for which another unit manager holds the office of primary responsibility.
Confidential Records	Records that contain information that for one or more reasons should only be disclosed to specific people or groups. Personal information (information about an identifiable individual) should be treated as confidential unless it is public information or unless there is consent for disclosure from the individual.
Inactive Records	Records that have met all administrative, academic, fiscal and legal requirements and are no longer required for an activity.
Official College Records	All records created or received by College employees in the course of their duties on behalf of the College and retained to meet business, legal, financial, legislative and other needs. For the purposes of implementing this policy, the definition of official college records excludes books and other published materials and copyrighted or copyrightable materials. Official college records may be in the form of paper, non-paper-based media such as microfilm, CD-ROM and audio or video tape and electronic media such as e-mail, word processing, spreadsheet and presentation documents, digital images of paper or microfilm stored in a records and document management system, databases and websites.
Primary Record	The official copy of the record and is generally stored in a secure place in a senior administrative office area.
Record	Information (in paper, audio, electronic, or other formats) created or received by employees and representatives of the College in the course of their work that must be retained to meet the ongoing operational, fiscal, historical and legal needs of the College. These records are the property of the College and subject to its overall control.
Records Management Program	Activities such as implementing filing systems, establishing retention and disposal schedules, protecting vital records and preserving archival records. Records management policies and procedures, technologies, and other administrative controls applied to the records and information that employees use to support their business operations and processes, and that are required to protect legal interests and fulfil legislative obligations.
Records Retention Schedule	Defined, specific time periods for keeping records in the office (the active phase), for maintaining records in storage (the semi-active phase), and determining their final disposition (destruction or indefinite archival preservation). The Records Retention Schedule is an inventory of VCC records identified by each department as essential to College operations.
Secondary Record	A copy of the primary record and may be stored by departments for convenience for a period of time that meets their current access needs, but no longer.
Semi-Active Records	Records that are no longer used or added to regularly but are still needed for occasional ready access.
Transitory Records	Records that have no ongoing operational, informational, evidential or historical value and can be disposed of as soon as they are no longer needed.
Vital Records	Records considered essential to the College’s continuing or resuming its operations in the event of a disaster. A record is vital when it would be required to resume or continue College business, supports the College’s legal or financial position or is made vital by regulation or statute.

Term

Description

Active Records

Records in constant use that need to be retained in the office close to users.

Archival Records

College records of enduring historical value or permanent value. VCC’s Archival Records Policy describes the types of records included in the Archives.

Common Records

Records that provide evidence of administration of functions or activities that are not unique to one particular management unit. Common records often share a similar style or format, but the content is different. In some cases, common records are copies of original records for which another unit manager holds the office of primary responsibility.

Confidential Records

Records that contain information that for one or more reasons should only be disclosed to specific people or groups. Personal information (information about an identifiable individual) should be treated as confidential unless it is public information or unless there is consent for disclosure from the individual.

Inactive Records

Records that have met all administrative, academic, fiscal and legal requirements and are no longer required for an activity.

Official College Records

All records created or received by College employees in the course of their duties on behalf of the College and retained to meet business, legal, financial, legislative and other needs. For the purposes of implementing this policy, the definition of official college records excludes books and other published materials and copyrighted or copyrightable materials. Official college records may be in the form of paper, non-paper-based media such as microfilm, CD-ROM and audio or video tape and electronic media such as e-mail, word processing, spreadsheet and presentation documents, digital images of paper or microfilm stored in a records and document management system, databases and websites.

Primary Record

The official copy of the record and is generally stored in a secure place in a senior administrative office area.

Record

Information (in paper, audio, electronic, or other formats) created or received by employees and representatives of the College in the course of their work that must be retained to meet the ongoing operational, fiscal, historical and legal needs of the College. These records are the property of the College and subject to its overall control.

Records Management Program

Activities such as implementing filing systems, establishing retention and disposal schedules, protecting vital records and preserving archival records. Records management policies and procedures, technologies, and other administrative controls applied to the records and information that employees use to support their business operations and processes, and that are required to protect legal interests and fulfil legislative obligations.

Records Retention Schedule

Defined, specific time periods for keeping records in the office (the active phase), for maintaining records in storage (the semi-active phase), and determining their final disposition (destruction or indefinite archival preservation). The Records Retention Schedule is an inventory of VCC records identified by each department as essential to College operations.

Secondary Record

A copy of the primary record and may be stored by departments for convenience for a period of time that meets their current access needs, but no longer.

Semi-Active Records

Records that are no longer used or added to regularly but are still needed for occasional ready access.

Transitory Records

Records that have no ongoing operational, informational, evidential or historical value and can be disposed of as soon as they are no longer needed.

Vital Records

Records considered essential to the College’s continuing or resuming its operations in the event of a disaster. A record is vital when it would be required to resume or continue College business, supports the College’s legal or financial position or is made vital by regulation or statute.

VCC Policies	Policy Number
Archives	521
Electronic Mail (Employees)	503
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy	501

VCC Policies

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History

Viewing: Records Management

Last approved: Fri, 24 Nov 2023 01:35:22 GMT

Last edit: Fri, 24 Nov 2023 01:35:20 GMT

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Procedures

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Rationale and Additional Information

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Category 1: College Operations

Category 2: Employees

Category 3: Students