Omnibus retention schedule

The following types of records are covered by omnibus RRDAs:

Personnel Files (M91-1; M91-2)

Records Retention and Disposition Authority M91-1 specifies that Administrative, Technical and Service Staff Files are to be retained in the Records Centre for seven years after termination of employment. The authority stipulates the selective retention by the Archives of some files within this category; that is, any files for employees with 25 years or more of service and/or hired before 1956 are to be selected for permanent retention. The remainder of the files are to be destroyed once the Records Centre retention period expires. If there is a compelling need to retain a file beyond the normal seven year retention period (e.g. the file is required for a legal proceeding), the Campus Records Manager should be notified immediately so that the file can be "red flagged" for retention.

Retention Period M91-2 specifies that Academic, Senior Administrative and Professional Staff Files should be retained in the Records Centre for seven years after termination of employment. The "open files" that are normally kept in Registry Records Services should be destroyed except for specimen/sample files (e.g. no more than 20 single and/or multiple part closed files covering the period 1948-1984 should be retained, supplemented by one specimen closed file every year thereafter) and the confidential files transferred from the Confidential Filing Room transferred to Archives for permanent retention where they may be reformatted (e.g. microfilmed), resources permitting.

Faculties and Departments sometimes maintain unofficial copies of files on non-academic and academic and senior administrative staff for convenience and reference purposes. These files should be destroyed by applying the above schedules systematically and in a secure manner after the staff member leaves University service or transfers to another Faculty/Department.

Committee and Board Minutes and Papers (M95-2)

Records Retention and Disposition Authority M95-2 sets out the retention and disposition of University and Campus Committee Files as follows:

Official Registry Records Services Files

• Retain membership and Terms of Reference files in Registry Records Services for the life of the committee; then, transfer files to the Records Centre for five years. When this retention period had been met, the files should be transferred to Archives
• Retain Arrangements and Follow-up Files in Registry Records Services for the current academic year, plus one additional year; then transfer files to the Records Centre for five years. When this retention period had been met, the file should be destroyed
• Retain files containing agendas, papers and minutes for the current academic year, plus one additional year; then transfer the files to the Records Centre for five years. When this retention period has been met, the files should transferred to the Archives.
• Bound volumes containing, papers and minutes should go straight to the Archives after binding.
  Secretaries' Working Files can be destroyed once they are no longer required by the secretary, assuming original documents have been sent to Registry Records Services for filing.
• Copies of University and Campus Committees and Faculty Boards agendas, minutes and correspondence held in Faculty or Departmental filing systems can be destroyed once they are no longer required for reference purposes.
• Committee Files in Faculty or Departmental filing system relating to committees internal to the Faculty or Department should be retained and disposed of in the same manner as official Registry Records Services Files.

Financial and Administrative Transaction Records (M98-19)

Financial and Administrative Transaction Records governed by RRDA M98 – 19 specifies that copies of the following records held by departments or faculty offices are to be kept for three years in the active storage and then destroyed. These records include requisition for stores, request for services, imprest/petty cash, purchase requisition/AZ book, budget status report, and the new purchase requisition replacing the AZ book.

N.B. Working files maintained in offices do not require a Records Retention and Disposition Authority prior to disposal as they contain non-University records; but may be destroyed as soon as they are no longer needed for administrative purposes.