Handbook of Business Procedures

20.5.4. DESTRUCTION PROCEDURES AND FORM

The following destruction procedures apply to master records at The University of Texas at Austin. Departments must contact Records and Information Management Services to authorize the destruction of master records created and maintained by a contractor to the university. Retention requirements for master records are listed in The University of Texas Records Retention Schedule (UTRRS). Records that have archival review or transfer requirements have additional disposition procedures. For more information, refer to 20.5.3. Archival Review/Transfer Procedures.

To destroy master records that have met retention requirements and do not have archival review and transfer requirements, the following steps must occur:

1. The department must complete the Request to Dispose of Records Form. Note: If a department has records that may have archival or historical value but the record series does not require archival review, contact Records and Information Management Services (RIMS). For example, if a staff member finds a thank you letter to a university professor from Lyndon B. Johnson dated 1954, the letter would have historical value. In that case, the department must contact RIMS to request review by the university archivist.
2. The department must submit the completed form through the Request to Dispose of Records portal on the RIMS website.
3. RIMS reviews the form, assigns a control number, and works with the department to resolve any discrepancies.
4. RIMS reviews and approves the Request to Dispose of Records Form.
5. After approving the request, RIMS sends the department a letter authorizing the destruction of the records. The letter may include special instructions.
6. Upon receiving the letter of authorization, the department must dispose of the master records in accordance with any instructions in the letter within 90 days. Contact RIMS to request an extension of the authorization to dispose.
7. The department must notify RIMS within 5 business days when the records have been destroyed and must include the control number. The control number is printed in the letter of authorization and is in the format DRYY-XXX; the Y numbers reference the year the approval was granted, the XXX number is the sequential number of the request.

Part 20. Records Management - Table of Contents