Handbook of Business Procedures

20.5. DISPOSITION OF RECORDS – GENERAL INFORMATION

Whether an official record is created and maintained within The University of Texas at Austin or by a private contractor to the university, its lifecycle ends with disposition. This can take one of two forms: the record is transferred to archives or the record is destroyed. The university is required to retain one copy of every record created through university business processes, and retention requirements apply to that copy, which is the master record. The university is also required to record the final disposition of every master record in the university disposition log, which is managed by Records and Information Management Services (RIMS).

RIMS maintains the university records disposition log required by state law using the information provided in a department’s Request to Dispose of Records Form. The disposition process is not complete until the department notifies RIMS of the destruction date of the records. Failure to maintain a complete and accurate disposition log exposes the university to serious risk in the case of lawsuits, public information requests, audits, and other claims and disputes.

Each department has a shared responsibility with RIMS to systematically control the records of the university from creation to final disposition. In addition, departments must have an entry in the records inventory for each type of master record managed within the department. For more information, refer to 20.4.2. Records Inventory.

When a record meets retention requirements in accordance with The University of Texas Records Retention Schedule (UTRRS) as outlined in the department’s records management plan, the department must take the following steps:

• Submit a Request to Dispose of Records Form.
• When the department receives authorization from RIMS, the records must be destroyed or transferred within 90 days.
• Notify RIMS within 5 business days of the disposition of records or transfer to archives.

Caution: Before any master record is transferred to archives or destroyed, it must meet retention requirements in accordance with the UTRRS as outlined in the records management plan. If any action such as an audit, a request for public information, or some other claim involving a record has been initiated, the record must be retained until:

• the completion of the action and the resolution of all issues that arise from it.
• a Request to Dispose of Records Form has been submitted and approved by RIMS.

For more information, refer to 20.2.4. Conditions Under Which Records Must Not Be Destroyed.

Part 20. Records Management - Table of Contents