Handbook of Business Procedures
Date published: October 23, 2012
Last revised: January 11, 2023
Issued by: Records Management Service
20.6.7. VITAL RECORDS
Vital records are university records necessary to the:
- resumption or continuation of operations at The University of Texas at Austin or re-creation of the legal and financial status of the university in the event of an emergency or disaster
- fulfillment of university obligations to maintain records on behalf of the public
Record series are identified as vital in The University of Texas Records Retention Schedule (UTRRS) in accordance with the State of Texas Records Retention Schedule (RRS), the State of Texas University Records Retention Schedule (URRS), and other business and legal requirements.
Most university records identified as vital are created and maintained in enterprise systems where state requirements for protection of vital records and security are observed. However, some record series that are identified by the state as vital, such as staff employment selection records, are managed at the department level.
Departments that maintain vital records must note the storage locations either specifically by series in the records inventory or more generally in their records management plan. For more information, refer to 20.4.3. Records Management Plan. Vital records that are not located within the department’s office space must be stored in a facility that meets security standards. For more information, contact Records and Information Management Services (RIMS).
Note: Vital records are not necessarily permanent records. When records that are identified as vital have met all retention requirements in the UTRRS, they may be disposed in accordance with university policy. For more information, refer to 20.5. Disposition of Records – General Information.