Records Management Procedures

Donations

If you wish to donate non-record materials, such as photographs, memorabilia, and publications to the University Archives, please complete a Donor Agreement Form for the University Archives' records.

Records That Do Not Require Authorization

To ensure that your records do not fall under a records retention schedule, first consult the list of records which do not require authorization, available from here.

Once you have determined that you records DO NOT need to adhere to an RRDA, please complete the following forms to transfer materials to the University Archives:

  1. Records Inventory Worksheet and Instructions
  2. Records Transfer Form

Records That Require Authorization

To determine if your records fall under one the common records retention schedules, please visit our Records Retention Schedules page. Some common records that require approval for destruction or transfer include administrative, Board of Trustees, committee, curriculum, payroll, personnel, and student records.

If you have determined that your records DO fall under the scope of one of Ball State's RRDAs, you will need to complete the following steps:

  1. Complete an inventory.
    A University office or department conducts a records inventory using the instructions and worksheet to determine what records they create and use. This also determines what records are active and which are inactive.

  2. Consult the Records Retention Schedules.
    The office determines if its records fall under any of the general university wide Records Retention Schedules. Consult the University Archivist for more information on records retention policies and procedures.

  3. Complete Records Retention & Disposition Authorization form.
    The office drafts a Records Retention & Disposition Authorization (RRDA) and sends it to the University Archives. If there are any questions during this process, the office should contact the University Archivist. The University Archivist works with the submitting office to revise and complete the RRDA.

  4. Signature
    When final draft is agreed upon, the submitting office signs the RRDA.

  5. Review
    University Archives sends a final copy of the RRDA with all signatures intact to the originating office as well as University legal counsel.

  6. Disposition
    The office may then transfer items to the University Archives, or destroy items, as indicated in the RRDA.

    1. Destroy
      In order to destroy authorized records, a Records Retention & Disposition Authorization Form must be submitted to the University Archives.

    2. Transfer
      In order to send things to either the Archives, the records must be properly packed and labelled, and a Records Transfer Form must be submitted to the University Archives.
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