Policies Westmont Records Management Policy

Policy Statement

The College is committed to effective record management to preserve its history, meet legal standards, optimize the use of space, minimize the cost of record retention, and ensure that outdated and useless records are destroyed. To that end, the College enacts this policy for the management of active and inactive departmental records.¹

Procedure

Departments that maintain college records have established appropriate record retention management practices that are outlined in this policy. Each department:

• Implements the department's record management practices
• Ensures that the practices are consistent with applicable law
• Educates staff on appropriate records management
• Ensures access to confidential records is restricted

When the record's retention period has passed each department makes a determination of whether to preserve or dispose of the documents.

• Preservation: Transfer inactive records of historic value to the college archivist² 
  • Contact college archives at extension 6209 or by emial at archives@westmont.edu
• Destruction: Destroy inactive records that have passed their retention period and have no archival value
  • Where destruction of records is appropriate:
    • Non-confidential records: recycle using bins in respective offices
    • Confidential records: shred; or discard for shredding by college's confidential document destruction service
    • Electronic: Purge electronic records from local drives and server

Records Schedule

The following table, while not exhaustive, represents the retention and destruction schedule for record of administrative departments. Record retention periods may be increased by government regulation, judicial or administrative consent order, private or governmental contract, pending litigation or audit requirements. Such modifications supersede the requirements listed in this policy. Suspension of record destruction required for any of these reasons will be accomplished by a notice sent out to affected department and/or individual personnel by College Counsel. 

Records Requests

• Internal Requests
  • Internal requests for inspection, review and/or copy of college records can be made to the office where the records are maintained. Generally, the law provides the college with a reasonable amount of time to comply with student and employee requests to access their personnel or educational record. Employees may request to inspect their own files by appointment with the office of Human Resources; and will be provided copies of any documents bearing their signature within a reasonable time upon request.
  • Students may request to inspect and review their educational record by contacting the Office for Student Life. In accordance with federal law, multi-student records³ will require redaction in order to protect the privacy of the non-requesting student(s).
  • Inter-office requests for records of other types for legally appropriate and legitimate business purposes is determined in accordance with regular practice.
• External Requests
  • External requests for inspection, review and/or copy of college records should be directed to College Counsel.

Policy Review

The college will review this policy periodically to ensure its consistency with applicable law and make modifications where appropriate. For questions regarding records covered under this policy, contact the department responsible for maintaining the records in question. For questions about the policy, contact College Counsel, Toya Cooper, at extension 6832 or by email at tcooper@westmont.edu

 Human Resources Document Retention Schedule

Download PDF 

¹A record is the original or copy of any writing, sound or video recording, in any format, generated and/or received by a department for its administrative use. Active records are current writings, sound and/or video recordings, in any format, necessary for departmental administrative purposes and retained for a requisite statutory period. Inactive records are writings sound and/or video recordings, in any format, that have passed their retention period, are no longer necessary for departmental administrative purposes and outside of archival use.

²The purpose of the Westmont College Archives is to appraise, collect, organize, preserve, exhibit, make accessible and permanently retain items relating to college history.

³A multi-student record is an educational record which includes information directly related to more than one student. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 requires that educational institutions redact all information leading to the identity of the non-requesting student where the requesting student record includes information about any other student.