University Archives
Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library

 

General Records Retention Guidelines:  ISU Academic and Administrative Departments


All records transferable to the ISU University Archives must be six years old or older prior to their transfer. Please consult the University Archives' Policy and Procedure for Transfer of University Records prior to preparing your offices' files for transfer to the University Archives. Further assistance is available from the University Archives at 403 Parks Library, (515)294-6672.

Accreditation Files
Records concerning departmental accreditation. Files may include correspondence, reports, questionnaires, guides, and other related records.
 
Annual Reports Files
Annual reports of the academic department
 
Calendar of Events, for the academic department
 
Committees Files, Departmental
Records concerning departmental academic committees. Files may include minutes of meetings, reports, notifications, correspondence, and other pertinent records.
 
Committees and Councils Files
Records concerning various college and university-wide committees and councils with which the academic department deals. Files may include minutes of meetings, reports, notifications, correspondence, and other pertinent records.
 
Correspondence Files
Official departmental correspondence
 
Course Syllabi/Outlines Files
Syllabus and/or outlines for each course offered by the academic department.
 
Department Head's File
Records maintained by the Department Head concerning departmental programs and activities. Files may include correspondence, memorandums, reports, directives, and other related records.
 
Departmental Programs Files
Records concerning departmental academic programs. Files may include program proposals and descriptions, administrative documents, correspondence, and other related records.
 
Departmental Reports Files
Reference copies of reports generated by the academic department.

E-mail
         
Official correspondence generated by the Dept. Head and/or academic department.

Extension Files
Any correspondence, photographs, or printed materials that document the work of University Extension.
 
Faculty Lists and Directories of the academic department
 
Faculty Information Files
Files containing biographical/professional information about individual faculty of the academic department.
 
General Administrative Files
Records concerning the administration of the departmental office. Files may include reports, memorandums, correspondence, directives, and other related records.
 
Grant Proposal Files
Proposals for grants awarded to the college and/or its academic departments. Proposals should be filed with the Grants File which contains other documents on the particular grant project.
 
Grants Files
Records concerning specific grants awarded to and/or administered by the college and/or its academic departments. May include grant proposals, final and progess reports, contracts, regulations and guidelines, correspondence, audits and other related records.
 
History Files
General informational files on the development of the academic department. May include notes, typescripts, publications, newsletters, reports, correspondence, photographs, and other related records.
 
Meetings Files, Faculty
Records concerning departmental faculty meetings. May include memoranda, agendas, meeting minutes, reports, and other related records.
 
Organizations and Associations Files
Records concerning various faculty, staff, student, and professional organizations and associations with which the academic department deals. Files may include correspondence, reports, publications, minutes, announcements, and other related records.
 
Photograph Files
Photographic prints and/or negatives of the academic department's activities, functions, facilities, and its faculty, staff and students.
 
Policies and Procedures Files
Includes files and manuals specific to the academic department of past and present policies and procedures.
 
Publications, Faculty
Publications by the faculty of the academic department. Publications of non-ISU faculty are to be destroyed when their usefulness as reference files ends.
 
Research Projects Files
Records concerning various departmental research projects. Files may include reports, correspondence, project descriptions, and other related records.
 
Self Study Reports and Files
 
Special Gifts Files
Records concerning special gifts to the academic department. Files may include correspondence, agreements and stipulations, descriptions of gifts, accession information, and other related records.
 
Speeches Files
Scripts of speeches presented by the Department Head and faculty.

Academic Departmental Files Not Accepted by the ISU University Archives (To be Destroyed or Transferred Elsewhere):

  • Academic records/transcripts files (official copy kept by Registrar's Office)
  • Accident reports files
  • Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity files
  • Applications for employment files
  • Applications for graduation files
  • Bank statements/cancelled checks files
  • Budget files
  • Career planning/placement files
  • Class schedule files
  • Clippings files
  • Comprehensive examinations and exam results files
  • Conferences and workshop files, conducted by or attended by departmental personnel
  • Contracts, leases, and agreements files (facilities/services/equipment used by the department)
  • Course enrollment files
  • Course lists
  • Course (new) proposals files
  • Credit by examination files
  • Degree listing files
  • Drop/Add forms files
  • Energy and utilities files
  • Examinations/tests (completed) files
  • Extra hour registration files
  • Faculty honors and awards files (to personnel file, Provost's Office)
  • Faculty recruitment files
  • Financial aid/student loans files
  • Fire and safety files
  • Grade distribution files
  • Grade listings files
  • Graduate listings files
  • Grant proposals, unapproved
  • Grants administration files (receipts, purchase orders, equipment lists, accounting records etc.)
  • Grievance files
  • Instructor class rolls/grade sheets files
  • Leave files
  • Loan recipient college enrollment verification files
  • Mailing lists
  • Maintenance services files
  • Overtime files
  • Parking assignment files
  • Pass/Fail forms files
  • Patent files
  • Payroll time sheet files
  • Personnel files
  • Placement tests and scores listings files (composite or individual test scores)
  • Position descriptions, non-faculty
  • Prospective graduates files
  • Purchase order files
  • Raised grade files
  • Receipts
  • Reference files (containing materials of topical interest to the department)
  • Repeat course files
  • Scholarship reference files
  • Search committee files
  • Staff meetings files
  • Student awards, honors, and scholarships files (to student records, Registrar's Office)
  • Student internship/assistantship files (to student records, Registrar's Office)
  • Student locator (address) files
  • Student ranking files
  • Student records changes files
  • Student teaching certification files (to student records, Registrar's Office)
  • Summer school course offerings files
  • Supplies and equipment files
  • Surplus property files
  • Telephone billing files
  • Tenure files
  • Textbook requests and orders files
  • Time cards
  • Transfer admissions files
  • Transfer equivalent files
  • Travel request files
  • Travel reimbursement files
    Veteran's benefits files
    Work order files

    For further assistance, please contact:

    Tanya Zanish-Belcher, Head
    Special Collections/University Archives
    403 Parks Library
    Iowa State University
    Ames, IA 50011-2140
    Voice: (515) 294-6648
    Fax: (515) 294-5525
    tzanish@iastate.edu

          or

          Michele Christian, Associate Professor
          University Records Analyst
          403 Parks Library
          Iowa State University
          Voice: 515-294-4216
          michelec@iastate.edu

 

Comments: tzanish@iastate.edu

University Archives
Iowa State University Library, Ames, IA 50011