Karen

I am the RMO for a public school district.  Our retention for Academic
records, of anyone in grade 9-12, whether they graduate or withdraw, is
permanent.  We still microfilm those types of records and after 7 years
we destroy the hard copy.  I usually wait 7 years due to the fact that
if there are changes required of the record, it is normally made during
that period and then we re-microfilm the record and expunge the database
of the original entry.  We do not digitize anything that is 'permanent'
and keep that as "the" original record.  The state dictates that we
cannot keep an electronic record that has a retention of 10 years or
more as the original record.  Also, being on microfilm is always easier
to read if something should happen to the system that has stored the
electronic record.  Check with your state records folks to see if they
have any special rules.

Call me old fashioned.


DuWayne Headrick
Records Management Officer
Northside ISD
210-397-8574
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>>> [log in to unmask] 12/10/08 10:20 AM >>>
Greetings to all!
 
My apologies for cross-posting. I recently submitted the following to
the archives List and several people recommended that I ask for your
opinions as well. I would appreciate your subject expertise and any
advice you can offer...
>>Our Medical School is planning to digitize some of its student
records and destroy the hard copy originals. They asked for the
Archive's opinion about this, and we replied that normally, certain
types of student records are scheduled for permanent retention: change
of grade forms (update documents); graduation lists; class lists
(original grade sheets), i.e. transcripts. I am submitting the School's
response for your opinions and comments: "Aren't records considered
permanently retained if they have been digitized?" Aside from
recommending the usual back-ups and technological refreshment, how
permanent do we consider the digital copies our institutions are making?
Do electronic copies satisfy FERPA requirements? What about legal issues
for the digital file in terms of whether it can be certified to be an
"unaltered" version? As recently as 2000 some schools were recommending
microfilming student records designated as permanent and storing them
offsite, as well as keeping t!
 he hard copies, but 8 years is a technological eternity. Are people
still microfilming or just digitizing? And what happens to the hard
copies? My inclination would be to digitize and keep the hard copies of
specific records, but does the fact that we are a private institution
alter our retention obligations? I haven't been able to find an answer
to this issue in the Listserve archives, and googling retrieves some
interesting versions of various school retention schedules, but not as
much further clarification as I need--so I turn to the List for help.
Have any of you had experience with this issue? <<
With thanks and best regards, Karen Koka
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Karen F. KokaHistorical Archives
LibrarianMayo Clinic Historical Unit200 First Street SWRochester, MN
55905E-mail: [log in to unmask]: 507-284-4054; Fax: 507-266-2295 
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