On Thursday, October 23, 2008 Phil Koslowski wrote, 
 
"Would those of you w/experience in both areas be willing to identify ways in which RIM differs in public higher education as opposed to the for-profit world?"

To which Bernard replied (perhaps while on the way home from the ARMA conference)
 
There are a number of differences.... 
1) In the commercial world, regulations like Sarbanes Oxley have convinced management that RIM is a necessity.  In Higher Ed RIM is often seen as a nicety. 
Absolutely.  Legislation/laws are more focused AND more publicized in the private sector, therefore more attention and $$ are allocated to, as was mentioned in earlier threads "to keep the CEO out of jail".   Seems to me that stories of H.E. officials or employees going to jail for RIM non-compliance are further and farther between than in the public sector.  
 
2) It amazes me how independent units of a university are.  A University 
records manager I talked to this week referred to it as "democracy run 
amok". An edict from on high is often ignored with impunity.  In the 
commercial world, you would expect to get fired or at least a bad review 
with salary impact. 
That's the big difference-bad review and salary impact.  I was RM for a university system and worked with academics and now work with aerospace engineers.   
 
3) Higher Ed takes a more long term and archival view of much of its 
records.  For example, grade sheets are often kept for eternity. (Remember 
the permanent record that they threatened you with in school?) 
You bet Bernard.  Overall, the academic justification seems to be paramount to the business justification - the historyness of it all.   I think's it's changing, but it takes time.
 
4) Institutions of Higher learning are generally more subject to external 
examination, even if private, than a commercial entity. 
Not sure I agree here.  That may be true unless you are in a highly regulated industry such as ours (Tier one supplier in commercial aerospace -actually the largest in the world).  Audits in our world are usually monthly in one section of the business or another - I'm in the engineering world.  If not regulatory, then from customers.
 
I also look forward to what others have to contribute on the question.

Jim Mullen
Spirit Aerosystems
Wichita, KS

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