Jamie --

That's an excellent description of your predicament.  I feel your pain.

May I suggest a perspective from the business world that may be of 
help?  My only consulting experience in Higher Education has been for 
Content Management, not RIM or archiving.  So if this thought is useful, 
use it; if it does not apply, chuck it.

It seems to me that part of the problem is organizational.  The attorney 
is acting as a Lone Ranger, and the other authorities are uncoordinated.

In business, we would call for a RIM coordinating committee, steering 
council, task force, etc.  It is important to get buy-in from all 
stakeholders and to get them coordinated (and speaking the same 
language.)  That would include leaders from Administration, IT, Finance, 
General Counsel, Operations, Compliance, and others.  Together we would 
define the RIM goals, responsibilities, criteria for success, governance 
and budget.  Then, while the RIM administrator fulfills the mission, the 
others all bear some responsibility, and they are more likely to support 
the program.

Getting a consultant as you describe is a fine idea.  But since you need 
a sustainable, evolving program, getting your colleagues on board is 
essential.  Otherwise, whatever consultant recommendations get 
implemented will fade and some of the existing issues will return.

This isn't the whole solution, but I thought the business perspective 
might be useful to you.  I've been to the Augustana campus a couple of 
memorable times, and I wish you the best of luck.

Gordy Hoke
Gordon E.J. Hoke, CRM
http://gejhoke.googlepages.com
(T) USA 507.534.2293

Nelson, Jamie wrote:
> Greetings -
>
>  I've just signed up for the list with the primary purpose of asking
> this question I posed to the Archives & Archivists listserv this
> morning.   I'm an archivist at a small liberal arts college, and the
> administration has decided to implement a records management plan very
> quickly.  The plan was initially drafted by an attorney, without any
> input from the archives or any of the departments on campus (in other
> words, no records surveys or conversations - just a retention schedule
> of possible documents).    Of course, the archivist (me!) is listed as
> the coordinator of the plan, and the archives will (supposedly) accept
> all materials when you call us.  The problem with this is that we ran
> out of space a few years ago and have important manuscript and rare book
> collections stored in less than desirable spaces, and have absolutely no
> secure storage for more accessions (especially of the volume we could
> expect with mandatory transfers to us).  We also run a successful
> instruction program out of Special Collections, and work with over 400
> students a year on research papers or personal research.   We truly
> don't have the staffing to continue with what we're told is our primary
> mission - to support the students and curriculum of the college - and
> add records management to the list. 
>
>
> I've spoken with a few other college archivists who are in charge of RM
> and all reported that they do not have 100% compliance on their
> campuses, and that with voluntary compliance, RM takes 5 to 50% of their
> time.  The college attorney said that our president is serious about RM,
> and this isn't just to "check off a box."  Their intention is to monitor
> and enforce compliance, which I suspect will be time-consuming.   The
> college is, of course, not interested in adding additional staffing, but
> did seem open to the services of a consultant. 
>
>  
>
> All that said, here is my query:
>
> "I would like to hear from college and university archivists whose
> campuses have active records management programs designed by an outside
> consultant, and implemented by existing or newly hired staff.
>
>  
>
> Specifically, for our campus, I'm envisioning that a consultant would
> conduct the records surveys with various departments, set up the
> retention schedule and  workflow/procedures, and provide the initial
> training to a campus RM coordinator who would then monitor compliance
> and track records accessions.
>
>  
>
> I'm interested in suggestions/recommendations for selecting and hiring
> such a consultant; the length of time such a consultant would need; and
> what kind of staffing (half-time, full-time, professional or
> para-professional) is necessary to maintain the program."
>
>  
>
> Thanks - and sorry for the long post! 
>
> Jamie
>
>  
>
>  
>
> Jamie Nelson
>
> Special Collections Librarian
>
> Augustana College
>
> 639 38th Street
>
> Rock Island, Illinois 61201
>
> 309-794-7317
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
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