Office of Origin: Cabinet
Date Adopted: 03-28-17
Date Reviewed: 03-28-17
Last Date Modified & Approved: 03-28-17

The procedure applies to all records generated in the course of the operations of Lake Michigan College (the College), including both original documents and reproductions. It also applies to records stored on any electronic medium (e.g., computer and microfilm) as well as paper records.

General Information

The Cabinet representative for each department is responsible for ensuring that the records used and maintained by the department as listed in the Record Retention Schedule is complete and accurate.

It is expected that annually each Cabinet representative will review the Record Retention Schedule annually for completeness and accuracy as well as to consider if any special circumstances exist that necessitate changes in the retention periods. Any additions, deletions, or changes in specified retention periods should be directed to the Executive Assistant to the President.

Maintenance of College Records

It is expected that all College records are maintained in a manner that provides (1) access for faculty and staff to carry out normal job responsibilities, and (2) reasonable protection against misuse, misplacement, loss, destruction, damage, or theft.

It is the responsibility of the Cabinet representative for each department to ensure that official records are stored within each department in a manner that provides protection against misuse, misplacement, damage, destruction, or theft.

Original, confidential, and sensitive documents should be stored in a secure location.

Unless authorized by the Cabinet representative, all College records must be stored on the premises at all times unless physically with an employee for work related purposes (e.g., working at home.)

Departments should document official records loaned to other departments or individuals by describing the record, loan date, return date, borrowing department, and individual.

Disposal of Records

College records (regardless of the storage medium) may be disposed of upon reaching the minimum retention period stated in this policy, provided the department does not need the records for future administrative, legal, research/historical, or fiscal purposes.

As described in the Records Retention Schedule following, Record Coordinators are those individuals who have primary responsibility for maintaining certain data. The Record Coordinator is responsible for performing, at least annually, a review to determine the value or usefulness of departmental records. During this review, Records Coordinator should identify and designate for disposal the records with elapsed retention periods.

The Cabinet representative over the Responsible Department is responsible for authorizing the actual disposal of records.

When authorized, records containing sensitive and/or confidential information must be shredded and the shredded material is to be recycled. Documents containing sensitive or confidential information are not to be discarded in the trash under any circumstances.

Banner/Data Warehouse Records

The Banner and Data Warehouse records are integral to the fundamental operation of the College’s computerized system and are exempt from the retention and disposal schedule.

Electronic Records

With the exception of Banner/Data Warehouse records, maintenance and disposition of records created, retained, or stored in electronic format will proceed on the same basis as paper documents.

Unless retention is otherwise required by law, paper records that are scanned into a secure digital record format may be immediately disposed of by shredding.

Suspension of the Records Retention Schedule

In the event of a claim, lawsuit, government investigation, subpoena, summons or the like, whether formal or informal, the Record Retention Schedule will be suspended for the related records and such records are not be destroyed, pending resolution of the matter.

Minimum Retention Periods

The following Records Retention Schedule lists the minimum record retention requirements to:

• ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations,
• provide maximum protection under current federal/state statutes of limitations, and
• support general best business practices.

Responsibility: XX

References: Lake Michigan College Record Retention Policy; State of Michigan Records Management Services Records Retention and Disposal Schedule for Michigan Public Schools Approved December 7, 2010

Appendix A – Records Retention Schedule

Legend

ACT = Active

An Active Code is assigned to records that are case or project related. These records are retained "until the case or project is determined to be inactive." The retention period starts when the condition has been met. For instance, a file might be retained until a case is closed plus 5 years.

CR = Creation

A Creation Code is assigned to records when a definitive retention period can be assigned. The retention period is usually based on a calendar year and where there are no conditions that must be met. For instance, correspondence has a “CR” retention period that begins from the date the correspondence is created or received.

ENR = Enrollment

An Enrollment Code is assigned to denote the last date of enrollment of a student.

EVT = Event

An Event Code is assigned to records when a retention period is based on a future action or condition. This code is used when it’s known that a future action or condition will be met, but it’s uncertain when it will happen. For instance, deeds are retained to document the ownership of land; if the College divests itself of a property, a retention period can be applied to the records.

EXP = Expiration

An Expiration Code is typically assigned to contracts, grants, or other types of agreements that must be retained until expiration or other legal condition has been met. For instance, contracts are to be held until contract expiration (EXP) plus six years.

FY = Fiscal Year

A Fiscal Year Code is assigned to records when a definitive retention period can be assigned and where there are no conditions that must be met. The retention period is based on the College’s fiscal year (July 1 – June 30) and begins on June 30 of the applicable fiscal year.

SUP = Superseded

A Superseded Code is typically assigned to records that are updated or revised at various times during the record's lifetime – for example, policies and procedures. As a policy is updated and the old version is replaced or superseded, only the current version is needed.

PERM = Permanent

A Permanent Code indicates that the record is not authorized for destruction at any point in time.

ARCHIVE

An Archive Code indicates that the record should be maintained in the College’s archival collection, which is currently housed in the library. These are open access records that are intended to maintain those records that reflect a history of the College.