Records FAQs and Additional Resources

Information in any form that is made, produced, maintained, or received in connection with the activities or execution of university business, including teaching, research, engagement, and administration. Examples include email and other correspondence, documents, photographs, videos, sound recordings, databases, spreadsheets, invoices and receipts, maps, books, etc.

The length of time a record needs to be kept varies, depending on the type of record, business needs, historical significance of the record, and whether there are any applicable legal requirements.

Refer to the retention schedule page to find the schedule for your unit or type of record. If you cannot find what you need, you may refer to the list of records coordinators and direct your question to the coordinator for your unit.

Proper disposal of a record depends on whether the record is paper, digital, or some other medium and whether it contains any confidential or protected information. On each retention schedule is a column titled “Disposition,” which will list one of the following methods for disposal:

• Securely delete/securely overwrite: This means the record is digital and contains confidential or protected information, so it must be disposed of in a manner that ensures the record cannot be accessed again.
• Delete/overwrite/recycle: This means the record may be digital, paper, or other medium and does not contain any confidential or protected information. Disposal may be of any applicable means.
• Securely delete/securely shred: This means the record may be digital, paper, or other medium and contains confidential or protected information. Non-digital media must be shredded in a manner that ensures the record cannot be pieced back together. Digital media must be deleted in a manner that ensures the record cannot be accessed again.

Questions about securely deleting/overwriting digital records may be directed to Purdue IT.

The only exception occurs if there is an open records request, subpoena, or litigation hold and the Office of Legal Counsel has notified the office of record (the unit responsible for retaining the primary record) of the need to retain a record beyond the normal retention period.

In many cases there may be a primary record and a duplicate record. Each retention schedule indicates whether units other than the office of record may retain duplicate records and for how long.

Both sent and received email messages may be records subject to retention when they document a business decision, transaction, or legal obligation. Generally, the last email in a thread with multiple replies is the one that should be retained.

Examples of email messages that may need to be retained:

• Press releases
• Agendas and meeting minutes
• Calendars of executive-level appointments and activities
• Correspondence related to official business communications at the director level or above
• Documentation of departmental and organizational decisions and operations
• Drafts of documents circulated for comment or approval
• Final reports or recommendations
• Grant proposals, approvals, and reports
• Legal and financial records
• Directives issued by director-level staff or above regarding organizational operations, key functions, mission goals, or policy statements
• Documentation of business transactions, such as requests for information/proposals, invoices, and receipts

Someone from outside the University may request a copy of a record as part of a public records request or subpoena.

All subpoenas must be directed to the Office of Legal Counsel.

Requests for a public record must be directed as follows:

• PWL, including Indianapolis, extension offices, and PPI statewide locations: Office of Legal Counsel
• PFW: Office for Civil Rights Compliance
• PNW: Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration