• Section 1 - Purpose
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Responsibilities and Required Actions
• Records Retention and Disposal Program
• Normal Administrative Practice
• Intermediate Storage
• Permanent Records
• Destruction
• Staff Leaving Their Position
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) To identify responsibilities and actions for retention and disposal of University Records and information in accordance with the Records and Information Management Policy.

Scope

(2) This Procedure applies to all Macquarie University staff and all University Records.

Section 2 - Policy

(3) Refer to the Records and Information Management Policy.

Section 3 - Procedures

Responsibilities and Required Actions

Records Retention and Disposal Program

(4) Records and Archives Manager / Manager, Digital Information:

1. maintain and make available the Appendix 1 Records Retention Guide;
2. advise on its application to Faculty, Office and other business units’ Rrecords;
3. accept Faculty, Office and other business units’ Records for transfer to Vital Records or Archives; and
4. advise on appropriate storage mechanisms for both hard copy and digital Records.

(5) Faculties, Offices and other business units must:

1. determine, in consultation with the Records and Archives Manager, disposal class and retention requirements for all University Records within the organisational area;
2. implement regular Records and information disposal programs, with reference to Appendix 1 Records Retention Guide for the University Records and information for which they have responsibility;
3. identify Records and information no longer required for daily administrative use as soon as possible. Some Records can be destroyed immediately as part of normal administrative practice;
4. apply the necessary retention and disposal action;
5. store semi-active Records as necessary;
6. identify and transfer permanent Records as necessary to Macquarie Memory (Archives and Records); and
7. only destroy records in line with the relevant Records Retention and Disposal Authority / Appendix 1 Records Retention Guide and after consultation with the Records and Archives Manager.

(6) If staff cannot identify the appropriate disposal class in Appendix 1 Records Retention Guide or are unsure how to apply the Guide, consult the Records and Archives Manager through ask.memory@mq.edu.au.

Normal Administrative Practice

(7) Certain types of University Records and information can be destroyed under ‘Normal Administrative Practice’ (NAP). NAP covers the destruction of ephemeral material of a facilitate nature created, acquired or collected by University employees during the course of their duties (such as drafts and extra copies of documents which are stored as University Records).  Staff should consult the Records and Archives Manager.

Intermediate Storage

(8) Faculties / Offices and other business units are responsible for making arrangements for storing temporary University Records and information which are not needed for daily use.  Macquarie Memory (Archives and Records) can advise on off-site Record storage options.

Permanent Records

(9) Macquarie Memory (Archives and Records) are responsible for arranging the storage of permanent University Records.  Where the Faculty / Office or business unit identifies permanent Records that are no longer in use, they must contact Macquarie Memory (Archives and Records) staff to arrange transfer to University Archives.

Destruction

(10) University Records must not be removed or destroyed except in accordance with the NAP or the Appendix 1 Records Retention Guide.

(11) Staff must be aware of pending legal actions and legislative and other provision outside the Appendix 1 Records Retention Guide which may affect decisions about Records destruction (refer to Records and Information Management Policy).

(12) Faculties / Offices and other business units must not destroy hard copy original which have been digitized or scanned, without first consulting Macquarie Memory (Archives and Records) to ensure that all State Records requirements for quality control and retention of hard copy source Records are met.

Staff Leaving Their Position

(13) When a staff member leaves their position they must make arrangements for the ongoing custody of Records for which they were responsible.  This includes ensuring Records are left accessible to others, and carrying out Records disposal so that Records which are no longer required have been properly stored or destroyed.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(14) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(15) Commonly defined terms are located in the University Glossary. Definitions specific to this Procedure are contained in the Records and Information Management Policy.