Records Retention Schedule

It is vital that records are destroyed in a planned and controlled way so that documents needed as a source of evidence or information are kept for as long as necessary and records no longer needed are identified and destroyed securely, freeing up space and ensuring that the University complies with information legislation.

The University's records retention schedule sets out the length of time for which each type of record should be kept.  The schedule groups records together by function, so that retention periods for all records connected to teaching, for example, are in the 'Teaching and Research' Section. These sections are further sub divided until the records for each activity carried out by the University are listed with the appropriate retention period. These retention periods are based on legislative requirements and good practice.  

The University's retention schedule was originally approved by the Strategy & Resources Committee in 2005.  It is broadly based on a model drawn up by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) but has been modified to include comments from Schools and Directorates.  Minor revisions have been made to sections of the schedule since 2005 in order to react to changing business and legal requirements.

A comprehensive review of the Personnel Management section of the retention schedule was carried out in 2010. The revised section, renamed Human Resources Management aims to make it easier for staff to identify how long they need to keep HR records and was authorised by Dr Chris Turner, Director of Registry, Governance & Students and Jayne Dowden Director of Human Resources, Safety Health & Environment.  A thorough review of the student records section of the schedule is underway and revised sections will be available in the near future.

To access the full records retention schedule, click on the links below:

1.    Teaching and Research  

2.    Commercial Enterprise

3.    External Relations

4.    Corporate Management

5.    Resource Management

If you have any queries about how long records should be kept contact:

Sarah Phillips
University Records Manager
Email: PhillipsSJ7@cf.ac.uk 
Tel: (029) 2087 9403