1999-016
Student Files - Undergraduates
All University Departments (General Records Series)
| Records | Active retention (in office) | Semi-active (records centre) | Total retention | Final disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All departments holding these records: | CY student graduates / last registers + 1 year | 4 years | CY student graduates / last registers + 5 years | Destruction |
CY = Current calendar year; CFY = Current fiscal year; CS = Current semester; S/O = Superseded or obsolete; OPR = Office of Primary Responsibility; Non-OPR = All other departments.
Paper records documenting undergraduate students' academic history, maintained by departments as case files for each student. This schedule covers departmental files, including Co-operative Education program student files; it does not cover the records or record-keeping systems maintained by the Registrar's Office.
Records may include biographical data records; copies of transcripts, student information management system printouts and graduation reports; co-op applications, contracts and resumes; progress, research, internship and co-op placement reports; correspondence, memoranda and disciplinary notices; photographs; course add / drop forms and change of grade forms.
The official student academic record is stored on the student information management system maintained by the Registrar's Office. The student information management system is not covered by this RRSDA.
The Registrar's Office does not typically maintain individual paper student files (only for exceptional cases); rather it files paper records by document type. It has its own Retention Guidelines, which establish retention rules on a document-by-document basis. Departments may continue to follow the Registrar's guidelines if they wish to regularly weed their student files for inactive documents. Alternatively, they may use this schedule to apply a single retention rule to the contents of the entire student file.
This series is a Personal Information Bank; click here for PIB description.
These records are created, used, retained and managed in accordance with the following authorities:
The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act requires that personal information used to make a decision that directly affects an individual must be retained for at least one year. Beyond this period, official transcript information is retained on the Registrar’s student information management system. Students who have not registered for 3 consecutive semesters must apply for re-admission to the University, but their former student file remains valuable. A total retention period of 5 years after last registration allows sufficient passage of time for re-admitting withdrawn students and for consultation of files when providing letters of reference for graduates.
This schedule does not apply to the Registrar's Office, which has its own Retention Guidelines establishing retention rules on a document-by-document basis. Departments may continue to follow the Registrar's guidelines if they wish to regularly weed their student files for inactive documents. Alternatively, they may use this schedule to apply a single retention rule to the contents of the entire student file.
Keep undergraduate student files separate from graduate student files. Maintain separate undergraduate and graduate files for students who go through both programs.
Use student files only for records relating to academic performance. Do not file student employment records here; create a personnel file for these records - see RRSDA 1999-045, Personnel Files: Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) Employment Files.
RRSDA is in force.
Approved by the University Archivist: 12 Oct 2000
Last revised: 19 June. 2013