Washington State University
BUSINESS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

RECORDS
90.01
Revised 8-06
Procedures, Records, and Forms
335-2005

All-University Records Retention Schedules:
Administrative--General Office Records

PDF link

Title
Administrative--General Office Records

Record Series Title--Function/Purpose

Location
(*Official Copy)

Cutoff

Retention
Period

Disposition
Authority No.

Remarks

ADMINISTRATIVE MATERIALS WITH NO RETENTION VALUE
- Information-only copies, or extracts of documents distributed for reference or convenience, i.e., announcements or bulletins
- Miscellaneous notes that do not have legal or fiscal value, including phone message slips and transitory e-mail
- Copies of published materials
- Undistributed or extra copies
- Blank forms not subject to audit
- Preliminary drafts
- Routing slips
- Transmittal memos
- Published reference materials received from outside sources
- Stocks of publications
- Reservations and confirmations
- Copies of inter- or intra-agency memoranda, bulletins or directives of a general information and non-continuing nature

Department*

no longer
needed

0 days

GS 50001

 
ADMINISTRATIVE PLANS, WORKING FILES, REPORTS AND SURVEY RESULTS
Plans, working files and reports resulting from routine administrative operations and projects. May include work plans, compiled survey results, charts, diagrams, statistics, reports, research materials, drafts, and other documentation related to management studies, non-fiscal audits, surveys, and planning studies.
Does not include executive level planning files or program level planning files.

Department*

date of
document

2 yrs

GS 09006

 
COMBINED FUND DRIVE
Records and supporting documentation related to the Combined Fund Drive. May include committee meeting agendas, minutes, flyers, and advertisements. NOTE: The following documents should not be retained under this records series: Department of Personnel flyers, brochures, campaign guides, or deduction request forms.

Combined Fund Drive Campaign Coordinator*

FY

3 yrs

GS 09021

 
COMPLAINTS, POLICY OR PROCEDURAL
Complaints filed by University employees or the public relating to a policy and/or its implementation, procedures, or business practices that are being followed. May include documentation, filing forms, backup information, recommendations, resolutions, and related memoranda and correspondence.

Department*

resolution

3 yrs

GS 09016

 
ELECTRONIC MAIL (E-MAIL) RETENTION
E-mail messages are public records are public records when they are created or received in the transaction of public business and retained as evidence of official policies, actions, decisions, transactions, or contain valuable informational content related to University business. To assure appropriate management of public records with assigned retention periods generated or received through an e-mail system, transfer messages to paper, disk, or computer hard drive and file and retain according to the legal retention required for the informational content of each message.
         
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE
Routine correspondence concerning day-to-day office administration and activities. Includes correspondence between other offices within WSU, routine correspondence with other agencies, and correspondence with the public on routine matters.
Does not include program correspondence, executive level correspondence or correspondence concerning policies and procedures.

Department*

activity

30 days

GS 09005

 
HISTORY FILES
Documentation of the history and development of an office, program, or event. May include photographs, videotapes, newsletters, scrapbooks, or articles.

Department*

CY

5 yrs

GS 10013

 
INDIVIDUAL SURVEY RESPONSES
Individual responses to surveys or questionnaires.

Department*

no longer
needed

0

GS 09020

 
MINUTES AND FILES OF GENERAL OFFICE MEETINGS
Minutes, agendas and meeting files from department staff meetings, internal committees, task force committees, and other internal department meetings which meet to coordinate activities, work out problems, serve as sounding boards, or vehicles for communication.

Department*

date of
document

2 yrs

GS 09009

 
REFERENCE FILES
Reference files containing copies of correspondence, reading or day files, e-mail, mailing or address lists, memoranda, notes, telephone message slips, routine requests, copies of reports, studies, articles, reference copies of minutes, distribution lists, calendars. appointment books, routine telephone logs, and other general reference information on office administrative issues and concerns, used to support administrative analysis, planning and development.
Does not include executive level records or program level files.

Department*

no longer
needed

0 days

GS 09002

 
ROUTINE GENERAL OFFICE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Policies and procedures covering the routine, day-to-day operations of an office or unit.
Does not include University mission-related policies and procedures.

Department*

US

0 days

GS 09001

Possibly Essential

ROUTINE PLANS
Plans developed to guide routine administrative operations. May include work plans and plans for specific administrative projects.
Does not apply to University-level planning which involves major policy issues or University-wide administrative matters.

Department*

date of
document

2 yrs

GS 09008

Possibly Essential
(plans for essential operations or services)

SUBJECT FILES
Files arranged alphabetically by topic for subjects of relevance to the work of an office. May include correspondence, reports and statistics. Does not include secondary copies.

Department*

CY

2 yrs

GS 09019