Click on a question below to view the answer.
You may also limit the results by entering a search term.

New Employees

My job doesn’t have anything to do with managing records. Why do I have to know about this?

As a state agency, the University of Washington is subject to laws regarding public records and transparency. Subsequently, the university, each of its offices, and each and every employee has the legal responsibility to demonstrate the proper care and management of its records. That means:

  1. Keeping the record for the appropriate amount of time (the retention period)
  2. Keeping it in such a way that it is not damaged or destroyed
  3. Keeping it in such a way that it can be found and viewed
  4. Being able to produce copies in the event of litigation, audit, or public records request
  5. Disposing of the records promptly, in an appropriate manner, once the retention period has expired

For more information, please refer to our Your Responsibility page.

What constitutes a record?

The state defines a record in RCW 40.14.010. In short, a record is any recorded information, created or received, regardless of:

  • physical format or characteristics,
  • the device (computer) on which it is created or stored, or
  • the owner of the device.

→ For more information, refer to What is a record?

What about electronic documents, emails, webpages, social media posts, text messages, audio/visual recordings, etc.?

It is the content, not the medium, which determines the retention obligation of a record. Always apply the retention schedule regardless of format.

How do I find out how long I must keep records?

Consult the University General Records Retention Schedule and check to see if your department has a supplemental Departmental Records Retention Schedule.

For more information, refer to University of Washington Retention Schedules.

These retention periods apply to all electronic records regardless of format including, but not limited to, spreadsheets, Zoom recordings, email, and word documents. For more information, refer to our resources on electronic records.

I can't find the record series I’m looking for on either the general schedule or my departmental schedule. What do I do?

If you can’t find a record series on the General Schedule it is because

  1. the record is no longer being created;
  2. it needs to be added to the schedule;
  3. you might use a different name for this type of record.

Contact us at recmgt@uw.edu or 543-0573 and we will help you find the appropriate record series and determine how long to keep it.

Is there training available on records retention, scanning, email management, etc.?

Our office offers training on a variety of records management topics. Our most recent training materials can be viewed on our website. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when we roll out new trainings.

If you cannot find the training you are interested in, please contact us at recmgt@uw.edu or 543-0573. We also provide customized consultations for individual offices and 1-on-1 meetings via Zoom or video conference platform of your choice.