UW General Records Retention Schedule Advanced Search

A record of reporting to outside agencies on both the state and federal level as required by statute, regulation or rule. Includes USDA, L&I, OSHA etc.

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: 6 years after end of calendar year
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Provides a record of awards/special recognition and achievements for a particular student.  May include Zoom or other conferencing platform recordings of event. Does not include scholarships.

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: 6 years after award presented
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Materials created and used as the basis for the content of a course.  May include but is not limited to: notes, rubrics, PowerPoint slides, Teams Channels used for communication with students, podcasts, Panopto recordings, and Zoom or other conferencing platform recordings or AI created artifacts.

Official Copy: Academic Departments
Retention: Retain until no longer needed for agency business plus one academic quarter (3 months)
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Note: Records in the Canvas LMS will be deleted 5 years after the end of the academic year; instructors will receive notification in advance of deletion. Copies of materials uploaded or created in Canvas do not need to be retained outside of Canvas.

Note: Excludes records covered by History Files

Audio/Visual documentation including web content and social media content, of events, people, facilities and activities. Includes Zoom or other conferencing platform recordings. May also include: programs, lists of VIPs in attendance, transcripts of speeches, and planning and coordination records.

Note: Photographs, videos, and recordings that are directly related to a student and maintained by the institution are education records subject to FERPA.

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: Reference purpose served
Disposition Method: Transfer to University Archives for review

Records relating to routine celebrations/events (such as staff recognition holiday parties, retirements, accomplishments and initiatives not related to the mission of the office). May include planning files, Zoom or other conferencing platform recordings and photographs.

See also Documentation of Celebrations and Ceremonies

Note: Photographs, videos, and recordings that are directly related to a student and maintained by the institution are education records subject to FERPA.

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: 6 years after the end of the academic year
Disposition Method: Transfer to University Archives for review

Records of a department's organizational structure or its relationship to other offices and departments. May delineate lines of responsibility, chain of command, etc. 

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: until superseded or office no longer exists
Disposition Method: Transfer to University Archives

Documents department or program outreach efforts to the University as well as to specific audiences outside the University community.

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: 6 years after end of calendar year
Disposition Method: Shred / delete

Records relating to the planning and/or execution of marketing and promotional activities conducted by the office to promote its mission. May include: audio/Visual documentation such as flyers or brochures, web and social media content, and Zoom or other conferencing platform recordings.

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: Reference purpose served; Transfer one copy of the final publication to the University Archives
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Records and documentation that is associated with research activities. Includes records relating to research and data collection methods for human subjects research, human subject research that has “exempt” status, clinical trials or studies (all phases), and animal research.

May include: research protocols and instruction documentation; case report forms; subject recruitment; screening, selection and eligibility documentation; correspondence with subjects and organizations providing subjects; computer software for administering tests to research participants; abstracted information from medical records; assay results; data gathering, responses (e.g., interviews, notes, questionnaires, abstracted or summarized information); evaluations and research analysis; notes, interviews, summary sheets, data analysis; summary documentation; reports; logs; forms; PI notes; lab manuals and notebooks; non-study-specific guidelines, protocols, checklists; contracts and other agreements; pre-site documentation; study close out documentation; and all correspondence.

Also includes records, correspondence and reports relating to non-financial compliance activity as well as industry, federal, state, non-profit, or international regulatory requirements regarding research activities.

May include IRB or IRB subcommittee applications (including all attachments and all correspondence with the IRB and the IRB office); delegation documentation, required training documentation; drug and device logs; safety documentation; confidentiality documentation; data and safety monitoring reports; records related to adverse events, data breaches, non-compliance issues, and any unanticipated problems; records related to external monitoring or auditing of research activity; records associated with specialized compliance requirements such as Radiation Safety, Institutional Biosafety, FERPA, CLIA laboratory certification, and use of embryonic stem cells (ESCRO).

May also include any records created or gathered during the course of anticipating research activity, but due to lack of funds or termination by sponsor, the trial or study did not open, and in the case of human subject research, human subjects were not enrolled.

These record series were merged into Research Records and Data:

• Clinical Trials Phase I-IV Research Data
• Investigator; Report of Project Status
• Research Data -- Biomedical Treatment or Intervention (Drug, Device or Surgical Procedure/Intervention)
• Research Data -- Non-Biomedical Treatment or Intervention (Non Drug, Device or Surgical Procedure/Intervention)
• Research Data-- Sponsor Required Contractual Obligation
• Research Data -- Exempt from Human Subjects Review

Note: Longer retention periods may be required for international or multi-site research or trials, which may be determined by the location of the primary PI. Longer retention periods may also be required by corporate sponsors or certain agencies (e.g., federal Department of Justice). Note: This does not include research requiring FDA approval or involvement. Note: Does not include consent forms, assent forms or HIPAA authorizations.

Note: This retention schedule refers to data in any format that it can exist in. To determine the retention of objects that are not expressions of information and are instead actual research products (such as cell lines, biological samples collected for research purposes, synthetic compounds, and organisms) refer to any relevant regulations, laws, or instructions from funding sources.

Official Copy: Principal Investigator
Retention: 6 years after close of study
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Records relating to routine internal reports documenting/tracking activities and work accomplishments for a given time period.

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: 2 years after end of calendar year
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete raw data; Transfer Compiled Statistics/Metrics to the University Archives

A summary record of the compiled responses to surveys or questionnaires. Includes blank sample survey form and report of results. Includes survey/questionnaires completed electronically via Outlook, MSForms, Survey Monkey, etc.

Note: Does not apply to surveys or questionnaires related to IRB approved research.

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: 3 years after end of academic year
Disposition Method: Transfer to University Archives