UW General Records Retention Schedule Advanced Search

A notification of upcoming payroll action deadlines, eg: appointment end date, temporary appointment end date, probation period end date, increment date, as well as notifications regarding students, eg: tuition payments and deadlines, etc.

These reports are now generated through Workday and do not have to be saved or printed. Refer to Electronic Personnel/Payroll Records that do not need to be printed or saved.

Documentation of long-range, programmatic goal setting and planning directly tied to the mission of the department and of potential historic importance for the university. Records reflect decisions relating to major operational changes (including in departments functions) or projects. May include statistics, correspondence, notes, reports, budget information, conferencing platform recordings, etc.

Refer to Financial Records For State and Non-Grant Budgets for financial transactions.

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: 6 years after end of calendar year/conclusion of project

Disposition Method: Transfer to University Archives

The retention for email is based on the content of each individual email.

Emails that simply request or provide information are transitory and can be deleted as soon as a reply is given or received. Examples of transitory emails include emails that:

• Answer directional questions such as:
  • "How do I apply for this program?"
  • "What are your office hours?"
  • "When is the test?"                                                        
• Or provide generic information:
  • Explaining/clarifying a variety of general university policies (ex. S/NS vs. annual drop, low scholarship and satisfactory progress)
  • Events (on-campus, off-campus)
  • Grading policy
  • Major/minor—/eligibility/number of credits necessary
  • Opportunities (ex. jobs, internships, scholarships)
  • Parents/FERPA
  • Redirection to another office (the cc question)
  • Registration when/how/where/eligibility/reminders
  • Transfer students
• Or contain information or links from a source such as a website, database, or content management system.

Official Copy: Any Advisory Office
Retention: End of academic year
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Provides a record of prospective employers recruiting for full, part-time, or work study employees at UW sponsored events or using UW sponsored resources including Career Fairs, Husky Employer Partnership Program, Featured Employers Night, virtual Resume Books, etc. May include registration forms, recruiting information, publicity documents, data sheets, lists of interviewees, etc. May also include Job Location and Development Program job listings; maintained as per 34 CFR 675.36, 34 CFR 375.19, and 34 CFR 668.24.

Official Copy: College/School or Department
Retention: 6 years after end of academic year
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

A record of students who have received services provided by University resources. Includes but is not limited to writing center and other tutoring programs, tracking and monitoring success rates of participants in pre-enrollment programs, accommodations requested, offered and provided, tracking of student health information including immunization history, tracking of student compliance with non-UW rules and regulations, etc.

Official Copy: College/School or Department
Retention: 6 years after last contact
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Provides a record of an incident(s) or information that has been reported to this office involving one or more students, and which may or may not have concluded with a formal investigation.

Official Copy: Any Advisory Office
Retention: 6 years after incident resolved
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Notes, emails, and lists used as a memory tickler to help faculty and staff identify former students for the purpose of writing letters of reference for them. Lists may include: names of students, dates degrees awarded, titles of final projects, final grades, grade point averages, etc.

Official Copy: College/School or Department
Retention: Until administrative purpose is served
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Court orders, subpoenas and other compulsory legal process served on the UW.

Note: Upon receipt, immediately transfer to the UW Division of the Office of the Attorney General.

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: Until transferred
Disposition Method: Transfer to UW Division of the Office of the Attorney General

Plan covers specific health and safety topics related to the worksites and job hazards within an individual department. May be included as part of the Departmental Health and Safety Manual.

Official Copy: Any Office/Lab
Retention: 6 years after superseded
Disposition Method: Transfer to University Archives for review 

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

Documentation of computer systems or databases used by an office, either developed in-house or by a contracted system developer. May include operator's manual, general description of design, system definition, source code, project work plan, design detail, file layout, establishment of programs, reports listing and data dictionary. This series is for unique systems/databases only, and does not include or apply to basic over-the-counter software/database packages. 

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: 6 years after system replaced/no longer used
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

A record of appeals by faculty who have been denied tenure.

Official Copy: Academic Personnel & Faculty
Retention: 50 years after termination of employment
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Official Copy: Office of Faculty Senate and Governance
Retention: 6 years after case closed
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Other Copy: College/School or Department
Retention: 3 years after termination of employment with College/School or Department
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Other Copy: UWT: Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Retention: 3 years after termination of employment
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Other Copy: UWB: Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Retention: 3 years after termination of employment
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Requests from faculty or staff to publishers for a free desk copy of a textbook being used in the classroom. May include correspondence.

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: 6 years after end of quarter
Disposition Method: Recycle or Delete

A record of student theses and dissertations produced to satisfy degree requirements.

Official Copy: UW Libraries
Retention: Permanent

Other Copy: College/School or Department
Retention: 6 years after degree awarded
Disposition Method: Recycle or Delete

Requests from academic departments to list a new course or to change the listing for a course in the forthcoming Time Schedule. Changes formerly submitted via form UW 20-506 now transmitted via email.

Official Copy: Registrar -- Time Schedule Office
Retention: 1 year after end of quarter
Disposition Method: Recycle 

Official Copy: UWB:  Student Affairs:  Registrar
Retention: 1 year after end of quarter
Disposition Method: Recycle

Other Copy: Academic Departments
Retention: 1 year after end of quarter
Disposition Method: Recycle

A record of presentation or course material developed, gathered and used in training. May include reference material, outlines, handouts, notes, evaluations, and actual presentations.  May include employee registration and rosters.  Includes both required and non-required training.  Training may be provided by POD, UW Information Technology, eProcurement, etc.

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

Other Copy: Home Department
Retention: 3 years after termination of employment
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Emails which accompany an attachment, document, report, form, etc., that do not add any substantive information to the transmitted material.

Retention: May be disposed of as soon as the reference purpose has been served.  Please delete as appropriate.

Contract outlining the treatment plan between patient and clinician. Includes correspondence regarding treatment, payment plans, any notes, and all amendments to the contract.

Official Copy: Any Clinic
Retention: 6 years after termination of contract
Disposition Method: Shred

Provides a record of communications regarding grant and gift budgets between UW offices/departments and UW Finance Research Compliance and Operations. Includes both general and customized responses to questions about budget, spending, and procurement. (UW Connect is a customer support system which helps UW Finance serve their customers and manage their work through information intake and customer support workflow capabilities, including ticketing and content management.)

Official Copy: UW Finance
Retention: 6 years after fiscal year that a record is closed
Disposition Method: Delete/Purge

Other Copy: Any office
Retention: Issue resolved
Disposition Method: Delete/Purge

This series documents the process of applying for and receiving Visas for foreign travel. Records may contain Visa application, travel itinerary, Customs Letters, immunizations letters, and other correspondence between the receiving country and the University of Washington as needed.

Official Copy: College/School or Department
Retention: 6 years after return from trip
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete

Provides record of individuals denied volunteer status at the University.

Official Copy: Any Office
Retention: 1 year after end of calendar year
Disposition: Shred or Delete

Records of drafts, hearings, justification statements and other documents related to, and documenting, the development and enactment of official rules and regulations for inclusion in the Washington Administrative Code.

Official Copy: University Policy and Rules Office
Retention: 6 years after rule is superseded
Disposition Method: Transfer to University Archives

Other Copy: Any Office
Retention: 3 years after rule is superseded
Disposition Method: Shred or Delete