Yule Need to Delete These Files

New Resource Alert: SharePoint

SharePoint Online has become a popular and prevalent productivity platform being used across the University of Washington. The web-based platform offers a secure storage option that meet a wide range of needs for units of any size to. The file management features have become a cloud-based alternative to shared drives or expensive third-party platforms. As a result, Records Management Services has created a new SharePoint Resource that offers some insights into the use of Document Libraries for the storage of UW records with best practices and insights into the features of SharePoint that users may not be familiar with. The resource is not all-encompassing but is a way to introduce a few of the built-in tools that SharePoint offers with suggestions of how to leverage those features in the pursuit of records management. If you have questions about SharePoint and want more in-depth suggestions for your specific records, please contact us at recmgt@uw.edu

Live Zoom Event about Third-Party Applications

When: January 22, 2pm

Where: Zoom

Click on the link on our Trainings page to add it to your Outlook calendar.

 

 

Join a live Zoom event as we kick off an initiative all about third-party applications that are being used to store and manage University records. Learn best practices and have the opportunity to ask questions about your situation. When armed with practical and timely advice, your office can ensure that data being stored in whatever system you have is being managed appropriately, and that it’s configuration addresses information governance, access, security, and privacy concerns. For more information on this topic, check out our resources on Third Party Software Best Practices as well as Choosing the Right Electronic Storage Location.

 

This event will feature guest stars including representatives from the UW Privacy Office, the University Archives, and the Office of Public Records, as well as experts in the area of digital accessibility.

 

If you have a third-party application that your office is using that we may not have on our tracking list for this initiative, contact us at recmgt@uw.edu and we would be happy to incorporate it into our project and set up a future consult with you about it.

Home (Office) Alone: Cleaning Up While Everyone's Away

Do you have plans to work through December and early January at a time when others in your office will be off? For some, it can be a great time to focus on projects when there’s a break in the academic schedule and a lesser amount of meetings. One of those projects can be completing a long, overdue records cleanout!

Basically, these are the options of what can happen to records during your cleanup project.

Visualize the end result!

 

DELETED Records that didn’t need to be kept in the first place (like drafts and duplicates) will have been destroyed

DELETED Obsolete records that are past their retention will have been purged

TRANSFERRED Archival (historical) records past their retention will have been transferred to the University Archives for appraisal

SAVED Records that are no longer active but still within retention, labeled with the year they can be deleted

SAVED Records that are still actively being used in the course of business

 

Following this process, you can have dramatically fewer records, and a streamlined plan for moving forward.

To complete a December records clean-out project follow these instructions:

Clean-out Checklist

And make a project plan using this form:

Plan Your Shared Storage Location Clean-up

Another good end of year activity is clearing out your Outlook calendar.

You can follow these instructions.

And as you look forward to the next few weeks, know that the new year is a great time to delete records that have a cut-off of “end of calendar year” and have met their retention.

Check out the list of those types of records here

General Schedule Updates 

Effective Immediately

We have expanded our advice on subpoenas. If you receive a subpoena in error refer to this series:

Misdirected Subpoenas

If you receive a subpoena in which the University is not named as a party refer to this series:

Subpoenas – Not Party to Litigation

If you receive a subpoena in which the University is named as a party refer to this series:

Litigation Case Files

We have created a new record series related to the records generated by departments who document the deleting/shredding/recycling of records:

Destruction of Records