To ensure compliance with state and federal laws governing records, information, and data management, Records Management Services (RMS) relies on Records Authorities (RAs) and Records Coordinators (RCs) to serve as liaisons within their units. These roles are crucial for managing records effectively across the University of Washington. 
Eligibility
RAs and RCs must hold permanent positions. Temporary or student employees are not eligible for these roles. While we encourage all UW employees to be familiar with records management, only one person may serve in each role. Alternatively, the Records Authority may fulfill both roles. To change your RA or RC, please contact us at recmgt@uw.edu.
Responsibilities
Records Authorities (RAs):
- Oversee compliance with the UW General Records Retention Schedule and act as a subject matter expert for the records governed by that Schedule.
- Approve, update, and ensure the office’s compliance to a Departmental Retention Schedule (if applicable).
- Create and update scanning and e-records policies for the department.
- Approve the disposition of records stored at the University Records Center (URC) and in UW-IT’s Document Management System (DMS).
- Evaluate cloud-based third-party software used for records management and storage before contracting with a vendor by following these best practices.
- Develop a disaster prevention plan tailored to the office’s business needs.
- Understand the key objectives of document recovery in the event of a disaster.
- Educate colleagues on their individual records compliance responsibilities.
- Support records-related projects initiated by the RC, such as developing new file plans.
Records Coordinators (RCs):
- Assist the RA with their responsibilities and act as a backup.
- Manage daily records-related tasks for the office.
- Serve as the primary liaison with RMS, informing us of changes to office names, organizational structures, functions, or contacts.
- Plan and manage the development of new file plans.
- Ensure timely handling of old records past their retention period, including coordinating with UW Archives for archival records.
- Remind colleagues that records management applies to all formats, including electronic and paper records.
Recommended Best Practices
Stay Informed: Subscribe to our RMS newsletter for updates on policy changes, new resources, and training events.
Educate Yourself: Take any relevant trainings and be proactive about attending our events, such as the annual Compliance & Ethics Week.
Destruction Holds: For records stored at the URC or DMS, promptly notify RMS of any records involved in litigation, public records requests, audits, or investigations.
Report Changes: Notify us if an RA or RC leaves their position, and update contact information.
Schedule Cleanup Days: Organize office-wide days to manage paper and electronic records repositories. For assistance, contact the ROT Squad for tips and support.
Annual Meetings: Meet with RMS at least once a year to ensure retention schedules are accurate and followed.
Onboarding: Introduce new employees to records management responsibilities using our Onboarding Resources.
Offboarding: Establish procedures to preserve records with retention requirements and handle records under destruction holds using our Offboarding Resources.
Training and Resources
If your office is a current Document Management System (DMS) user, Records Authorities and Records Coordinators will be trained in how to use the system as well as their responsibility in the disposition process of records stored in DMS. For more information, visit our DMS Resource.