EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Policy: UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Policy No.C051
Recommended for Approval By John F. Fleischauer, Provost
and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Approved By Foster F. Diebold, President on May 9, 1995
Review Date: As Required
INTENT
The University Archives exists to preserve and provide access to materials
from university-related sources that are retained for their value as
records of university activity. The purpose of this policy is to provide
for the university community an overview of the administration of the
archives and of the service that it offers.
POLICY
The primary goal of the Edinboro University Archives is to preserve the
history of the institution by collecting evidential materials from
university offices, faculty, administrators, and university-related
community sources. The archives will organize, create finding aids,
maintain, preserve, and provide reference service to the materials for
use by university offices, students, and researchers.
PROCEDURE
A. Collecting Records and Other Evidential Materials
The archives seeks to collect materials in four areas: legal, fiscal,
administrative, and materials with potential research value.
Determining which records will be transferred to the archives will
be a joint decision between the archivist and the director of each
office subject to presidential approval. All records scheduled for
transfer to the archives will be non-current records. The criteria
used to determine whether records are non-current will depend upon
the type of records involved. Generally, records will be considered
for transmittal to the archives after five to seven years. Personnel
files will involve a different schedule that is based upon the date
of departure from university service. (see addendum for details)
It may be determined that some records are archival, but not suitable
for transfer to the archives. This includes electronic records which
are not readable without compatible hardware and software. The
archives may not be able to maintain materials that do not fall
within the parameters of the collection.
B. Transfer of Records
Once a set of records has been approved for transfer, the office
representative will have them boxed and mailed to the archives. The
archivist will then process the records and return a list of records
received along with notice of where they have been placed in the
archives. When records are not approved for retention, the sending
office will be notified and allowed to decide whether the materials
are to be returned or discarded. Depending on the rate of record
accumulation, records will be sent to the archives annually or on a
schedule agreed on by the office representative and the archivist.
C. Access To Archival Materials
All materials deposited in the archives, or determined to be
archival, become the property of the archives and are administered
by the university archivist. Levels of access can be negotiated
between the archivist and donor or creating office. The levels
range from open access to sealed for a period of years. The archives
cannot accept material under the condition of being sealed in
perpetuity.
Creating offices may request the return of records for a period of
time. These should be returned as soon as possible. Otherwise,
archival materials may only be used in the Special Collections room
and the Archives.
D. Location and Administrative Responsibility
The archives is located on the seventh floor of the Baron-Forness
Library in Room 705. It is an administrative unit of the library,
which is a department under the chief academic officer of the
university.
The Associate Vice President for University Libraries and Academic
Programs will be responsible for arrangements with offices for
collection of archival materials.
ADDENDUM
RECORD COLLECTION PLANS (partial listing)
1. PRESIDENT'S OFFICE
Minutes
Scope: Minutes of meetings, regularly held, that the president
presides over. This would include; president's cabinet, meetings
with department chairs, AOC and any others they may preside over.
Retention: Send to archives after five years. Keep in perpetuity.
Correspondence
Scope: Correspondence pertaining to university business, incoming
and outgoing mail.
Retention: Send to archives after seven years. Keep in perpetuity.
Reports Prepared by this Office
Scope: This would include items such as "Annual Report of the
President." Items used in preparing the report are not included.
Retention: Send a copy to archives at the beginning of the calendar
year.
Internal Memorandums
Scope: All memos sent outside the president's office signed by the
president.
Retention: Send to archives after five years. Keep in perpetuity.
Subject Files
Scope: Files kept in reference to a particular concern, for example,
Pakistan or finals week.
Retention: Send to archives three years after being inactive. Keep
in perpetuity.
Minutes of Faculty Advisory Council
Scope: Though the president does not preside over this group, it is
an advisory body for the president.
Retention: Send to archives after five years. Keep in perpetuity.
Organizational Charts
Scope: The final approved version.
Retention: Send a copy after it is finalized. Keep in perpetuity.
2. OFFICE OF THE PROVOST AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Minutes
Scope: These would be regularly scheduled meetings at which the
provost presides, e.g., Council of Deans.
Retention: Send to archives after five years. Keep in perpetuity.
Correspondence
Scope: Correspondence outside the university concerning university
business. This includes incoming and outgoing mail.
Retention: Sent to archives after seven years. Keep in perpetuity.
Reports and Publications
Scope: Those reports and publications prepared by this office, e.g.,
Faculty Development Annual Report.
Retention: Send a copy to archives at the beginning of each calendar
year. Keep in perpetuity.
Internal Memorandums
Scope: All memos sent outside the provost's office that were signed
by the provost.
Retention: Send to archives after five years. Keep in perpetuity.
Personnel Records
Scope: Records of retired, resigned or deceased faculty members.
Retention: Three years after a faculty member has resigned, retired
or died, their file (or the permanent retention portion of that file)
should be sent to archives. Records of resigned faculty will be
closed to all but the person and the original custodian of the
record for sixty years. Retired faculty will have closed files for
thirty-five years. Deceased faculty would also have closed files
for thirty-five years. Maintain in perpetuity.
Administrative Subject Files
Scope: This would include files organized by topic, such as minority
recruitment or general education curriculum.
Retention: Send to archives after three years of being inactive. Keep
in perpetuity.
Speeches
Scope: Prepared speeches given to groups, not informal presentations.
Retention: Send to archives after five years or at the end of tenure
in office. Keep in perpetuity.
3. OFFICE OF VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
(EXAMPLE)
Minutes
Scope: Any meeting, regularly held, that the Vice President presides
over.
Retention: Send to archives after five years. Keep in perpetuity.
Correspondence
Scope: Correspondence outside the university, concerning university
business, incoming and outgoing mail.
Retention: Send to archives after seven years. Keep in perpetuity.
Subject Files
Scope: Files kept in reference to a particular concern, for example
minority recruitment.
Retention: Send to archives after five years, unless it is a
continuing concern.
Archives for the following areas are yet to be determined:
4. DEANS' OFFICES
5. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
6. ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT OFFICES
Liberal Arts
Science, Management and Technologies
School of Education
University College
7. SPECIAL OFFICES
Alumni
Athletics
Conference and Convention
Counseling & Personal Development Center
Health Services
Intercultural Relations
Office of Students with Disabilities
Police Department
Student Development
Student Services
University Programming and Activities
etc.