Records Retention Policy

To ensure College records are managed, kept and preserved in a usable form. To foster accountability and transparency by promoting and facilitating good recordkeeping by the College.

Applies to everyone in the College Community.

Record: Recorded information in any format or medium, created or received by the College in carrying out its activities, required to meet legal or fiscal obligations, initiate, sustain, evaluate or provide evidence of decision-making, administrative or operations activities.

Transitory Record: Records of temporary usefulness in any format or medium, created or received by the College in carrying out its activities, having no ongoing value beyond an immediate and minor transaction or the preparation of a subsequent record. They are of such short-term value that they are not required to meet legal or fiscal obligations, initiate, sustain, evaluate or provide evidence of decision-making, administrative or operations activities.

Vital Record: Recorded information in any format or medium that is (1) essential to the operations and/or survival of the organization, (2) necessary to recreate the organization’s legal and financial position, and (3) necessary to preserve its claims and rights and those of its stakeholders.

Retention Schedule: Set out, for each class of records the College creates or receives, the length of time that the records will be retained and the disposition of the records at the end of their retention period.

Final Disposition: Refers to the action taken at the end of the approved retention period set out in the retention schedule. There are normally two types of disposition of records; transfer to an archive (permanent storage) or destroy.

1. All College records are kept for the prescribed amount of time according to the College’s approved Records Retention Schedule and maintained in a responsible and professional method to ensure accuracy.
   1. Temporary amendments (e.g., early disposition) to the Records Retention Schedule must be authorized by (1) senior executive of the College who is responsible for the affected record(s), and if applicable, (2) appropriate level of Government.
2. New records series or proposed amendments to existing records series are documented and approved.
3. A designated College representative carries out the disposition of College records systematically as authorized in writing (“Records Disposition Authorization” form).
4. The designated College representatives immediately halt the disposal of relevant College records upon notification of a legal hold. Records identified in a legal hold must be preserved and not destroyed until subsequently authorized in writing by legal counsel. A legal hold overrides the Records Retention Schedule with regard to those records subject to a legal hold.
5. A Records Retention Schedule is regularly maintained in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, sound business and records management practices, and this Policy.

Board of Governors is responsible for:

• Delegate to the President.

President is responsible for:

• Authorizing disposition of executive level records.
• Maintaining executive level records.
• Delegating responsibility to the College executive for maintenance and disposition of division level records.
• Ensuring College Divisions are adhering to College policy.

Vice Presidents and Associate Vice Presidents are responsible for:

• Authorizing disposition of division level records.
• Maintaining division level records.
• Delegating responsibility to Deans, Directors and General Managers in the Departments in their areas.
• Ensuring College Departments are adhering to College policy.

Vice President Finance and Administration is responsible for:

• Responsible for this policy, including:
  • Maintenance of the retention schedule in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, sound business and records management practices, and this Policy
  • Maintenance, in a responsible and professional method, of all Records Retention related documentation such as Records Disposition Authorization forms and Certificates of Destruction.

Deans, Directors and General Managers are responsible for:

• Authorizing disposition of departmental level records.
• Ensuring that records in their possession belonging to other departments (if any) are appropriately authorized.
• Ensuring that College staff adhere to College policy.