Academic Affairs Schedule FAQ
1. What is the academic affairs records retention schedule (the “AA schedule”)?
The AA schedule is a listing of common academic records held by UWinnipeg. It identifies how long these records must be kept and, after this period of time is over, directs the records either to be destroyed or transferred to the University Archives.
2. What is an “academic record”?
Academic records are those records that support and document the University’s academic function. [1] They are maintained by faculties, departments and academic staff. Personal teaching and research records are not included within this definition and remain the property of their creator.
3. Why was the AA schedule created?
Created in accordance with the University Records Policy, the AA schedule helps ensure records are kept only as long as needed. This conserves storage and encourages privacy compliance. The transfer of records with long-term value to the Archives is also facilitated.
4. Who is the intended audience?
Faculty and department assistants are the main audience. Academic staff have a role to play with course work, exams and hiring records. PACE, ELP and the Collegiate are excluded at this time.
5. Does the AA schedule only apply to paper records?
No, it is format and media neutral.
6. How does it work?
The AA schedule is divided into eight activities, each a major task related to the University’s academic function. Under each activity, common records are grouped. For each grouping (known as a “records series”), a retention period is provided. This identifies how long to keep the records after they are no longer in active use. The retention “trigger” tells you when this inactive period begins. When the retention period has expired, the records are ready to be destroyed or transferred to the Archives as directed.
Each record series also identifies an office of primary interest (“OPI”). If your office is listed as the OPI, it is responsible for retaining and destroying the records as indicated. If your office is not the OPI and you nevertheless hold these records, these are considered duplicates and should be managed as indicated on the “duplicates” line.
To use the schedule, begin by clearing any backlogged records. This can be done by reading through the activities and identifying any records series in your possession. If the retention period for these records has expired, comply with the schedule’s direction. For records identified for destruction, this entails deletion of electronic records and recycling or shredding of paper records. For records slated for transfer to the Archives, see additional information below.
Going forward, records should be disposed on a routine basis as their retention periods expire. You may wish to set aside particular days each year to carry this out.
7. Are the retention periods minimum or maximum periods?
They are both, i.e., records are to be retained as long as indicated and then disposed.
8. Do I really have to dispose of my records as soon as the retention period expires?
The schedule recognizes that it may not always be possible to dispose of your records right away. Records management at UWinnipeg is not automated and must be done manually, by people with busy work lives. Timely disposal can be tricky for certain records, especially those contained within email (e.g., as an attachment).
The schedule requires records to be disposed "as soon as reasonably practicable" once the retention period has expired. For highly sensitive records, such as those containing medical information, every effort should be made to dispose of such records quickly once the retention period has expired. For less sensitive records, disposal may happen only once an academic term or year.
9. What about course work and exams retained in Nexus?
All Nexus courses are subject to a separate, Nexus-wide retention / disposition schedule. For course work and exams stored in Nexus, Instructors may either apply the retention / disposition action set out in the AA schedule or leave the materials in Nexus to be destroyed automatically. Either option is fine.
10. How were the retention periods determined?
First, a review of legislation and University policies was performed to identify any existing requirements. Feedback from University personnel regarding the useful operational lifespan of the records was then obtained. After comparing other Canadian universities’ practices, all this information was combined to generate a reasonable retention period for each series.
11. How do I transfer records to the University Archives?
Contact archives@uwinnipeg.ca before preparing records for transfer. For paper records, the Archives will guide you through the process of listing, boxing and labelling the records. For electronic records, the Archives will provide instructions for preparation and transfer. Do not alter, cull or delete records without first speaking to the Archives.
12. I have records that aren’t listed – how do I manage these?
If these are routine records not unique to the academic function – such as personal correspondence, appointment bookings and “all staff” emails – they may be retained and destroyed at will. If these are academic records or other operational records, please contact privacy@uwinnipeg.ca for assistance.
13. Whom do I contact for more information or assistance?
Please contact the Data Privacy and Compliance Office at privacy@winnipeg.ca or call 204.988.7538.
[1] Certain academic records closely related to the student services and governance functions, such as Senate Appeals Committee records, are not included on the AA schedule but will be included on other schedules under development.