Records and Information Management Program
April is Records and Information Management Month – which means it’s the perfect time for some spring cleaning!
Teams are encouraged to this month to take the opportunity to do a records refresh, and we’ve made a handy poster to help out HERE.
Use It – know what information you have stored and available and where it can be found, so that it’s easily accessible when you need it.
Organize It - Look at your shared drives, SharePoints, One Drives, and any other place where you store records and see if there’s room for improvement in how they’re organized. Remember – folder structure and file naming conventions should be logical, intuitive, and consistent!
Secure It - Double-check your folders, documents, SharePoints, etc, have the appropriate access granted and nobody needs to be removed (or added!).
Delete It – Comply with AU’s Retention and Disposition Schedules and also go through your Outlook and delete transitory emails. Clear that clutter!
Prioritize It – Make Records Management a regular item on your team meetings, using it as an opportunity to check in as a team and make it a priority!
As always, we’re here to help! If teams have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Heather McPherson at hmcpherson@athabascau.ca.
WHY DO WE NEED TO DO THIS?
Effective records and information management ensures that vital records are reliable for decision making, trustworthy as evidence, and easily accessible to University staff. It also allows the University to fulfil its obligation to comply with Federal and Provincial legislation, to protect privacy and, and to uphold the principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability as a public institution.
May 14, 2025 - Records Management/Privacy Training - Record Storage Days 2025
We are hosting our second Record Storage Days at 91制片厂Main on June 10th, 11th, and 12th, 2025.
As part of this, we will be offering two on-campus training sessions at 91制片厂Main covering both Records Management and Privacy/Access topics.
WHEN: Wednesday, June 11th @ 2:00 p.m. & Thursday, June 12th @ 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: 273 - The Willow Room – 91制片厂Main
QUESTIONS? Contact Heather McPherson (hmcpherson@athabascau.ca) or Melissa Sadownik (msadownik@athabascau.ca)
Virtual training sessions coming soon. Stay tuned for dates and details.
April 2, 2025 - Record Storage Days 2025!
We are hosting our second Records Storage Days at 91制片厂Main on June 10th, 11th, and 12th, 2025.
These are three days dedicated to assisting teams with their physical records by transitioning them to our inactive storage space (the 91制片厂Records Centre) in the ARC Building. We will also be disposing of records currently stored in the AURC that have reached the end of their retention period, as well as hosting training sessions on campus.
To prepare, teams should begin to assess which records they actively require and which can be moved to inactive storage, using our current draft 91制片厂Retention Schedules. We will also be contacting teams about any records that are in the AURC that have reached their disposition date in order to request approval for either destruction (secure shredding) or transition to the Archives.
Not sure if you have records that can be moved to the AURC? Contact us!
WHEN: Tuesday, June 10th, Wednesday, June 11th, & Thursday, June 12th
WHERE: 91制片厂Records Centre (AURC), 2nd fl, ARC Building at 91制片厂Main
Questions? Contact Heather McPherson (hmcpherson@athabascau.ca) or Melissa Sadownik (msadownik@atahbascau.ca)
WHY DO WE NEED TO DO THIS?
Effective records and information management ensures that vital records are reliable for decision making, trustworthy as evidence, and easily accessible to University staff. It also allows the University to fulfil its obligation to comply with Federal and Provincial legislation, to protect privacy and, and to uphold the principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability as a public institution.
Moving your records into inactive storage when they’ve hit their active retention allows us to ensure records are being properly managed and also allows you to better manage your physical space. Free up those filing cabinets!
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY TEAM HAS RECORDS THAT SHOULD BE IN THE AURC?
Use the current draft 91制片厂Retention Schedules to determine if your paper records have reached their active retention period. If you are unsure of how to use them or if it still unclear, please reach out to Heather McPherson, Records and Information Management Coordinator.
MY TEAM HAS RECORDS TO GO IN THE AURC. WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
- Once you’ve identified the records to go to inactive storage, you will need to box the records, grouping them by similar record series (EX. All invoices together, or all Minutes/Agendas together).You can use the Inactive Storage Checklist to ensure you are properly boxing your records.
- Print one of our Box Labels, fill it out, and tape it to the box. Please number each box, and describe each record series within (EX. “Committee A Minutes”, “Committee B Minutes”)
- You will then fill in the Inactive Storage Transfer Form, detailing each box and the records contained within each. Please ensure to include a contact person.
- Send the completed Transfer Form to Heather McPherson (RIM Coordinator).
- We will be in touch about arranging the transfer of boxes to the ARC Building on June 10th, 11th, or 12th.
CAN I STILL ACCESS THE RECORDS WHEN THEY’RE IN THE AURC?
Yes, if given at least 72 hours notice, we can arrange to have the records temporarily removed from the AURC. They must be returned within a reasonable time frame.
HOW LONG DO THE RECORDS STAY IN THE AURC?
They will remain until they have reached the end of their inactive retention period. This varies depending on the record’s function and can be found in the 91制片厂Retention Schedules. Once they have reached the end of their inactive retention period, we will contact you to request approval for final disposition (either transfer to the Archives for permanent retention, or secure shredding).
WHAT IF WE CAN’T MAKE IT ON THESE DAYS?
If your team is unable to arrange the transfer of records on June 10th, 11th or 12th, please contact Heather McPherson, RIM Coordinator, as soon as possible in order to make alternate arrangements to ensure we receive your records by the 12th.
May 27, 2024 - We have added a new page - AURC Inactive Storage - which includes guidance and instructions on how to transfer records for inactive storage in the 91制片厂Record Centre (AURC). Check it out if you and your team think you have records that are ready to be transferred and reach out if you have any questions!
September 21, 2023 - The Printing Guidelines (found under Tools & Resources) have been updated to include directions for Secure Printing on campus.
July 26, 2023 - Now that we have a RIM Framework and Policy to help guide the 91制片厂community, we’ve begun to meet with teams to discuss their current state of records management, current and future needs, and new retention and disposition schedules.
We’re also preparing for an eventual digitization project by looking to consolidate active record storage. As records should be electronic, except in certain circumstances, access to paper records for day-to-day work is not necessary for most, so for those odd times you may need to access them, we'll make sure you have that access. This will be done with the mind of keeping things confidential and with controlled access. This will make it easier to digitize eventually, with records in one space.
Teams are asked to assess which records they actively require, and which can be moved to inactive storage. If you are unsure, please contact us! We will be on campus in September to do intake and disposition of records for inactive storage.
Stay tuned for more information on where records will be stored.
REMINDER: No one should have records stored at home - for any of you who may still have records at home, they should be moved either to centralized storage or inactive storage.
If you have any questions, please contact Heather McPherson, Records and Information Management Coordinator at hmcpherson@athabascau.ca.
The University accumulates records, information, and data through the delivery of academic programs as well as through its daily operations. Records, information, and data, regardless of format, are broadly recognized as important strategic, organizational assets. They are critical inputs to informed analysis and decision-making, which can range from their use in the University’s annual budget analysis to appropriate evidential activities essential to transparency and compliance, and decisions that determine the University’s ongoing relevance.
The Records and Information Management Program (RIM Program) is responsible for supporting the educational, research, and decision-making processes of the University through the development and of policies, procedures and standards to the creation, preservation, and disposition of all types of recorded information at the University.
Effective records and information management ensures that vital records are reliable for decision making, trustworthy as evidence, and easily accessible to University staff. It also allows the University to fulfil its obligation to comply with Federal and Provincial legislation, to protect privacy and, and to uphold the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability as a public institution. The University’s records and information management strategy has been outlined in more detail in the RIM Framework, a foundational document to set the vision and provide a high-level contextualization of records and information management at the University. It sets the basis for the development of the RIM Policy, accompanying procedures and guidelines, and ensures a consistent approach to records and information management.
Program elements
Policies and Procedures
The Records and Information Management Policy provides staff and stakeholders with the guiding principles for the management of their information assets. Managing records effectively is an important task for all members of the University and the use of standardized policies and procedures ensures that resources are not wasted in duplicate efforts to maintain and locate important records. The RIM Policy should be read with other internal University policies to ensure effective synthesis and consistency of information governance and management throughout the full record and information lifecycle, in particular the Information and Data Management Policy and related Procedures. These specifically address the governance and management of all information and data assets to ensure security, integrity, availability, and protection.
Functional Classification of Records
A functional classification of University records organizes records based on business functions and activities rather than on subjects or business units. The advantage of a functional classification versus a business or subject classification is that functions across the University do not change whereas business units are frequently altered and subject classifications are difficult to apply consistently because users often apply different subject terms for the same records. A functional classification is more stable and requires less revision which means that staff will not have to spend valuable time re-learning classification rules as a result of multiple changes.
Retention and Disposition Schedules
Retention and disposition schedules provide staff with the means to determine how long active records should be kept in offices, when records should be transferred to the Athabasca University Records Centre (AURC), and what the final disposition of the records will be, either destruction or transfer to the Archives. Retention and disposition is determined by legislative, fiscal, and operational regulations and through consultation with departments.
Athabasca University Classification and Retention Schedule (AUCRS)
The Functional Classification of Records and the Retention and Disposition Schedules together constitute the Athabasca University Classification and Retention Schedule (the AUCRS). The AUCRS contains information relating to records retention and disposition, personal information banks, records classification and vital records, as well as legislative and University record-keeping requirements. The AUCRS is updated continually to reflect changes in legislation and in Athabasca University policies and departmental procedures. The AUCRS is currently under review and re-development. If you need assistance identifying records for retention and/or disposition, please contact Heather McPherson, Records and Information Management Coordinator.
Records Storage
Records storage is provided in the Athabasca University Records Centre (AURC) for records that are no longer actively used by departments. The records are stored in a secure and environmentally controlled area until their final disposition, at which time departments are notified and the records are either confidentially destroyed or sent to the Archives for use by researchers. Please contact Heather McPherson if you wish you transfer records to the AURC or access records currently stored in the AURC.
Assistance to Departments
Assistance to departments is provided to develop well-ordered active filing techniques so that departments have better access to their records and spend less time organizing records for transfer to storage. Retrieval of records stored in Athabasca University Records Centre (AURC) is also provided to departments in a timely and efficient manner and all supplies and service costs are covered at this time through the Institutional Records Management Program.
Browse Records and Information Management sections
Updated April 07, 2026 by Digital & Web Operations, University Relations (web_services@athabascau.ca)