University Archives - Transferring Records

Use this guide when preparing your digital office files for transfer to the University Archives. It goes over preferred and acceptable formats, the best way to name files, the creation of file description manifests, and the transfer process of the content. 

Trinity University has a records retention policy which can be found on policies portal www.policies.trinity.edu. This policy was not created in partnership with the University Archives and we are not mandated as the official respository for university records.  The retention schedule does however recommend some material come to the archives.

• Assessment reports
• Faculty CVs and scholarship
• Faculty Senate Records
• Academic Meeting Records
• Accreditation Records
• Hanbooks
• Recruitment Materials
• Self-studies
• UCC records
• Student Awards
• Alumni Relations Files
• Athletics event files, rosters and scores
• Event Programs and Calendars
• Photographs and audio visual recordings
• Publications
• Blueprints
• Strategic Planning Records
• Governance Documents
• Board of Trustees Minutes

The university archives is interested in material that has been completed or no longer needs to be referred to on a regular basis for operations. This includes:

• Official correspondence (important updates, charges, actions, decisions)
• Magazines, newsletters and other publications from the division, department, unit
• Reports, studies, reviews, assessments, executive summaries
• Policy and procedure statements and related planning documents Major planning documents - strategic planning, campus and department plans
• Meeting agendas and minutes - committees, tasks forces, boards, teams
• Curriculum related material such as syllabi, records of programs, curriculum and class development
• Budgets
• Detailed calendars and schedules
• Directories
• Materials documenting name changes, organizational or structural changes of the office or department
• Compiled histories and activities of office or department
• Photoprints and digital images with description and/or identification
• Audiovisual material with description and/or identification
• Print files - flyers, posters, brochures, programs, publications - directly related to Trinity
• Research (of faculty, staff, administration)

Things we generally don't have an interest in keeping:

• Supplies and blank stationary
• Large quantities of duplicate material - 3 copies only
• Informal or unofficial correspondence - routing slips, missed calls, routine letters of transmittal, general FYI notes that do not relate to larger projects and policy, notices or memoranda that give only timely information such as a change in the time and date of a meeting
• Illegible notes, scraps, working documents from a document or project that is completed, unless they include a more complete form of the information
• Financials besides budget (receipts, deposits)
• Time off requests and travel documentation (authorization, reservations)
• Unidentified or undescribed photo prints and digital images - please do due diligence to identify and describe material if you want to submit
• Unidentified or undescribed audio visual material -please do due diligence to identify and describe material if you want to submit
• Catalogs, journals, and other printed materials from non-Trinity agencies which have no administrative use and are for information purposes only
• Newspaper clippings (this can mostly be found in newspaper databases at this point - will consider taking if the act of collecting is reflective of donor interests - if warrants saving, please photocopy or scan and discard newsprint)
• Large objects/memorabilia (t-shirts and textiles, banners, plaques, trophies, awards - we have space constraints)

• Transfer form for physical records
• File manifest for digital records - make a copy to edit.