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Records Management

This guide introduces the fundamentals of records management, including how to properly create, organize, retain, and dispose of university records. It offers resources, guidelines, and best practices to help faculty and staff meet compliance requirements

Records Management Guide

This guide will help you learn how to manage your records effectively. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Nicholls State University's Records Manager, Mary Katherine Kearns. 

If you have documents, you should:

  • Take inventory of your holdings, including both physical and digital items.
  • Assess whether each item qualifies as a record.
  • Prepare and review the Records Retention Schedule for your department. 
  • Decide whether to keep the item, send it to the university archives, or complete the necessary forms to discard it.
  •  Always complete an official form before disposing of or digitizing any holdings.

Forms:

To obtain a form for your department, please email me, and I will provide it. If you have any questions about which form to use, feel free to email me or visit the Louisiana Government Historical Resources Management Forms page.

Benefits of a University Retention Schedule

  • Offers Legal Protection: State agencies are required under Louisiana law. R.S. 44:411 requires the submission of a records retention schedule (a listing of the agency's records with the proposed retention period for administrative, legal, or fiscal purposes) to the State Archives for approval. Agencies must review and update their records retention schedules every five years. Schedules that were approved more than five years ago are considered expired. 
  •  Increases Efficiency (Frees Up Time and Space): Ensures essential records are organized for easy retrieval as evidence of university activities, particularly during audits, FIPPA requests, or lawsuit investigations.
  •  Protects Essential Records: An active records management program helps protect the university's vital, historical, and permanent records from environmental and physical hazards.