What is the Retention and Disposition Schedule?
The Retention and Disposition Schedule is a set of rules approved by the Downstate Local Records Commission to be used by the College's offices and units to ensure that records are kept available and accessible as long as they are legally and operationally required in compliance with Illinois state laws. The Schedule contains information such as record groups and series, descriptions of the records, creating office, and their retention period.
What is a Retention Period?
A retention period is the length of time an official public record must be kept by the government institution. This time frame is approved by the Illinois State Downstate Local Records Commission.
How do I know if a document is an official public record?
In short, a record is any document, physical or electronic, that notes decisions and transactions which support various college functions. This includes photos, audio, audiovisual, and machine-readable materials. For more information, visit the What is a Record? tab in this guide.
What if my records aren't listed on the Retention and Disposition Schedule?
If you are having trouble locating which record group or series the record in question belongs to, contact the Records Coordinator for assistance.
Some official public records are kept in electronic format. Do they still fall under the Retention and Disposition Schedule?
Yes! The Local Records Act pertains to the information in the record, not the format. If you have a record, physical or digital, that has information pertaining to the business or operations of the College, it is considered a official public record by the State and you must follow the guidelines set in place to dispose of that record.
Our office would like to scan paper records to save space. Can we dispose of the paper records after they are scanned?
Even if they are digitized, paper records can only be disposed of after approval from the Local Records Commission. There are specific guidelines an agency must follow when digitizing paper records and storing the digital copies. The Commission will only approve disposal once these are met. Contact the Records Coordinator if you think digitization will work for your records.
Can the retention period on the Retention and Disposition Schedule be changed?
Yes! A formal request must be made to the Local Records Commission to change the retention period. Contact the Records Coordinator to start the process.
How do I view materials in the College Archives?
Contact the College Archivist at archives@parkland.edu to schedule a research appointment or request a copy of materials.
