Vital and Nonvital Records
Vital records
Any record identified as essential for the continuation or survival of the university if disaster strikes, is called a vital record. Such records are necessary to re-create the university’s legal and financial status and to determine the rights and obligations of employees and students. These records generally make up only a small percentage of the recorded data created by an organization.
Vital records are:
- Critical to the function and mission of the university
- Essential for the continuous operation or reconstruction of any university-owned buildings
- Necessary to establish or protect the legal or financial position of the university
- Necessary to protect and ensure the rights and interests of employees and students
Examples include:
- Current payroll records necessary to pay employees
- Master student academic records necessary to show completion of course work
- Employee service records required for protection of tenure and retirement status
- Drawings and specifications required to repair and maintain university facilities
- Records necessary to establish university ownership of buildings, equipment, and land
- Patent license agreements
- Promissory notes and evidence of other receivables
Nonvital records
Nonvital records fall into one of three categories:
Important records
These are records that support a unit’s operations and fulfill its responsibilities and, although it may be costly and difficult, can be reconstructed or replaced from other sources.
Examples are:
- Accreditation documentation
- Annual/ monthly/ quarterly reports
- Billing source documents
- Current calendars
- Appointment books and daily schedules
- Faculty effort certifications
- Grade appeals
- Grievance files
Useful records
These are records that can be replaced easily. The time and cost of reproducing or accessing these records would be minimal because they are readily available at other locations.
Examples are:
- Official copies of bank records
- Correspondence
- Equipment maintenance/service reports
- Registrar’s statistical reports
Unimportant records
These are records that are of little or no value to an office and probably should never have been retained.
Examples are:
- Advertising circulars and product catalogs
- Nonuniversity brochures and publications
- Extra forms
- Personal correspondence
- Requests for information
- Routing slips
