Records Management Services

425 Steenbock Library
550 Babcock Drive
Madison, WI 53706-1201
Phone: (608) 262-5629
FAX: (608) 262-8899
Email: Records Management 

© 1996-2007 by the Regents of the University of Wisconsin.

Last updated:
July 2007

Originally published:
April 2005

About the Campus Records Program

One of the major objectives of the records management program is to identify and dispose of unneeded administrative records logically and legally. ARMS helps campus offices determine what records need to be kept and for how long.  To accomplish this, Records Schedules are created.  A Records Schedule is a document that describes the records and sets forth the retention time and conditions for each set of records (or records series). Records Schedules are also known as Records Retention/Disposition Authorizations, or RDAs.

Archives and Records Management Services assists offices in managing all information, regardless of form or format. It is important for University offices to realize that, although records can and do exist in a wide variety of storage media, State and Federal laws still apply to how they manage the information contained in them.

Information contained on this web site is meant to provide basic guidance to the campus community regarding the records management process. University departments are urged, and welcome, to contact Records Management with their specific comments and concerns.

If you would like to have your name added to the Records Management Contact List to receive notices and reminders of important dates and upcoming events, please send an email to recmgmt@library.wisc.edu with your name, address, phone number and email address and a request to be put on the contact list. A list of upcoming events can also be found on the ARMS home page.

Contents of this site

Records Management Manual
Instructions on the entire records process, from taking inventory, to writing an RDA, to sending records to the State Records Center.

General Records Schedules
The current major general records schedules for the University.

ARMS Bulletins
This periodic publication is designed to address major topics of interest relating to managing University records, including e-mail management and how to manage your records during an office move.

Resources / News / Links
These resources, news items, and links will help answer any general records management questions.

• What is a record?

• How does the records process work? General outline of events leading to records disposition.

• How can I get required forms and boxes?

• Who is the records liaison for my department?
  

Workshops and Training
Sign up to learn more about the records process or download commonly used forms.

Electronic Records Forum Materials
These materials represent a series of forums on electronic records issues held at UW-Madison.

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Wisconsin Public Records Board Policy Statement Relating to Records Management

(Policy Statement Approved by Wisconsin Public Records Board, November 20, 1996)

Wisconsin state government needs well managed records to conduct public business efficiently. Framed by a democratic constitution and laws, the government also relies on records to ensure accountability to the people of the state. In that regard, Wisconsin's Open Records Law states that citizens are entitled to the "greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those officers and employees who represent them" [s. 19.31, Stats.]. The Public Records Board is directed to safeguard the "legal, financial and historic interests of the state in public records. "[s.16.61(3)(a), Stats.]

A. Organizational and Public Interests
State government and the people of Wisconsin have the following organizational and public interests in public records.

1. Legal--records must satisfy the state's legal obligations and document the fulfillment of legal contractual and constitutional responsibilities.

2. Financial--records must support fiscal audit requirements and be available to determine whether the state has used its financial resources according to appropriate laws and fiscal practices.

3. Historical--records with continuing value for public policy, educational or research uses must be appropriately maintained, preserved, and be made accessible to the public.

4. Administrative--records maintained for administrative purposes must be managed in a manner that assures that the information is accessible for the purposes the information is maintained during the period the information is required.

B. Performance Standards
For records to satisfy these organizational and public interests, agencies must establish records management systems that are designed for and capable of producing or retrieving records that meet performance standards in the following areas:

1. Authenticity
2. Accuracy
3. Reliability
4. Accessibility

C. Scope of Standards
All records and record management systems must meet the public interest and performance standards regardless of the medium for storage--whether paper, microfilm, optical disk, electronic or some other medium.

This policy statement is intended to serve as a general guideline for the Public Records Board in fulfilling its responsibilities and implementing its policies relating to public records management.

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