Managing Student Records We came up with this training session because we have been receiving a lot of questions about how to manage emails from students Focus on records created when interacting with students Written communications with students Advising files Coursework and grades When a student files a complaint or petition, requests a waiver, or has a disciplinary issue UW Records Management Services

Admissions Advising Instruction Administration Post-Graduation That’s a lot of records!

Admissions Advising Instruction Administration Post-Graduation The big question – how do you know when to keep these records and when to delete them? We’re going to go through how to identify the different types of student records when to destroy them And how to manage student records that must be retained in places such as your e-mail We’ll also show some workflows for managing common student record And go through the student and curriculum records section of the general schedule that’s on our website How do you know what to keep and when to delete?

How do you know what to keep and what to delete? Identify Apply Identify – your records then Apply the retention

Identify – Transitory or Substantive? Directional or generic information Duplicated from original source Delete when no longer needed Substantive Relied upon legally or financially Informs decision making Retain as per the retention schedule For the purposes of this training, records can be divided into two groups – transitory those that don’t have a specific retention period and can be destroyed when it is no longer needed. Substantive are those that have a specific retention period that must be followed.

Examples of Transitory Records Requests for Information Delete When is the deadline? Can I audit this class? Can you send me the syllabus? What time is our meeting? How do I ask for an accommodation? When is the paper due? What are your office hours? How do I submit an application?

More Examples of Transitory Records Delete E-mails that contain attachments* Reports from databases Information copied from a website Meeting Invites & Notifications Duplicates Drafts and Document Errors *Delete the e-mail that contains the attachment after saving the attachment

Examples of Substantive Records Retain as per retention schedule Disciplinary Actions Advising Files Grievances and Complaints Letters of Reference Petitions, Waivers, Appeals Student Folders Student Employee Folders and Timesheets Exams, Papers, Assignments

Apply the Retention Schedule! A Retention Schedule… Identifies and describes each type of record created and received by the UW community Specifies how long that record must be retained before it can be destroyed Applies to ALL records – paper and electronic – including email, databases, content management systems, social media posts, etc. After you’ve identified what type of record you have, you can apply the retention schedule Quick recap: All records created and received by the university are listed on a retention schedule either the UW General Records Retention schedule or on a departmental schedule. The retention schedule tells us how to identify records, how long to keep it, and how to destroy it. If you’ve been to any of our training sessions before, you’ll know that retention applies to all records – paper and electronic!

Apply the Retention Schedule! University Retention Schedules The UW General Records Retention Schedule is organized by sections: http://f2.washington.edu/fm/recmgt/gs/ Student and Curriculum Records Section: http://f2.washington.edu/fm/recmgt/gs/student Offices that create unique records use a Department Schedule: http://f2.washington.edu/fm/recmgt/depts Let’s click this link and take a quick look at the schedule

Keep in mind… There are many student records that you may not need to manage: The Registrar manages Transcripts UW Advancement collects and monitors information about students after they graduate Printouts/reports from databases are duplicates and don’t need to be retained Determine your responsibility: http://f2.washington.edu/fm/recmgt/gs/student What a relief…

Managing Student Records Example Workflows

Directional Questions Student e-mails asking “When is the paper due?” Instructor replies “February 10th” Delete the E-mail

Advising Files Advisor Creates Advising Folder for Student Correspondence and Notes Filed in Folder Retention Begins with Graduation or Last Contact Shred / Delete after one year

Former Students Create a Tickler File for your former students Former student requests a Reference Letter Shred/Delete Reference Letter after 1 calendar year Shred/Delete Tickler File after reference purpose is served

Petitions and Waivers Student Submits Request University Makes Decision Retention Begins with Graduation or Last Contact Shred / Delete after 6 years

Managing Student Records Speaking of petitions and waivers…

Managing Student Records What about student conflicts?

What are considered conflicts? Complaints about instructor or fellow student Disciplinary issues Grade appeal process Conduct issues Anything that makes you think “oh, this could turn into something…”

What are considered conflicts? As soon as an issue arises… Move all correspondence with student into a folder labeled with their name If exonerated, delete immediately Anything that makes you think “oh, this could turn into something…”

When conflict turns into an investigation… Results Exoneration Delete/Shred IMMEDIATELY Disciplinary Action Retain for 7 years after disciplinary action taken

Managing Student Records Let’s get in to how to actually manage all of these records So many e-mails…

How do you manage all of these e-mails? Manage E-mail as you go Delete transitory e-mails when their reference purpose has been served Manage substantive e-mails by folder Create and label folders using student’s name and graduation date Move e-mails out of inbox and into folders immediately after responding Delete entire folder when retention is met

How do you manage all of these e-mails? Manage E-mail as you go Save attachments to appropriate location - then delete the e-mail Regularly review and delete items in the Deleted Items folder Use Outlook tools such as Rules, Policies, Follow Up, and Categories

Outlook E-mail Management Tools Folders File e-mails by student name, year, or event to keep track of records. Rules and Alerts Use rules to automatically move e-mails to folders based on subject, sender, or keywords. Alerts create sounds or pop-ups when a new e- mail is received that meets your set criteria.

Outlook E-mail Management Tools Categories Create your own color-coded categories for e- mails and calendar items, which can be assigned using keyboard shortcuts Follow Up Use Follow Up to ensure that you reply to important e-mails in a timely manner. You also have the option of setting reminders and marking e-mails after replying. View more e-mail tips and tutorials on our website: http://f2.washington.edu/fm/recmgt/erecords/email

Questions? Let’s hear them!

Contact Us Barbara Benson bbenson@uw.edu 543-7950 Michael Mooney mmooney@uw.edu 543-6190 Cara Ball ballc2@uw.edu 543-6512 Anna Sgarlato annasgar@uw.edu 543-0573 Our Website: http://f2.washington.edu/fm/recmgt General Inquiries: urc@uw.edu