Records that have permanent historical or research value and are not actively used by your department should be transferred to the University Archives for permanent housing.
Below is a basic overview of the characteristics of permanent records.
Records that document the significant activities and core functions of a department, program, or committee. In general, records of a department's policies, organizational structure, major projects, and publications provide a good picture of a department's functions and activities and therefore have permanent historical and research value. If a set of records disappeared, leaving people unable to recreate a department's functions without them, the records most likely have permanent value.
Records that your department refers to on a regular basis to conduct its business. If you need to use a set of records at least a few times a year, they will generally be considered active records. Some records that have permanent historical or research value are still active records. Examples include donor files and student transcripts.