Contact Us
(781) 736-8759
Goldfarb Library, 2nd floor
415 South Street, MS 045
Waltham, MA 02454-9110
What are records? Records are any information, regardless of format or location, made or received in connection with Brandeis activity and documenting University functions, policies, decisions, procedures, and research. Examples of records include student transcripts, invoices, reports, deeds of gift, research data, and licensing agreements.
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What is records management? Records management is the responsible and consistent management of an institution’s records throughout their lifecycle (creation, use, preservation, destruction) using professional best practices, such as legal and regulatory compliance, and according to legitimate internal informational and operational needs.
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Who is responsible for records management? All Brandeis employees share a responsibility to practice good records management and ensure that confidential, sensitive, and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) are handled appropriately. Records management guidance and services are available through University Records Management.
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What are the benefits of records management? Records management promotes legal compliance and readiness in the event of audits or litigation. It reduces the legal and regulatory risk that can occur when personal or sensitive data is retained too long. It reduces costs by matching good record keeping practices with organizational needs and increasing access to needed information.
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What is the office of record? Generally there is only one office of record. That is the office that is responsible for the official copy of a record series (whether the records are paper or electronic). The office of record is not always the office of origin. When multiple departments or offices have copies of the same record, the office of record is the one department that maintains the official copy until it is destroyed or sent to the Archives.
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How long do I need to keep my office records? It depends on the type of record. The Brandeis Records Retention Schedule can be found on the Library's website. Please contact records@brandeis.edu with questions about retention requirements.
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How do I destroy my paper records? University Records Management provides secure document destruction through our vendor. There are over 50 shred bins and consoles located across campus, including at 515 South Street and 51 Sawyer Road. URM also coordinates the delivery of larger bins for special projects, such as office clean outs. Please contact URM at records@brandeis.edu or 781-736-8759 for assistance with shredding services.
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My department has records in off-site storage that need to be destroyed. How do I arrange for this to happen? University Records Management provides secure document destruction through our vendor, BUT does not destroy any offsite records without specific instruction and authorization from the office of record each time destruction is desired. After confirming the specific materials and checking with University Archives to ensure that nothing they are interested in collecting is destroyed, we then make arrangements for the secured destruction of the materials. A certificate of destruction is obtained and a copy is sent to the department requesting the destruction. Please contact URM at records@brandeis.edu or 781-736-8759 for assistance if your department has records in off-site storage that need to be destroyed after the retention period has elapsed.
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How do I know what to recycle and what to shred? In general, documents that contain sensitive or confidential information and records that contain PII (personally identifiable information) should be shredded, as long as the office of record (e.g. Human Resources or Financial Aid) has a copy. For more information, see What to recycle, delete, or shred (the short list).
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Where can I find help with records management? Contact University Records Management at records@brandeis.edu or 781-736-8759 to schedule a consultation with our staff.
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