IS-2520 Record Retention (Policy)

Introduction

Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) maintains a system of records management to maintain, retrieve and purge College documents.  Records must be retained for the time period and in the manner required by applicable state and federal laws and regulations. 

1. Role of Records Center

1.1 Receive, maintain, destroy and service inactive records that have not met their disposition date. Records retention and disposition schedules are categorized under state regulations and are centralized within in the official rule for Functional Retention and Disposition Schedules 1.21.2 NMAC. The schedule indicates the minimum amount of time records should be maintained in compliance with state and federal guidelines. Retention requirements apply whether or not the records are transferred to the Records Center.   

1.2 Accept all public records that are referenced in the State Functional Retention and Disposition Schedules, except student transcripts. Copies of student transcripts may be obtained from Academic Records. 

1.3 Does not accept personal, active, or non-records. 

1.4 Store only inactive and permanent records until final disposition according to state and federal retention schedules. Examples include personnel files, purchase orders, or surveys. 

1.5 Receive and store inactive permanent records from CNM departments until final disposition according to state and federal retention guidelines. 

1.6 Ensure records are classified according to state and federal retention guidelines. 

1.7 Ensure records are tracked and entered into an electronic records management software system which tracks: record boxes; retention schedules; permanent box numbers; destruction dates; and shelf locations. 

1.8 Provides consulting services to departments on filing systems and maintenance of records. 

2. Role of Records Specialist 

As the records liaison officer for CNM, the records specialist administers the record management program in accordance with the Functional Records Retention and Disposition Schedules for records archival storage. The records specialist provides guidance in all aspects of records management.   

3. Role of Directors/Division Leaders

Directors/Division Leaders are designated as "record owners" and, as such, are responsible for public records generated by their department and/or under their purview.

4. Transferring Records 

4.1 The Records Center is available to receive records at any point during the year.  

4.2 Records with a retention period of two years or more should be transferred to the Records Center.

5. Record Retrieval 

5.1 Records are retrieved and delivered to customers upon request, provided a 24-hour notice is given. 

5.1.1 Provide the following information to the Records Center: 

• Location code (this can be obtained from the department copy of the Storage Ticket request form) 
• Record description 
• Department building and room number 
• Name of individual requesting record

5.1.2 The requestor must sign for the receipt of records after they are delivered by the Records Center. 

5.2 Records can be retrieved for customers on an emergency basis. 

5.3 Records should not be returned via inter-office mail due to the confidential nature of the documents. 

5.4 Deans/supervisors or the requester will sign for receipt of records. Records are to be checked out for no longer than 30 days. If records are checked out for more than a year, the records will be permanently withdrawn from inventory. 

5.5 Permanent Withdrawal: If a department wishes to withdraw a record permanently from storage, forward a request to the Records Center.    

5.6 Second Party Withdrawal: If a department requests a record originating from another department; the requesting department must contact the department of origin to obtain authorization. The department of origin must contact the Records Center for records withdrawal. The department requester must view the requested records at the Records Center. 

6. Record Destruction 

6.1 The Records Center destroys records as needed. 

6.2 Records are destroyed by the Records Center according to state and federal guidelines when legal requirements are met.  The records specialist emails a Records Request for Destruction Form to the dean/supervisor for a signature approval.   When the Records Request for Destruction Form has been reviewed, signed, and returned to the records specialist, the expired records will be destroyed. The records specialist is required to obtain state approval for the destruction of records.  If departments wish to keep the records past their assigned destruction date, management personnel can extend the date no longer than one year unless a litigation, audit, or investigation is pending.  

6.3 All records scheduled for destruction are reviewed by the Colleges records specialist and by state records analysts for approval. 

7. Supplies

7.1 Records must be stored in the appropriate record retention boxes, which can be purchased from an outside supplier. 

7.2 The Storage Ticket and Records Request for Destruction Form are located on the Record Retention Website. 

8. Location of the Records Center

The Records Center is located on CNM Main Campus at 901 Buena Vista SE. Please call (505) 224-4617 or email prior to visiting the Records Center. 

9. Definitions

Active Records	Documents, regardless of age, that an office uses frequently in conducting current business or until disposition period is met.
Destruction Date	The final disposal date of records of no further value by shredding, burial, incineration, pulping, or some other process.
Inactive Records	Documents that an office no longer needs or for which the retention period has been met.
Inclusive Date	The time period covered by the filed documents. Examples: Inclusive date 2022 includes records for the entire calendar year (January 1 through December 31).
Non Records	Informational materials that are not part of the legal definition of a record. This includes extra copies of documents kept only for convenience and reference.
Permanent Records	Records considered to be unique or valuable in documenting the history or business of an organization and preserved in an archive.
Permanent Withdrawal	Records which have been deleted from inventory and returned back to the department.
Public Records	All books, papers, maps, photographs, or other documentary materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received by an agency in pursuance of law or in connection with the transaction of public business, preserved or appropriate for the preservation, by agency or its legitimate successor as evidence of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations or other activities of the government or because of the informational and historical value of data contained therein.
Storage Ticket Form	Must be completed for the transfer of inactive records to the Retention Center.
Record Description	The title assigned to records from the Retention and Disposition Schedule.
Records Custodian	The statutory head of the agency using or maintaining the records or his designee.
Records Liaison Officer	A person designated by CNM’s records custodian to interact with the State Commission of Public Records.
Functional Retention and Disposition Schedule	The document that specifies actions for the retention and disposition of current, inactive, and noncurrent records of an organization. The College adheres to the following Retention and Disposition Schedule.

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Forms

• Records Request for Destruction Form
• Records Storage Ticket Form

Support Materials:

Reference Materials:

• FRRDS, Functional Records and Disposition Schedules
• Employee Handbook 10.02, Public Records