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Records Management (RM) Policies

Designation of Agency Records Officer

Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 166-30-0016 mandates that each state agency designate a Records Officer. The Electronic Records Archivist fulfills this function for non-permanent records. In turn, each university department and office has been mandated to designate a records management officer (RMO) who shall be responsible for the oversight of all records transactions, ensure an organized records flow, and provide for the appropriate retention and disposition of all public records within the office.

Timely disposal of public records

As part of an effective records management program, state agencies are legally obligated to promptly dispose of state records without continuing value (OAR 166-05-0000). Lawful authorization to dispose of public records is obtained through the OUS Records Retention Schedule maintained by the University Archives (OAR 166-475). Retaining records longer than the retention period causes unnecessary legal and fiscal liabilities.

Destruction of confidential records

Under Oregon state law, the University must safely destroy confidential records (OAR 166-30-0060(2)). More >>

Unauthorized destruction and tampering of records

Per ORS 192.305, unauthorized destruction of a public record is a Class A misdemeanor.

Management of essential records

Per OAR 166-020-0045, all state entities shall,

Identify their essential records, regardless of medium or physical format.

Store security copies of essential electronic records systems off the premises where the system is used, along with any system documentation necessary to enable recovery of the system in the event of an emergency.

Comply with the following storage requirements for security copies of essential electronic records systems:

  • Off-site storage conditions shall have temperatures no less than 60 degrees or greater than 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and shall have a relative humidity no greater than 50 percent.
  • Off-site storage shall be in fire-resistant structures, with adequate ventilation and protection against insect and mold infestation. No essential records systems shall be stored where heat or moisture can damage them.

Electronics records and imaged records retention and documentation policy

Per OAR 166-017-0020, records with a retention period of 10 years or more that are stored in electronic form, a migration plan shall be established and on file with the Electronic Records Archivist. The migration plan should include:

  • System documentation
  • Description of all document types created and/or managed in the system
  • Migration schedule
  • File naming schema identified
  • Recovery strategy in case of information loss.


Maintained by: Erin O'Meara, erino@uoregon.edu
Last Modified: 08/12/2008