THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE
                  POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL


                                             No.                5     
                                             Date            7-1-77   
                                             Page            of   6   
                                             Approved      WHP   


Subject:  Suggested Retention Periods for University Records

The following gives the suggested retention period for various types of records normally
associated with a college or university.  The archives room at UNC-Asheville is located in the
basement of the Library.  The boxes used to store materials sent to archives will be ordered
through the Office Supply Room.  Each office is responsible for securing these boxes and putting
the necessary material into the boxes which is to be stored at archives.  Before material is sent to
the archives the officials should remove excess materials not specifically related to the University,
such as periodicals, advertisements and extra copies of the same form.  Each box must contain the
office name, the type of records, dates of the record and the date stored.  When any material is
ready to be moved to the archives room, a work order should be sent to the Maintenance
Department requesting that the boxes be delivered to archives.  Any office having their own man
power available to deliver these boxes should do so.

          1.   Alumni Association Minutes: Keep permanently.  Transfer to university archives at intervals
               of 5 years.

          2.   Alumni Personal Files:  Newspaper clippings, photographs, and similar material relating to
               individual alumni:  Keep permanently.  Consider microfilming and disposing of originals at
               intervals of 20 years.

          3.   Audit Reports:  Keep permanently.  Transfer to university archives at intervals of ten years.

          4.   Budget Records and Ledgers:  Includes voucher registers, requisitions for funds, accounting
               copy of cashier receipts, cancelled checks, copies of checks with supporting data, check
               copies, payroll check registers, deduction registers, W-2 forms, quarterly or other periodic
               allotments, estimates and budget requests:

               a.   Business Office copy- keep 6 years and then destroy.

               b.   School, Department and other copies- keep 4 years and then destroy.

          5.   Contracts and Grants:  Keep permanently.  Transfer to university archives 5 years after
               completion or termination.
          6.   Correspondence and Other Papers:  Includes correspondence, reports received and sent,
               speeches, etc.:

               a.   President, Chancellor, or Head of University- review every 5 years, keeping and
                    transferring to the university archives records of continuing value and destroying
                    remainder.  During review, retain minutes, papers relating to policies, records of
                    development of physical plant or curriculum, development plans, reports received from
                    schools and/ or departments, reports submitted to trustees or higher echelon, annual or
                    biennial budget request as approved by Board of Trustees.

               b.   Deans and Heads of Non-Academic Offices- review every 5 years, keeping and
                    transferring to the university archives the records of continuing value and destroying
                    and remainder.

               c.   Department Heads- review every 5 years, keeping and transferring to the university
                    archives the records of continuing value and destroying remainder.

          7.   Gift and Contribution Records- Records relating to the receipt, disbursement, and
               investment of gifts and contributions for all purposes:

   Keep permanently.  Transfer to the university archives when no longer needed for
   administrative purposes.

          8.   Grade sheets or Cards- Form filled out each period (quarter or semester) by each professor
               for each course.  Gives name and grade of each student.  Used to post and verify grades for
               permanent record:

               a.   Registrar or Central Records Office copy- keep not more than 4 years after posting
                    and destroy.

               b.   Department and/or School copy- keep 2 years then destroy.

          9.   Infirmary Case Records:  Records relating to treatment of minor illnesses for which major
               hospitalization was not required:

               Keep 5 years then destroy.

         10.   Infirmary X-Rays:  Keep 5 years then destroy.

         11.   Investment Records:  Records relating to investment of endowment, scholarship funds, and
               other capital funds:

               Keep permanently.

         12.   Judicial Board Cases:  Disciplinary cases of Student Government Organization:

               Keep 5 years then destroy.

         13.   Ledgers (General, Appropriations, and Allotment Ledgers):  Summaries of amounts and
               sources of receipts, amounts and purposes of disbursements:

               Keep permanently.  Transfer to university archives at intervals of 5 years.

         14.   Maintenance and Operations Building Files: Includes blueprints, capital improvements,
               plans, equipment records, and cost records:

               Keep cost records 4 years and then destroy; keep other records permanently.

         15.   Minutes: Minutes of committees, faculty, school and/or department, council, and other
               minutes.  Also includes working and supporting papers:

               a.   Keep TWO copies of all minutes permanently, transferring them to the university
                    archives annually.  Destroy all other copies after 2 years.

               b.   Review and keep important working and supporting papers permanently, transferring
                    them to the university archives annually.

         16.   Monthly Report on the Budget:  These records are duplicated in the Budget Division,
               Department of Administration, for which they are microfilmed by the State Department of
               Archives and History:

               a.   Business Office copy- keep 6 years and then destroy all but the June report for each
                    year; keep June report permanently.

               b.   School, Department, and other copies- keep 6 years and then destroy.

         17.   Payroll Records:  Keep 4 years and then destroy (payrolls for state employees are kept
               permanently by the Teachers' and State Employee' Retirement System). 

         18.   Permanent Records (Transcript):  Show courses taken, grades received, test results, degrees
               granted, etc.:

               Keep permanently; microfilm for security purposes and disperse film copy.

         19.   Personnel Records (Employees):  
               a.   Personnel or other Central Office copy-
               (1)  Subject to the Personnel Act (SPA) Employees: (These records are duplicates of
                    material permanently retained by the State Personnel Department).

                         Keep 5 years after termination of employment and then destroy.

               (2)  Exempt from the Personnel Act (EPA) Employees:
            (Verification of employment and salary information can be obtained from the
            records of the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System and of the
            Budget Division, Department of Administration):

                         Keep permanently; review 5 years after termination of employment, destroying
                         unessential documents.

            b. School and/or Department copies- keep 5 years after termination of employment and
               then destroy, providing record copies are kept in the Personnel or other centralized
               office of the university.

         20.   Printed Materials:  Catalogs, programs, pamphlets, promotional material, etc.:

   Keep 2 copies permanently in the university archives or library; transfer 2 copies each to the
   State Library, Raleigh, and to the North Carolina Collection, UNC-CH Library, Chapel Hill.


         21.   Purchase Orders, Requisitions, Invoices:  
            a. Purchasing Office copy- keep 5 years and then destroy.

            b. All other copies- keep 2 years and then destroy except material relating to major items
               of equipment which is to be kept until equipment is disposed of and then destroyed.


         22.   Placement Records:  Records relating to the placement of students and graduates.  Includes
               resume, recommendations, records of interviews, etc.:

            (Opinion among university officals is not unanimous as to the value of this series of records. 
            Disposability or retention is left to the discretion of the head of the institution.  Insofar as
            the State Department of Archives and History is concerned, the records may be kept 5 years
            after placement and/or graduation or termination of enrollment and then destroyed.)

         23.   Student Folders (Individual Folder for Students):  Includes correspondence, personal data,
               activity records, academic reports, application for admission, disciplinary matters, transcript
               of secondary grades, etc.:
            a. Registrar or Central Records Office copy- review after graduation and destroy
               unessential material (such as correspondence relating to admission to a particular
               course, correspondence prior to admission, etc.); keep remainder of material
               permanently.  Consider microfilming and disposing of originals at intervals of 10 years.

            b. School and/or Department copies- keep 5 years after degree awarded or enrollment
               terminated and then destroyed.

         24.   Student Ledger Cards:  Ledger cards for student accounts: 
            a. Accounts fully paid- destroy after audit after student graduates.

            b. Accounts not fully paid- transfer to Registrar or Central Records Office and attach to
               permanent record (transcript) (Item 18).

         25.   Student Organization Files (including Student Government Association):
            Review every 3 years, keeping and transferring to the university archives the records of
            continuing value and destroying remainder.


         26.   Student Organization Reports - Annual or periodic reports of student organizations to
               university administration:

            a. University Administration copy - keep permanently.  Transfer to university archives at
               intervals of 10 years.

            b. Student Organization copy - keep 4 years and then destroy.

         27.   Veterans' Individual Folders:  Includes authorization of education and training allowance,
               enrollment certification, correspondence, etc.;

            Keep 3 years after termination of enrollment and then destroy, as provided in 38 CFR
            21.2306.