Records Management Glossary
The following definitions refer to both common records-management-related terms as well as terms and documents specific to British Columbia and the University of British Columbia.
- Active/Inactive
- These terms refer to how often the records in question are used. A general rule of thumb is, if the records in a series are referred-to more than once per month per linear foot, then they are considered to be "active"; if the amount of use is less than that, they should be considered "inactive", and placed in storage until the end of their retention period. The terms may also be used to indicate whether or not the records are considered, for purposes of administrative convenience, to be "current" or "active".
- "Agreement on Financial Exigency"
- If faculty are terminated for reasons of financial exigency, their employee records should be retained by all offices in their entirety for four years, in order to help fulfil the terms of the "Agreement on the Termination or Non-Renewal of Faculty Appointments for Financial Exigency" (included in Guide for UBC Faculty, Librarians & Program Directors 1994). Section 8 (Compensation) explains how faculty members terminated under this agreement are entitled to financial compensation, to be paid in monthly instalments for up to twenty-four months. Section 9 (Preference for Re-Appointment) states that such terminated faculty members shall have preference for re-appointment for a period of four years after the date of their termination.
- C + x
- "C" refers to the the year of the record's creation or acquisition, and "x" refers to the number of additional years the record is to be kept. For example, a retention period indicated as "C + 3" means that a record is to be kept for three years after the year of creation or acquisition. In the case of files whose contents extend over several years (eg. student dockets), "C" may also be defined as "current".
- Employment Standards Act
- Section 10(2) of British Columbia's Employment Standards Act states:
The record [of employment] must be... kept at the employer's principle place of business in the Province for a period of one year after the employee ceases his employment....
Section 40 of the Act says essentially the same thing. - FOIPOP Act
- Section 31 of British Columbia's Freedom of Information and Protection
of Privacy [FOIPOP] Act states:
If a public body uses an individual's personal information to make a decision that directly affects the individual, the public body must retain that information for at least one year after using it so that the individual has a reasonable opportunity to obtain access to it.
- Limitation Act
- British Columbia's Limitation Act, commonly referred-to as a "statute of limitations", limits the time periods and other circumstances in which legal actions can be initiated. Section 3 specifies different time periods for different actions; these time periods can therefore be used as guides for setting minimum retention periods for financial records.
- N/A
- "Not Applicable" - noted under "Retention by Other Offices" when the record in question is not normally retained by those offices.
- Office of Primary Responsibility
- The University department or office which is responsible for retaining the University's "official" copy of a record. For example, the Registrar's Office is the office of primary responsibility for undergraduate student academic records; similarly, Human Resources is responsible for maintaining employment records for non-academic staff.
- Permanent
- To be retained permanently by the office. Alternately, if the records are considered inactive, arrangements may be made to have them transferred to the University Archives.
- Personal information
- As defined by the FOIPOP Act, recorded information about an identifiable
individual, including:
- name, address, or telephone number;
- race, ethnic origin, or religious or political beliefs or associations;
- age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, or family status;
- any identifying number or symbol;
- fingerprints, blood type, or inheritable characteristics;
- medical history;
- educational, financial, criminal, or employment history;
- personal views or opinions, except if they are about someone else;
- anyone else's opinions about that individual.
- Personal information bank
- Any collection of personal information that is organized or retrievable by an individual's name, or by any identifying number, symbol, or other identifier assigned to an individual.
- "Registrar's Office Retention Policy"
- In January 1991 the "Registrar's Office Student Record Retention Policy" was adopted, which outlines the types of information to be retained in student records, and how long that information is to be retained.
- S/O
- "Superceded or Obsolete" - the record in question shall be retained until its provisions are no longer in effect. The notation may also read "S/O + x", where "x" is the number of years after it is superceded that a record shall be retained for legal and administrative purposes.
- Vital record
- Any record that is essential to maintain and continue the University and its operations; to establish or recreate the University's legal or financial position; and/or to preserve the rights of the University, its employees, and its students.