Records Management at the University of Florida

When disposing of University records or information, you must ensure that the records have met all reporting and retention requirements since knowledge of disposal eligibility is the responsibility of the requestor. You must also document the disposition of any original public records in your custody regardless of the provenance of those records. Please refer to Chapter 1B-24.003 of the Florida Administrative Code for more information on the disposal of public records.

All original records (including electronic records/data) must be documented on a Records Disposition Request form prior to disposal. There may be instances where you are required to contact another office prior to your disposal request, or where you will be required to submit supporting documentation from another applicable office or outside agency. For electronic records, you will need to provide additional information regarding when all instances of the records will be purged (including back-ups.)

For public records listed with a retention period of “retain until obsolete, superseded, or administrative value is lost,” you are not required by State law to submit a request for disposal.

For original paper records scanned and converted into an electronic format, yes, you will be required to submit a disposition request prior to disposing of the paper originals. (This is the disposal method ‘Scan & Destroy’ on the request form.) Chapter 1B-26.003 of the Florida Administrative Code outlines the minimum requirements for maintaining electronic records, including minimum scanning requirements and format readability for electronic records with long-term value. The State of Florida considers any record with a retention of 10 years or longer to be a “permanent or long-term record.”