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Archiving OSU's student groups

Best practices guide for student organizations

Do I transfer my student organization's records to the archives?

As a leader of a student organization, you might have records that have a place in the archives for the university. It's easy enough to find out by contacting us for a consultation or records review!

Our department collects and preserves your "inactive" organizational records. These are the things you don't need to do your daily business and consult infrequently (perhaps once a year or less). We do this because we think history is important, but we also do it because of the records retention requirements of the state. Records retention schedules are lists and descriptions of public records. They include information about how long each type of records should be kept (retention period) and what should happen to it at the end of that period (disposition). As a public university, we have to follow the rules for keeping and destroying records as defined in Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 352.002.

Depending on the classification of your student organization, the records you produce may be governed by the Oregon University System Records Retention schedule. If you are unsure about whether your records need to be retained, please look through our Records Management site or contact us. 

Examples of archival records

  • Constitutions and bylaws
  • Member handbooks and policy statements
  • Meeting minutes and supporting documentation
  • Reports or key financial documentation 
  • Organizational histories, reference files, or research material for your group
  • Websites, blogs, and other social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr)
  • Newsletters, fliers, brochures, posters, press releases, and other publications  
  • Photographs, scrapbooks, audio recordings, video, clippings, and scrapbooks
  • Correspondence that documents programs, activities, and events 

Examples of non-archival records

  • Active records you regularly refer to conduct your business should be kept  -- until they are no longer active and you are ready to transfer them to us!
  • Duplicate copies of publications published by your organization (we’ll keep two copies at most)
  • University-wide memos or announcements, unless they relate directly to the group or events in which the groups participated or organized
  • Artifacts like trophies or award plaques
  • Routine correspondence like requests and acknowledgments
  • Routine financial documents like receipts, purchase orders, canceled checks
  • Blank forms, letterhead, or other stationery