Records Retention

The following Registrar Retention Schedule was created in January, 2021 as a temporary stop gap until the Colorado Higher Education schedule is finalized. The University Archives is the official repository for university records of lasting importance, and this retention schedule might not include general records that are typically accepted by the university archives. The following records are subject to archives review for permanent retention: Constitutions and Bylaws; Meeting Minutes and Proceedings; Reports of units and committees; Correspondence including email of college deans, program heads, and senior administrators; Administrative files of college deans, program heads, and senior administrators; Architectural drawings and plans; Campus Maps; All publications, Newsletters, and Booklets created by UNC; Annual financial reports; Accreditation reports and supporting documents; Audiovisual material (film and audio recordings) created by campus entities; Posters and brochures created by UNC.  Further information can be found at http://archives.colorado.gov/records-management/state-agency-records-management 

Do not purge records subject to ongoing claims and litigations.

• Transcripts

  Documents academic performance of all levels of students enrolled in classes at the university. Transcripts capture grades from any course(s) published in the UNC catalog. The students may be high school students taking college
  courses, undergraduates or graduate students. Transcripts include: all courses taken by student and  final grade. 

  post-1976 Office of the Registrar, pre-1976 archives

  Retain official copy permanently in Registrar's Office

• Transcript Orders

  Documents official requests (form or letter) from students for transcripts of various records from the university. Federal law requires written authorization for a transcript request. When a student completes a request form or writes a letter, that serves as a request that a transcript copy for that student be picked up or mailed. The series also includes authorizations for transcript holds or encumbrances.

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until one (1) year after date submitted, then destroy. If a hold or encumbrance has been authorized for the transcript, retain the authorization for the hold until one (1) year after the hold is released, then destroy.

• Course Rosters

  Documents the names of students officially enrolled in a course, and is used for registration and statistical reports. Contains lists of student names, course number and professor's name

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain for one (1) year, then destroy.

• Course Grades

  Documents final grades awarded by instructors and serves as the basis for students’ official academic records. May include student names and student ID numbers; course titles and numbers; sections; grades awarded; grade changes. The official record of a student's grades is in "Transcripts."

  Department of course

  Retained by department for 3 years, then destroy.

• FERPA Release 

  Documents student requests for disclosure or non-disclosure of information. Examples include non-disclosure of directory information; waivers of rights of
  access to letters of recommendation; and authorizations for records disclosure. Access to the affected records is generally restricted per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The request may be filed with a copy of the affected record(s) or related correspondence. May contain: completed request/waiver form; copy of affected record; related correspondence. NOTE: Students who revoke their waivers may not see letters of recommendation submitted during the time waivers were in force, per FERPA.

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain requests for non-disclosure of directory information until one (1) year after termination of request, then destroy. Retain all other files upon termination of
  consent or when affected record is destroyed, then destroy

• Third Party Transcript Orders

  Official requests from third party entities requesting student transcript

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until one (1) year after date submitted, then destroy. If a hold or encumbrance has been authorized for the transcript, retain the authorization for the hold until one (1) year after the hold is released, then destroy.

• Cultural/Scholarship Releases

  Releases that share specific student record information to a sponsoring person or institution

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until one (1) year after date submitted, then destroy.

• Grade Replacement Forms

  Student completed form requesting that the grade replacement policy be applied to a specific course

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until five (5) years after graduation or last date of attendance, then destroy.

• Prior Learning Credit

  A form requesting a student be granted credit for completing a higher level foreign language course

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until five (5) years after graduation or last date of attendance, then destroy.

• Academic Probation/Suspensions

  Contains documentation of disciplinary actions against university students due to failing grades.

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain permanently in Registrar's Office

• Conduct Suspensions/Expulsion

  Contains documentation of disciplinary actions against university students due to an academic integrity code violation.

  Dean of Students

  Retain files documenting academic-integrity-code-violation (with sanctions) or other dismissal/expulsion permanently. Retain other files until three (3) years after
  graduation or last date of attendance or until three (3) years after all sanctions have been met, whichever is longer, then destroy.

• Deposit Transmittals 

  Tracks payments made by cash or check for the purchase of a transcript

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain three (3) years and then destroy

• Individual Data Change Forms

  Form documenting changes to student name (legal and preferred), gender, marital status, address, contact information, social security number, date of birth

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain official copy permanently in Registrar's Office

• Policy Exemptions

  Forms, statements, and documentation related to students asking for exemptions from university policies

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until five (5) years after graduation or last date of attendance, then destroy.

• Residency

  Forms and documentation related to students demonstrating state residency for tuition purposes 

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until five (5) years after graduation or last date of attendance, then destroy.

• Major/Minor Changes

  Document changes to a student's major and/or minor

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until five (5) years after graduation or last date of attendance, then destroy.

• Certification Declarations

  Document changes to a student's certificate program

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until five (5) years after certificate completion or last date of attendance, then destroy.

• Certificate Completion Applications

  Documents a student has applied to complete a certificate program

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain record copy permanently in Registrar's Office

• Graduation Applications

  Documents a student has applied to graduate from a degree program

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain record copy permanently in Registrar's Office

• Course Adjustment Forms

  Documents course substitutions or waivers to a student's program

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until five (5) years after graduation or last date of attendance, then destroy.

• Diplomas Unclaimed/Reissued

  Tracks diplomas that have not been received by the student because of holds or returned mail

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until five (5) years after graduation, then destroy.

• Commencement Exceptions

  Documents a student's request to participate in commencement in a semester other than the term their degree is being conferred

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until five (5) years after graduation or last date of attendance, then destroy.

• Degree Audits

  Tracks a student's progress in their program up to the point of degree completion

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until five (5) years after graduation or last date of attendance, then destroy.

• Certificate of Eligibility

  Issued by the VA, shows the student's eligibility to receive VA education benefits, will show chapter, dates, and length of benefits

  Office of the Registrar

  VA students’ records must be kept for 3 years following the ending date of the last period certified to VA. Records need to be kept longer than 3 years only if a written request to keep the records longer is received from the Department of Veterans Affairs or the General Accounting Office 30 or more days before the end of the 3-year period. This requirement is in the Code of Federal Regulations (38 CFR 21.4209(f)).

• Veteran's Certification Request

  Form submitted by the student asking to use their VA benefits in a given term

  Office of the Registrar

  VA students’ records must be kept for 3 years following the ending date of the last period certified to VA. Records need to be kept longer than 3 years only if a written request to keep the records longer is received from the Department of Veterans Affairs or the General Accounting Office 30 or more days before the end of the 3-year period. This requirement is in the Code of Federal Regulations (38 CFR 21.4209(f)). 

• VA Education Benefits - Tuition and Fees

  Documentation of the student bill demonstrating the amount of tuition and fees submitted to the VA for payment

  Office of the Registrar

  VA students’ records must be kept for 3 years following the ending date of the last period certified to VA. Records need to be kept longer than 3 years only if a written request to keep the records longer is received from the Department of Veterans Affairs or the General Accounting Office 30 or more days before the end of the 3-year period. This requirement is in the Code of Federal Regulations (38 CFR 21.4209(f)).

• Course Schedules

  For public use, of course offerings that are available for a given term. Class offering information such as courses, times, location, credit hours, instructor name final exam schedule, and specific remarks.

  Office of the Registrar

  Transfer one copy of each schedule to the University Archives for permanent retention. Retain excess copies until no longer useful, then destroy.

• Non-scheduled/Directed Study Courses

  Documents student and course information for course sections of individualized courses

  Office of the Registrar

  5 years after graduation or last date of attendance

• Credit Overload

  Documents students taking more credit hours than the normal load

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until five (5) years after graduation or last date of attendance, then destroy.

• Registration Appeals

  Documents students requests for exemptions to add/drop/withdraw deadlines

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain permanently in Registrar's Office

• Cooperative Agreements

  An agreement between 2 or more schools allowing students to take courses at another institution

  Office of the Registrar

  5 years after graduation or last date of attendance

• Late Add Forms

  Forms for adding courses past the deadline, completed by students

  Office of the Registrar

  Retain until one year after date submitted, then destroy

• Course Evaluations

  Documents students' evaluations of teaching personnel and may be used to help determine faculty tenure, promotion, merit increases and/or to review
  instructional courses and programs. These records provide students' opinions on faculty members' familiarity with current literature of the discipline, preparation,
  assignments, examinations, lecture styles, willingness to engage in dialogue, and availability. Individual student responses are tabulated into a summary report for a given course. Information from the summary report is used to help determine certain major responsibilities on faculty members' performance evaluation form

  Department of course

  Retain individual student response sheets for six (6) months, then destroy. Retain summaries/tabulations for three (3) years, then destroy.

• Other institutions transcripts

  Student course records sent from secondary or higher education institutions to UNC

  Office of the Registrar

  Accepted students 5 years after graduation or withdrawal, rejected students 1 year

• AP, IB, ACE, CLEP, test scores

  Student test score from accredited test service sent for the purpose of granting a student credit

  Office of the Registrar

  Accepted students 5 years after graduation or withdrawal, rejected students 1 year

• Curriculum/Catalog Changes

  Documents showing any academic program or policy changes

  Office of the Registrar

  Permanent, retain in Registrar's Office

• Curriculum Changes (program/coding)

  Documents requesting or tracking changes made to program codes in the SIS 

  Office of the Registrar

  Permanent, retain in Registrar's Office

• Catalogs

  Provides information as to the policies and procedures required for admittance into the university, provides history of the university, shows a map of the campus, explains housing accommodations and special activities and any other general information necessary for a new or returning student. This series is useful to students, faculty, administrators and the public

  Office of the Registrar/Archives

  Transfer one (1) copy of each publication to the University Archives for permanent retention. Retain one (1) copy permanently in the creating unit. Retain excess
  copies until no longer useful, then destroy.

• 25Live Pro

  Room utilization reports, histories, events

  Office of the Registrar/Events

  Retain for five (5) years, then destroy