FAQs
Public Records Requests
What happens when a requesting party fails to respond to inquiries?
The Office of the General Counsel may send communications to the requesters asking for clarification, cost estimates, or other matters pertaining to the request. If no response is received in 30 days, the request will be closed and a requester may resubmit. The resubmittal will be processed as a new request.
Are there any penalties for violating the Public Records Law?
Yes, there are penalties for both parties that intentionally fail to comply with the public records law.
- For the university: Attorney’s fees and costs to the prevailing part if a lawsuit is filed
- For university employees: Potential criminal conviction, including up to $1,000 fine and serving up to 1 year in jail.
Records Retention Schedules
What if there isn’t a schedule for the records I have?
If your records are not listed on a schedule, contact RMLO@ucf.edu for assistance in developing a new schedule for the records. Consider any record that isn’t listed on a schedule to have a permanent retention period under a schedule has been approved by the Division of Library and Information Services for the state of Florida.
What if an item isn’t listed in the General Records Schedule?
If you can’t find your item in the General Schedules, contact RMLO@ucf.edu and we will help you identify the appropriate schedule. If the item is unique and is not listed, the RMLO will work with the Division of Library and Information Services to assign a retention period for that item.
How do I know which schedules apply to my records?
Browse through the General Records Schedules and use keyword searches to find the schedule that best fits your record. Having difficulty finding the right schedule for your record? Contact the RMLO at 407-823-2351 or RMLO@ucf.edu
Why are schedules used?
According to regulations issued by the Division of Library and Information Services for the state of Florida, all educational institutions are required to have schedules for records, regardless of format, including paper, audiovisual materials, publications, word processing documents, emails, databases, etc.
What information can be found in a schedule?
The schedule briefly describes the type of materials that are covered, how long they are kept, and what happens to them after they are no longer needed in the office.
Records Conservation & Storage
Why is it important to manage and dispose of records?
The benefits of effective records management include space savings, reduced expenditures (filing equipment, staff hours, digital back-up charges), reduced risk (related to cyber-attack and legal risks), efficiency of information retrieval, compliance, protection of vital records, and preservation of historical records.
General Information & Training
Who are UCF’s record custodians?
Records Management is a collaborative, integrated process, and YOU are an important part of that process! Each university employee is responsible for the records they create and maintain in executing their job responsibilities. They must ensure that records created and maintained are accessible, maintained in a secure and appropriate manner, retained according to the correct retention schedule, and disposed of appropriately and with documentation.
What is a record?
Any written or digital document, form, email, note, or other item that refers to or pertains to university business. According to the Florida Supreme Court, a public record “is any material prepared in connection with official agency business which is intended to perpetuate, communicate, or formalize knowledge of some type.”
Any record you create as a public employee is a public record, and we are each responsible for managing, maintaining, and disposing of these records as required by law. There may be exceptions but most records are considered public – and even those that may not be public records are still required to be retained for the specified time period.
For example, a social security number is not a public record, but a document on which a social security number appears on may be a public record. Therefore, the SSN could be redacted if there document were to be requested. There may also be security-protected documents that are not available for public records requests but still must be maintained for the retention period. A sticky note that is used for a personal note may not be a public record – until it is shown to someone else; at that time, it does become a public record.