RECORDS DISPOSITION

Disposition of records is the process of recycling, as applicable, or shredding or otherwise permanently destroying records that have met the retention period requirements set forth by the Department of State Division of Library and Information Services and are not needed for pending or imminent audit or litigation. This requires university approval, as described next.

Approval Process and Form

Disposition of records that have met the retention period requirements must be approved in advance by the university’s Records Management Liaison Officer (RMLO). This is obtained by emailing a completed Records Disposition Form to RMLO@ucf.edu .

For assistance in confirming/determining if a record has met the retention guidelines prior to submitting the Records Disposition Form, please review the Records Retention Schedules section of this website, and/or contact the RMLO. We are here to help!

Disposition Methods

There are specific requirements for destruction of public records that ensure safeguarding the interests of the state, institution, and the safety, security, and privacy of individuals. Items that do not contain any identifying or confidential information can simply be recycled. Otherwise, please adhere to the following recommended disposition practices following approval by the RMLO:

Paper Documents

• Recommended methods include incineration facility, pulping, pulverizing, shredding, or macerating. Some paper types may require specific methods to ensure destruction.
• If you choose to use your own shredder, you must ensure that documents are permanently destroyed.
• The SPOT located at UCF in the John T. Washington Center offers secure shred document destruction and disposal services. Contact SPOT@ucf.edu or call 407-823-2500 for more information.
• Paper documents stored at the Resource Management Records Storage facility will be taken care of for you once the required paperwork has been approved.

Electronic Mail

• An email sent or received while conducting university business can be deleted only after it has been retained for the correct period of time as determined by the State of Florida General Records Schedules.
• Each employee is responsible for ensuring that their email is managed in compliance with Public Records Law, including retention requirements.
• Refer to UCF policy 4.0012 “Retention Requirements for Electronic Mail (see Technology and Communications section) for definitions, procedures, and other important email retention information.

Electronic Records

• Electronic records require physical destruction of the storage media, high-level overwriting that renders the data unrecoverable, or degaussing or demagnetizing.
• Please contact the IT support for your area to make sure you are following required and consistent methods for disposition of electronic records.