University Records Management
Archives Service Center
University of Pittsburgh7500 Thomas Boulevard, 2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
(412) 244-7091
Fax: (412) 244-7077
Email: archives@library.pitt.edu
History
In 1999, the University of Pittsburgh assigned the records management program to the Archives Service Center and entered into an agreement with Business Records Management, Inc., (BRM), a local records management company, to house inactive records at a remote facility. Prior to that action, the records management program began in the Business Services Office in 1977.
During the summer of 2000, staff completed record retention and disposal schedules for the Office of the Provost and a General Schedule (PDF) for the offices, departments, and units reporting to the Provost. The current effort of the records management program is to assist in completing records schedules for other University offices, departments, and units and facilitating the transfer of inactive records to BRM, Inc., and historical records to the University Archives.
Mission
The primary purpose of the University Records Management program is to provide for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records. Records administration covers the management of records, regardless of age, to meet the administrative, financial, legal and historical needs within the University of Pittsburgh’s offices and departments.
In fulfilling its mission, the program:
- Develops, maintains, and distributes policies, guidelines, and training to outline procedures for offices and departments to comply with internal practices, as well as state and federal laws relating to their responsibilities for records retention and preservation.
- Works closely with University departments to ensure the proper management of records by establishing schedules of commonly held records in order to facilitate their retention, disposal or transfer to the archives.
- Sustains and monitors the relationship with the University’s official repository of inactive records, Business Records Management, Inc. (BRM). As of 1999 BRM, a locally owned records management company, has been designated as the off-site storage facility for all University records and related services.
Services
The following services are currently provided to University departments and offices that are located at the Oakland campus [Note: The agreement with BRM does not include University of Pittsburgh regional campuses, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh Physicians]:
- Inactive records storage and services (please be advised that fees for the purchase of any storage materials will be charged to your department - i.e., for box purchases).
- Records destruction
- Development of retention schedules
- Consultation on vital records identification and protection
- Training on the classification and inventorying of records
Inactive records storage
The storage of inactive records for University offices and departments is one of the services offered by the University Records Management program. The main intent of off-site storage is to move inactive records out of expensive University office space and occupied filing equipment and into a low cost, service-oriented storage environment. To this end, the University of Pittsburgh currently utilizes BRM for off-site storage and service needs for all inactive records with retention periods. All records of a permanent or historical nature should be transferred to the University Archives (for instructions on this process, please visit Procedure for sending records to the University Archives (PDF).
BRM employs procedures that ensure physical and intellectual control of records, including:
- Physical security and protection of records from natural disaster
- Option of environmentally controlled storage areas
- Protection of confidential records from unauthorized users
- 24-hour delivery service
- File-level tracking
For information and assistance regarding records management, contact Kathryn Hensley at khh1@pitt.edu.
Links:
University Records Management- Procedure for sending records to the University Archives (PDF)
- University Archives Transmittal Form (PDF)
- Financial Records Retention Schedule
- General Schedule of Record Retention and Disposal (PDF)
- Information and Assistance