University System of Georgia – Records Retention
Areas of interest to the ASC DOC
A10 Awards Records
Retention Length: Permanent for eligibility terms and selection criteria, award history and information
on funding sources, award notifications, summary lists of winners, biographies of winners, and press
releases; 1 year for all other records
A11 Committee Records
Retention Length: Record Copy - Permanent for agendas, minutes, reports, and correspondence; 10
years for all other records of Faculty Senate Committees; 3 years for all other records of other
committees
A13 Correspondence, Administrative
Retention Length: 5 years
A14 Correspondence, Executive
Retention Length: Permanent
A15 Correspondence, Transitory
Retention Length: Until read
A16 Correspondence, General (Routine)
Retention Length: 5 years
A17 Crisis or Disaster Records
Retention Length: 5 years
A22 Faculty Senate Records
Retention Length: Permanent
A24 Grievance Records
Retention Length: 3 years after resolution
A25 Institutional Accreditation Records
Retention Length: Permanent
A26 Institutional Addresses and Statements
Retention Length: 5 years for drafts, source material, and working papers; Permanent for all other
records
A27 Institutional Cooperation and Relations Records
Retention Length: Permanent for proposals, planning documents, activity reports, policy statements,
publicity; 7 years after expiration for all other records
A28 Institutional Planning Records
Retention Length: Permanent for final planning reports, proposals, goal and objective statements, and
instructions and explanations of process; 20 years for internal planning committee materials, surveys,
activity reports, working papers, informational materials, and correspondence
A29 Lectures and Lecture Series Records
Retention Length: Permanent for lecture committee notes, memoranda and planning materials,
programs and announcements, news releases, and transcripts, and photographs; 7 years for all other
records
A33 Policies and Procedures Records
Retention Length: 3 years after obsolescence
A38 Special Event Records
Retention Length: 7 years after end of event
A39 Staff Meeting Records
Retention Length: Permanent for meeting notes/minutes, agendas, and reports; 5 years for all other
records
A41 Visiting Scholar Program Records
Retention Length: 7 years
A54 Research and Teaching Drug Inventory Records
Retention Length: 2 years
A56 Shipping Lists and Packing Slips
Retention Length: 5 years
A65 Classroom and Laboratory Utilization Reports
Retention Length: 5 years for final utilization reports; 2 years for preliminary utilization reports
A67 Room Change Requests Forms
Retention Length: 5 years
A69 Annual Fiscal Reports
Retention Length: 10 years
A86 Moving Expenses Records
Retention Length: 4 years
A87 Refund/Disbursements Request Records
Retention Length: 4 years
A91 Travel Records
Retention Length: 4 years
A92 Annual Budget Records
Retention Length: Permanent for Annual Operating Budget document; 7 years all other records
Citation or Reference: O.C.G.A. 9-3-24
A93 Budget Activity Reports
Retention Length: 10 years for year-end reports; 1 year for all other records
A94 Budget Maintenance Records
Retention Length: 4 years
A95 Budget Planning, Projection, and Preparation Records
Retention Length: 10 years
A109 Author's and Artist's Contracts and Agreements Records
Retention Length: 120 years for authors' contracts and agreements with university presses and artists
agreements; 7 years after expiration for all other authors' contracts and agreements
A115 Personal/Professional Services Contracts Records
Retention Length: 7 years after expiration of contract
A118 Average Daily Enrollments
Retention Length: 3 years after the fiscal year
A123 Strategic Plans and Annual Reports
Retention Length: 2 years after superseded or revoked
B1 Academic Program Administrative Records
Retention Length: 5 years
B2 Book Order Records
Retention Length: 1 year
B3 Catalog/Bulletins
Retention Length: Permanent for 1 copy of published catalogs; 1 year for all other records
B4 Class Scheduling Records
Retention Length: Permanent for 1 copy of the schedule of classes booklets; 1 year for all other
records
B5 Continuing Higher Education and Summer Session Course Records
Retention Length: Permanent for final and summary reports; 4 years for all other records
B6 Course Records
Retention Length: 7 years after obsolescence
B7 Course Schedule Maintenance Forms
Retention Length: 2 years
B8 Media Equipment and Production Records
Retention Length: 4 years after last use of record
B9 New Degree Program and Course Proposal Records
Retention Length: Permanent for committee meeting minutes and curriculum proposals; 5 years for
all other records
B11 Program Development and Review Records
Retention Length: Permanent for final reports, and reviews of individual degree programs by on and
off-campus sources; 10 years for all other records
B12 Room Scheduling Records
Retention Length: 1 year
B13 Special Academic Programs Records
Retention Length: Permanent for policy and program planning and development documentation and
reports; 7 years for all other records
B15 Course and Teacher Evaluation File
Retention Length: Individual Evaluations Retain 1 year after semester ends then destroy; Tenure
Track Evaluation Summary Retain 2 years after decision then destroy; Tenured and Non-Tenured
Faculity, Retain 7 years then destroy
C23 Calling Card Records
Retention Length: 2 years after superseded or revoked
C28 Identification Cards Records
Retention Length: Until not valid for signature cards; 5 years all other records
C29 Key Issuance Records
Retention Length: 3 years after key is checked in
D1 Computer System Maintenance Records
Retention Length: For life of system or component for records related to system or component repair
or service; until superseded for records related to regular or vital records backups
D2 Computer System Program Documentation Records
Retention Length: For the life of the system
D3 Forms Development Records
Retention Length: Until superceded
D4 Information System Planning and Development Records
Retention Length: For life of system for implemented systems; 3 years for unimplemented systems
D5 Microfilm Quality Control and Inspection Records (Filming)
Retention Length: 3 years
D6 Microfilm Quality Control and Inspection Records (Processing)
Retention Length: quality inspection report retains for life of microfilm; all other records 7 years.
D7 Microfilm Quality Control and Inspection Records (Storage)
Retention Length: transmittal/evaluation reports retain for life of microfilm; vault monitoring records 5
years; annual master negative inspection reports Permanent; inventories and condition reports of
duplicating masters and reference copies retain for useful life.
D8 Software Management Records
Retention Length: Until software is disposed of or upgraded
D9 Telecommunication System Management Records
Retention Length: For life of system
D10 Committee on Information Technology Records
Retention Length: Permanent
D12 Enrollment Reports
Retention Length: 2 years after superseded or revoked
D13 Curriculum Inventory Reports
Retention Length: 2 years after superseded or revoked
D14 Degrees Conferred Reports
Retention Length: 2 years after superseded or revoked
F3 Circulation Records
Retention Length: Until the transaction is completed
F5 Collections Control Records
Retention Length: Permanent
F6 Courtesy Borrowers Records
Retention Length: 3 years for application forms; 6 months after last activity for individual borrower's
database record
F7 Deaccession Records
Retention Length: Permanent
F8 Exhibit Records
Retention Length: Permanent for exhibit descriptions or scripts, exhibit renderings and layout
diagrams, photographs of exhibits, lists of artifacts or items considered for inclusion, and publicity or
advertisements for the exhibits; 7 years for all other records
F9 Friends Records
Retention Length: Permanent, if preferred
F10 Inter-Library Loan (ILL) Records
Retention Length: 3 years
F11 Patron and Visitor Records
Retention Length: 3 years
F12 Records Management Records
Retention Length: Permanent for records destruction authorizations, records transmittal lists, and
guides to microfilmed records; 5 years for all other records
F13 Reference Request Records
Retention Length: 5 years
F14 Serials Records
Retention Length: Until input and verified for shelf list cards; until superceded by permanent
cataloging record for check-in cards; 5 years for all other records
G2 Academic and Unclassified Employees Personnel Records (Supervisor's Copy)
Retention Length: 3 years after employee separation
G26 H-1 Visa Scholars Records
Retention Length: 6 years after expiration of visa and extensions granted
G27 Immigrant Visa Scholars Records
Retention Length: 10 years following approval of permanent resident status
G28 J-1 Visa Scholars Records
Retention Length: 3 years after visa expiration
G31 National Faculty Exchange Program Records
Retention Length: Permanent for summaries; 7 years for all other records
G35 Promotion, Tenure, and Salary Increase Records
Retention Length: 7 years after end of employment
G38 Retirement Incentive Program Records
Retention Length: 6 years after final payment
G39 Sabbatical Leave Records
Retention Length: 7 years after end of sabbatical
G40 Search Records
Retention Length: 2 years after search completed for academic and classified search records; 1 year
for student search records
G41 Staffing Policies Records
Retention Length: 2 years after superseded
G44 Student Faculty/Course Evaluation Records
Retention Length: 7 years
G45 Time, Attendance and Leave Records
Retention Length: Individual Leave Notifications: 4 years; Employee Cumulative Leave Record: 50
years.
G73 Faculty and Staff Reports
Retention Length: Permanent, if preferred, for summaries; 5 years for all other records
H7 Films, Videotapes, and Sound Recordings
Retention Length: Permanent, if preferred
H12 Photographs
Retention Length: Permanent, if preferred
H13 Publications Inventory Records
Retention Length: 4 years after superceded
H14 Publications Records
Retention Length: Permanent for final publications; 5 years for all other records
H15 Sample Publications and Job Specification Records
Retention Length: 5 years
H16 Scholarship Reports
Retention Length: Permanent
H17 Unit/Institution/Organization History Records
Retention Length: Permanent, if preferred
I2 Research Grant Proposal Development Records
Retention Length: Retain until no longer required for reference or administrative use
I3 Research Grant Proposal Application Records
Retention Length: Project of major national or international significance, interest or controversy or
where the principal investigator has a widely acknowledged influence on the area of scholarship:
Permanent if preferred. Projects that are not of major significance: Retain 7 years after the conditions
relating to the proposal have been satisfied.
I4 Unfunded Research Grant Proposal Applications Records
Retention Length: Retain 2 year after submission
I5 Institutional Review Board (IRB) Records
Retention Length: Minutes: 5 years. Records relating to research: Retain 3 years after completion of
research. All other records: Retain 3 years
I6 Institutional Biosafety Committee Records (RDNA Research)
Retention Length: Minutes: 5 years. Records relating to research: Retain 3 years after completion of
research. All other records: Retain 3 years.
I7 Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Records
Retention Length: Minutes: 5 years. All other records: Retain 3 years after completion of research.
I8 Institutionally Funded Research Project Review Records
Retention Length: Permanent for minutes and final research reports; 5 years for funding summaries
and funded applications; 1 year for all other records
I9 Grant Projects Research Reports
Retention Length: Permanent for final research report; All other reports: 5 years after final financial
report is submitted and account is closed, unless otherwise specified as longer by terms of contract.
I10 Research Data (Animal Care and Use)
Retention Length: Projects which are not of major significance and where the research does not have
potential long term affects: 3 years after completion of research project. Projects of major national or
international significance, interest or controversy or where the principal investigator has a widely
acknowledged influence on the area of scholarship:
I11 Research Data (Human Subjects)
Retention Length: Projects are not of major significance but there are potential long-term affects to
human subjects: Retain 70 years after completion of project. Projects of major national or
international significance, interest or controversy, or where the principal investigator has a widely
acknowledged influence on the area of scholarship
I12 Research Data (Agricultural)
Retention Length: Projects are not of major significance but have potential long-term environmental
effect: Retain 70 years after completion of project. Projects of major national or international
significance, interest or controversy, or where the principal investigator has a widely acknowledged
influence on the area of scholarship
I17 Grants and Contracts Accounting Records
Retention Length: Contracts, patents, and agreements for use of research outcomes: Permanent. All
other accounting records: 7 years after final financial report is submitted and the account is closed,
unless otherwise specified as longer by the terms of the contract
K20 Admissions Records for Applicants Who Do Not Enroll (Accepted or Rejected)
Retention Length: 1 year after application term
K21 Admissions Records for Applicants Who Do Enroll (Accepted)
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K22 Student Tracking Records
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K23 Academic Action Authorizations
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K24 Course Schedule Change Forms and Data
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K25 Withdrawal Forms and Data
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K26 Original Grade Sheets/ Class Lists
Retention Length: Permanent
K27 Class Schedules of Students
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K28 Curriculum Change Authorizations
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K29 Fee Assessment Forms
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K30 Academic Standing Reports
Retention Length: 3 years
K31 Student Statistical Reports
Retention Length: Permanent for summary and annual reports; 3 years for all other records
K33 Certification Records
Retention Length: 5 years after initial certification application by student
K34 Commencement Records
Retention Length: Permanent for commencement programs; 1 year for all other records
K36 Diploma Mailing Verification Records
Retention Length: 1 year
K37 Enrollment Reports
Retention Length: Permanent for final reports; 2 years for all other records
K38 Examinations, Tests, Term Papers, and Homework Records
Retention Length: 1 term after completion for uncontested grade results; until resolved for contested
grade results
K39 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Documents
Retention Length: Life of the affected record or until student terminates waiver for written consent of
the student to disclose records and waivers for rights of access; life of the affected record for all other
records
K42 Grade Reports
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K43 Graduate Students Degree Completed Records
Retention Length: 7 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K44 Graduate Students Degree Uncompleted Records
Retention Length: 7 years after last enrollment
K45 Graduate Students Denied Admission/No Show Records
Retention Length: 3 years after application term
K46 Grievance Records
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K47 Independent Study Records
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K48 International Students Records
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance but at least 1 year after final
notice to Immigration and Naturalization Service
K49 Internship Program Records
Retention Length: 5 years
K51 Name Changes Records
Retention Length: 2 years after degree completed or last enrollment
K56 Prospective International Student Records
Retention Length: 2 years for non-admitted applicants records; until admitted for admitted applicants
records, which then become part of the International Student Records
K59 Services to Students with Disabilities (SSD) Records
Retention Length: 5 years after last contact
K60 Special Academic Programs Student Records
Retention Length: 5 years for accepted and enrolled participants; 2 years for denied admission or did
not enroll after acceptance
K61 Student Academic Records
Retention Length: Permanent for transcripts,7 years for all other records
K62 Student Activity Reports
Retention Length: Until superseded or obsolete
K63 Student Advising Records
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last enrollment
K64 Student Conduct Records/Disciplinary Action Records
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K65 Student Development Transcripts Records
Retention Length: Permanent for transcripts; 5 years after last activity for all other records
K66 Student Non-Disclosure Requests Records
Retention Length: Life of underlying documents
K69 Student Status Cards
Retention Length: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance
K70 Summer Session Registration Records
Retention Length: Permanent, if preferred, for summer term registration statistics; 10 years for
student-faculty surveys of summer session; 3 years for all other records
K71 Supplemental Grade Report Records
Retention Length: 5 years after record creation
K72 Theses and Dissertations Records
Retention Length: Permanent
K73 Transcript Hold or Encumbering Authorization Forms
Retention Length: Until release of the hold authorization
K74 Transcript Request Forms
Retention Length: 6 months for requests of official transcripts; 1 month for requests of unofficial
transcripts
K75 Undergraduate Degree Audit and Application for Graduation Records
Retention Length: 5 years after last enrollment
K76 Veterans Records
Retention Length: 3 years following termination of enrollment period
K77 College Department Student Files
Retention Length: 5years after graduation or date of last enrollment then destroy