Purpose

This procedure is used by campus departments who wish to use the Records Center Disposal Services to safely dispose of confidential and security sensitive records.

The procedure provides the steps necessary to take advantage of this service.

Scope

The Disposal Services offered by Records Management are available to all campus departments who have a need for the services. The service should be used by any department that has confidential or sensitive information in their records and need assistance to insure the records are shredded or secured before leaving the files of the department.

The service can be provided to a department on an on-going basis where regular weekly or bi-weekly disposal is needed or to meet occasional incidental needs of a department.

Prerequisites

The records to be disposed of must have met their retention period and be unencumbered by any hold that may have been placed on them, for example through an open records request or court order.

A current records management signature authorization form and security bin confidentiality agreement needs to be on file with the Records Center.

To request the service or for assistance with these forms, send email to the records management office at recordsmanagement@utpa.edu.

Responsibilities

University employees: All faculty and staff have some level of responsibility for the management of records in the course of performing their duties. See the references below for additional information. Faculty and staff working with their department’s Records Coordinator will ensure that confidential information is placed in the security bins that are provided to a department. Faculty and staff aware of non-compliance with records laws or policies should notify department management or Records Management at recordsmanagement@utpa.edu or the Anonymous Compliance Hotline at 1-877-888-0002.

Records Center Disposal Service: is responsible to ensure proper and secure disposal of confidential and security sensitive records placed in their custody.

University administrators (heads of divisions and departments): are responsible for the proper management of the records within their functional units. They may delegate their records management duties to administrative staff within their unit by the appointment and training of a Records Coordinator. See the process for the appointment of Records Coordinators.

Records Coordinators: are responsible for the records duties delegated to them and for maintaining current knowledge of records requirements by participation in training and other campus records activities. Records Coordinators also serve as the primary resource for records assistance to others in their divisions/departments and for training departmental employees on the process of safeguarding and disposing of confidential, security sensitive records and for monitoring adherence to proper records handling within the department.

Procedure

1. The Records Coordinator (or Department Head) for a department will initiate a request to Records Management indicating the type of disposal service needed, i.e. a bin regularly located in their department or a bin needed for some other period of time.
2. A security confidentiality agreement is delivered along with a security bin by a records management representative who explains the document destruction services; this is for your protection and should be kept with your files.
3. The security bin will be set it up where it is not accessible to the public and is in a locked, limited access area during times the office is closed.
4. A service schedule with regular service dates will be set up to accommodate the department’s needs and fit with the delivery van’s schedule.
5. Records Coordinator’s , staff and faculty fill the containers with confidential and sensitive material. There is no need to process the material; the shredding equipment destroys paperclips, CD, video tapes, etc.
6. The bin(s) will be picked up on the regular schedule or an email request can be sent to recordsmanagement@utpa.edu for an earlier pick up.
7. The materials collected remain in the locked containers within the Records Center secure storage area until processed in the Records Center.
8. Shredded paper is picked up by a secure recycling vendor. Other materials are disposed of via regular solid waste management.

References

1. The University of Texas-Pan American Records Management Policy is currently in the process of revision. However, the posted policy is currently in force and contains useful information about records management.
2. For more complete information The University of Texas System Records Management Policy applies in any instance where there is a difference between the two policies.