Scope
1. University records shall be defined as all documents, regardless of form, produced or received by any agency, officer or employee of the University in the conduct of its business. Documents include all forms of recorded information, such as: correspondence, computer data, files, financial statements, manuscripts, publications, moving images, sound recordings, drawings or other material bearing upon the activities and functions of the University, its officers and employees. Not included in the definition of records as used in this policy are library, museum and specimen material unrelated to the University made or acquired for reference, research or exhibition purposes, material deposited at or gifted to the Borthwick Institute for Archives, and surplus copies of publications and other documents.
2. The policy governs University records and falls under the auspices of the Collection Policy of the Borthwick Institute for Archives.
3. Records produced or received by any agency, officer or employee of the University in the transaction of University business become University property and are subject to the University's Records Management Policy, which includes policies governing the retention and disposal of records and provides a schedule of legislation affecting the use and retention of records held by the University.
4. It is the University's aim that all University records should be subject to institutional retention/disposal policies. These policies seek to manage the efficient use and storage of records, the preservation of selected records as archival material and the destruction or transfer of records from the custody of the University.
5. The University Archive is the repository for:
- all University records designated as having permanent historical/research value
- professional and personal records of senior members of staff (e.g. Vice Chancellor), and
- records of important bodies or organisations that are part of the University or that may be given to the University for its preservation and use.
The nature of the documentary material collected by the University Archive and the terms upon which it is accepted into the archive are defined more clearly in the Collection Policy (follows).
6. The University Archivist will provide access to the records held within the archive, having due regard for issues of preservation and statutory regulations governing researchers’ access to, and use of, the records in its possession (e.g. Freedom of Information, Data Protection and Copyright law).
Collection Policy
1. The exists to collect and preserve original and unique archival material and to make these records, and the information they contain, available for research purposes. The University Archive, within the Borthwick Institute, is the designated repository for the archival records generated and received by the University of York in the course of its business. They document its principal activities, functions, policies and decisions. Classes of document routinely collected are:
- Committee minutes, agenda and papers (including papers laid on the table).
These include established and ad hoc central committees, working groups concerned with major university business, and departmental Boards of Studies.
- Selected correspondence and subject files of the Vice Chancellor, Registrar, senior officers and academics.
- University publications: e.g. annual reports and published accounts, newsletters, prospectuses, programmes and brochures.
- Records relating to the administration of academic departments and University societies.
- Records of affiliated institutions identified as worthy of permanent preservation, where there is no suitable alternative provision.
- Photographs, images and film.
2. Issues affecting the acceptance of material:
The University Archive seeks to preserve only those records identified as being worthy of permanent preservation. It is unable to hold material on a temporary basis.
In acquiring records, every effort will be made to avoid the duplication of material (either within a deposit or with other holdings). Conflict with the collecting policies of other record repositories will also be avoided.
Where the material to be transferred is of sufficient size or bulk as to compromise available space and the ability of the Borthwick Institute to take in other material, a decision on acceptance of the material will rest jointly with the Keeper of Archives and University Archivist and alternative solutions will be proposed as appropriate.
Responsibility for the records will rest with the department that holds and maintains them. Where material reflects the functions or activities of an external organisation, it will be the responsibility of that organisation to maintain its own archive.
Permission to weed and destroy duplicate material, or take representative samples, may be sought on deposit.
The University Archivist reserves the right to reject items or collections for which:
- access could never be permitted for reasons of extremely poor physical condition
- the quantity is judged to outweigh the quality of the information contained within the records
- the University would have to spend an amount of money and time disproportionate to its historical or evidential value in order to make it available for consultation.
