Skip to main content

Retention and Disposal of Records Policy

Responsible Executives: Dean of Enrollment Management and Student Life, Director of Finances, Registrar, Vice President for Administration

Responsible Offices: Academic Unit, Enrollment Management Unit, Facilities Unit, Finance Unit

Effective Date: 1996

Last Reviewed: 4/22/2025

Revised: 4/22/2025; 7/2008

POLICY STATEMENT

HJ International Graduate School for Peace and Public Leadership (“HJI” or the “Institution”) largely adheres to the standards for retention and disposal of records proposed by AACRAO. Exceptions to the standard are noted with explanations. Documents may be retained in digital or hard copy format. The custodial office that retains and disposes of a specific document(s) is listed with each item below and printed in italics.

SCOPE

This Policy applies to all records covered in this document.

POLICY

Retention Schedule Recommendations

I. Academic Records

A. Academic Committee Records

  1. Academic Affairs Committee: permanent
  2. Faculty Affairs Committee: permanent
  3. Faculty Assembly: permanent
  4. Faculty Council: permanent
  5. Discontinued academic committees: permanent

Office of Academic Administration

B. Admissions Data/Documents for Applicants Who Do Not Enter Whether Accepted or Rejected

Student records and recruitment materials: 5 years after application term

Office of Admissions

C. Admissions Data/Documents for Applicants Who Enter

  1. Application forms, worksheets, undergraduate transcripts: permanent

Office of the Registrar

  1. Other admissions documents (exception see 3): 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance

Office of the Registrar

Medical records: 5 years after graduation or date of last attendance

Office of the Registrar

  1. Letters of recommendation and their waivers: until graduation

Office of the Registrar

D. Educational Assessment Surveys and Questionnaires

  1. Survey reports: a minimum of one Self-Study Cycle or 10 years
  2. All other raw data if not analyzed: one Self-Study Cycle or 10 years
  3. Any original surveys completed by students: 3 years after analysis done

Office of Administration

E. FERPA Data/Documents

All: life of the affected record, until terminated by student, or as indicated in the institutional policy statement

Office of the Registrar

F. Other Academic Records

  1. Faculty curriculum vitae, transcripts, course evaluations: permanent
  2. Syllabi: permanent
  3. Digital recordings of regular classroom instructions: semester the class is taught or up to 1 semester extension

Office of Academic Administration

G. Publications and Statistical Data/Documents

Catalogs, commencement program, degree statistics, enrollment statistics, grade statistics, schedule of classes: permanent

Office of the Registrar

H. Registration and Records Data/Documents

  1. Academic records, change of grade forms, grade sheets, graduation lists: permanent

Office of the Registrar

Graduation authorizations: permanent (they are part of the Board of Trustees’ minutes)

Secretary of the Board of Trustees

  1. Fee assessments, tuition and fee charges, and financial aid letters: 7 years after graduation or last attendance

Finance Office and Office of Financial Aid

Academic actions, waivers, relevant correspondence, curriculum change, name changes, transfer credit evaluations: 5 years after graduation or last attendance

Office of the Registrar

SEVIS documents and I-20: 5 years after graduation or last attendance

Office of Admissions

  1. VA certifications, any item in 4, 5, and 6 if it is a Veteran’s record: 3 years after graduation or date of last attendance

Office of the Registrar and Office of Financial Aid

  1. Course withdrawals: 2 years

Office of the Registrar

  1. Add/drop grade reports, registration forms: until graduation or 1 year after distributed or submitted, whichever is longer

Office of the Registrar

  1. Audit authorizations, enrollment certifications, personal data forms, transcript requests: 1 year after distributed or submitted

Office of the Registrar

II. Employee, Financial, and Other Institutional Records

A. Board of Trustees Records

Minutes, Bylaws: permanent

Secretary of the Board of Trustees

B. Financial Records

Audits, bank statements, reconciliation, payroll: 7 years, except for audits which are kept permanently

Finance Office

C. Human Resources Records

I-9, employment offers, background checks, offer of employment letters: permanent

Office of Administration

D. Institutional Records

Institutional Policies, legal documents (e.g., NYSED, MSCHE applications, etc.) correspondence of a business or professional nature, report on consultations: permanent

Office of Administration and Office of Institutional Research

E. Institutional Reports

Annual Institutional Assessments, Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports, IPEDS, NYSED Reports, SARA Reports: permanent

Office of Administration and Office of Institutional Research

F. Self-Study

Minutes, self-study documents: permanent

Office of Administration

G. Strategic Plan

Minutes, strategic plans: permanent

Office of Administration