National Archives Records Management Policy
1. Records generated by the Executive Council and National Headquarters offices shall be and remain the property of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority. They shall be delivered by outgoing administrators and faculty to their successors and shall be preserved, stored, transferred, destroyed or disposed of only in accordance with the provisions of this policy.
2. A record is any paper, correspondence, completed form, bound record, book, photograph, film, sound recording, map, drawing, machine-readable record, magnetic tape, or any other document, regardless of physical form or characteristic, which has been generated by or received by Sigma Sigma Sigma, and is used as evidence of its activities.
3. To ensure the proper management and safeguarding of Tri Sigma Records, a Sigma Sigma Sigma National Sorority Archives has been established under the administration of the Archivist and the Executive Director.
4. It shall be the duty of the Archivist in consultation with the Executive Director to establish retention, transfer, or disposition schedules of all Sorority records. Records shall be retained by the office of origin as long as there is an ongoing need for a given record in the day to day operations of that office. Records which are no longer needed in the daily operations of an office will be transferred to the Archives, transferred to temporary storage for destruction at some specified future time, or destroyed in accordance with the established retention schedule of that office.
5. Records which are no longer needed in the day-to-day activity of an office, and which by their nature are archival and/or vital, will be stored only in the Archives area of the Mabel Lee Walton House. Vital Records are those records that contain information needed to establish or continue the operations of an office in the event of a natural or a man-made disaster. The initial review of all offices’ Records Retention Schedules will identify those records which are considered vital, and appropriate measures will be proposed to properly protect those records.
6. The Record Retention Schedule is the primary tool for control of an office’s records. This document identifies each series of records maintained in an office, lists the period of time it is to be maintained there, and schedules it for either:
a. continued retention in that office (as long as there is an ongoing need for a given record in the day to day operations of that office);
b. transfer to temporary storage;
c. destruction; or
d. transfer for permanent retention
7. Established Record Retention Schedules will be reviewed by the Archivist and the Executive Director on an annual basis.
8. Normally, the “office of origin” is responsible for maintaining a record copy of all records originating within that office. Recipients of intra-office correspondence should not maintain a copy for archival purposes.
9. General publications and mass mailings from external sources, received by the various offices, are not to be considered as potentially archival unless Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority is specifically mentioned.
10. Records which by their nature are confidential or those which will be closed for a specified period of years will be so identified during the initial records inventory and will be so noted on the retention schedules. Confidential records which are transferred to Archives will continue to be treated as confidential until such time as the office of origin determines that such records may be opened. The Archivist will be responsible for creating procedures to ensure that such restrictions are maintained.
11. Multiple copies of all Tri Sigma publications will be preserved. These include, for example, items such as catalogues, descriptive brochures, student handbooks, alumni bulletins, printed posters, streaming videos, educational materials, or any item copyrighted by Sigma Sigma Sigma. It is the responsibility of the office creating such publications to furnish two copies – at the time of publication – to the Archives.
12. Digital materials are always preferred. Print materials are not accepted if a digital copy is available.
13. A log will be maintained by the Archivist of records that have been destroyed in accordance with an office’s approved Record Retention Schedule. Each office is responsible for destruction of records no longer needed; however, no office’s records will be destroyed unless an approved Record Retention Schedule has been created for that office.
14. The personal papers of members of the Executive Council, National Headquarters staff, or any member are not subject to these regulations, and remain the private property of the individual. Offices and individuals should adopt filing practices which segregate officials and personal papers.
Records Management Handbook for the Executive Council and National Headquarters
What is a Records Management Program?
Tri Sigma records are preserved because they are necessary in providing a desirable continuity in the ongoing operations of the Sorority and also because they are indispensable sources for understanding the history and character of Sigma Sigma Sigma. An effective records management program ensures that records of enduring legal, fiscal, administrative and historical value will be preserved and made accessible to the public, and all unnecessary records will be systematically destroyed by following an established schedule.
Administrative/Operational Value
These are records which support the mission of your office or department. They retain administrative value as long as they assist your unit in performing its duties. Departmental policies and procedures, memos describing actions or decisions, and reports containing information on the current status of a project illustrate this type of record.
Fiscal Value
Records of fiscal value are those that provide financial information useful to the office or department’s operation such as budgets, payroll and revenue/expense. Records that help departments maintain an accurate financial picture over an extended period of time should be retained for management purposes.
Legal Value
Records have legal value if they contain evidence of legally enforceable rights or obligations of the Sorority or serve to fulfill legal requirements.
Historical/ Research Value
Records of historical value help in current decision making and in future planning by describing Tri Sigma’s past and how it has influenced prior decision making.
Some questions that may help determine the historical/research value of a record include:
● What are the Benefits of Having a Records Program?
○ Identifies and preserves vital records. Vital records contain information necessary to establish or continue the operation of the Sorority in the event of a disaster.
○ Identifies records series that have historic or permanent value and makes provisions for transferring these records to the Archives at the end of their in-office life.
○ Identifies for destruction records that are no longer useful to the office/department/division or the Sorority.
○ Helps insure efficient use of storage space within the office/department/division.
● What are the Liabilities of Not Having a Records Program?
○ Litigation. All records created by the Sorority are potential documentation in lawsuits.
○ Excessive storage costs from keeping records beyond their useful lifespan.
○ Inability to retrieve important documents when needed.
● What is a Records Retention & Disposition Schedule?
○ A Records Retention and Disposition Schedule is the primary tool to help gain intellectual control over a department’s records. This schedule identifies all records series created and maintained in an department, and indicates how long files are to be retained, if and when they are to be transferred to the Archives, or destroyed by the creating unit. By following the Schedule, you can significantly increase the efficiency of your operation, while still maintaining control of and access to your records.
The following is a non-inclusive list of materials that have archival significance in documenting the administrative, legal, fiscal and historical activities of Sigma Sigma Sigma. In addition to taking these guidelines into consideration, the creating unit must also consider whether a record is “active” or “inactive.” Active Records are records needed to carry on the daily activities of an office or department and which are referred to at least once a year. Inactive Records are records necessary to protect the integrity of an organization, but usually referred to less than once a year.
● Annual reports
● Minutes of departments or committee meetings
● Policy statements and related documents
● Materials documenting name changes, organizational or structural changes of the office or department
● Major planning documents
● Histories of the department or activity
● Educational material such as records of innovative programs, or major changes in programs
● Major reports produced by the department or committee
● Departmental publications
● Letters of praise
● Procedures (until superseded)
● Inventories (of books or equipment, until superseded)
● Unique photographs or memorabilia
● Some administrative correspondence
The following materials are not to be sent to the Archives. They have no value to the Archives or the history of Sigma Sigma Sigma National Sorority after they have served their initial purpose. They should not end up in your administrative files.
● Supplies
● Large quantities of duplicate materials
● Reproduction materials such as stencils
● Routing slips or telephone message slips
● Catalogues, journals, and other printed materials from non-Sigma agencies which have no administrative use and are for information purposes only
● Routine letters of transmittal and “For your information” notes
● Notices or memoranda that give only timely information such as a change in the time and date of a meeting
● Procedures, once updated
● Notes or working papers, once a document or project is completed, unless they include a more complete form of the information
● Scraps
How do I prepare my materials for transfer to the Archives?
● Remove all paper clips, ring binders, rubber bands, etc.
● Replace hanging file folders with regular file folders.
● Label and date all files. Even approximate dates (ex. “c.1980-1985”) are more helpful than no dates.
● Pack records in the order in which they were kept by your office.
● Identify each box with department or chapter name, contact person and box sequence (1 of 3, 2 of 3, etc.)
● Prepare a list of the folder titles for each box and place copy in each box. 7. Place the completed container list in box 1
● Complete Records Transfer Form
Photographs will be accepted provided they are in good condition and are identified or easily identifiable.
Statement of Ownership
Once submitted to the Sigma Sigma Sigma Archives, the donor relinquishes all rights to the material. The Archives takes possession and ownership of the material, and is granted all copyright permissions. Items that are digitized and returned to the chapter belong to the chapter - the Archives becomes the owner and copyright holder of the digital copy.
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