Glossary of Terms

Archival Record: Inactive university records with permanent or historical value which document the history of the institution. University Archives & Historical Collections (UAHC) is the designated repository for permanent or historical records, but other MSU entities may retain possession of permanent or archival records due to confidentiality. 

Record: Per MCL 15.232, a record is comprised of "writing, typewriting, printing, photostating, photographing, photocopying, and every other means of recording, and includes letters, words, pictures, sounds, or symbols, or combinations of thereof, and papers, maps, magnetic or paper tapes, photographic films or prints, microfilm, microfiche, magnetic or punched cards, discs, drums, hard drives, solid state storage components, or other means of recording or retaining meaningful content" which are retained by a public body in an official function.

• Electronic Records: Information stored in a digital format regardless of whether it originated electronically or was converted. This may include structured data that is formatted and easily identifiable, and unstructured data or information which is not. Electronic records can include, but are not limited to: text documents, spreadsheets, emails, web pages, photographs, audio files, social media, databases, and records or data contained within various management systems.

Record Disposition: The method in which a record or group of records are disposed of once they are no longer administratively active. Records may be destroyed or they may be transferred to University Archives & Historical Collections (UAHC) for preservation.

Record Series: A group of related records filed and/or used together as a unit and therefore evaluated as a unit for retention and disposition purposes.

Records Management: Program responsible for how an organization creates, receives, stores, uses, accesses, and disposes of records. Good records management is critical to maintaining efficient business practices and procedures. By disposing of eligible records, based on legal record retention schedules or by transferring records to University Archives on a regular basis, units/departments can free up valuable spaces and reduce the financial burden in maintaining university documents.

Retention Period: The period of time a record (or group of related records) must be retained for. The retention period can either be a set number of years based on an event or anniversary date, or it could be permanent.

Retention Schedule: Comprehensive list of record series, typically grouped by a larger function such as administrative, human resources, or financial.