As a state agency, everything the University community creates - both in hardcopy and electronically - is considered a record, and no record may be legally destroyed unless its retention period is approved by the State Records Committee as required in RCW 40.14.050. Records Management Services is charged with writing the retention schedules used by the University.  Once approved, these retention schedules provide offices the legal authority to destroy records once the retention period has been met.

However, be aware that all records pertaining to ongoing or pending audits, lawsuits (or even reasonably anticipated lawsuits), or public disclosure proceedings must not be destroyed, damaged or altered until the issue is resolved and you are specifically advised that such records may be destroyed.

Records Management Services is not responsible for retention schedules written for offices affiliated with the University Medical Center or Harborview. For information regarding schedules for those offices, please contact the Medical Records Management Program at 206.598.2242 or hrc@u.washington.edu.