Archival Policy

Introduction

The Durham College Archives is an irreplaceable collection of documents, records and materials that authentically represent Durham College as an institution. The purpose of Durham College’s Archives is to organize, preserve, secure and make available the collection for future use.

Purpose

This policy outlines the principles for the development, maintenance and use of Durham College’s archival collection.  This policy is founded on the ADMIN 242-Information Management Policy & Procedure, Section 5.4.4 Campus Library Archives.

Definitions

Archival collection refers to the accumulation of a broad range of material including, but not limited to: documents deemed to have administrative, legal or historical value; information about the College’s history, students’ activities, architectural plans, campus maps, departmental records, artifacts, research, and academic programs; publications such as press releases, faculty works and/or student newspapers; memorabilia such as posters, clothing, ceremony programs, photographs, oral histories and/or slides and; personal and professional papers of distinguished personnel.

Policy Statements

  1. The cooperation and support of administrators, faculty, staff, students and alumni are vital to the collection and preservation of archival documents, records and/or materials.
  2. The College Archives shall balance the physical preservation of the archival collection with the needs of researchers to access it.
  3. Access to the archival collection is limited; restrictions on collection access may be applied and shall be communicated. Restrictions may include, but are not limited to: indirect access to documents, records and/or materials, time limits, supervision requirements, patron eligibility, handling requirements, and/or reproduction prohibitions.
  4. Collection documents, records and/or materials donated to the College Archives shall be henceforth the exclusive property of Durham College.
  5. Personnel records, financial records and student records shall not be included in the archival collection.

Roles and Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the Vice-President, Academic to ensure this policy is fully implemented.

The Durham College Leadership Team is responsible for reviewing and approving the policies, procedures, and other controls required for security, lifecycle management, risk management, and quality assurance of College information.

The Chief Administrative Officer is responsible for overseeing the Information Management Program and delegating responsibility for Information Management to the appropriate individuals.

The Records Manager is responsible for developing and recommending to the Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Information Officer policies, procedures, standards and guidelines and other controls for information lifecycle management, risk management, quality assurance, appropriate use and security of information.

The Records Manager will coordinate with the Chief Librarian to ensure the transfer of records identified for archival value and according to the Common Records Schedule.

Non-compliance Implications

Non-compliance could affect the College’s ability to respond to requests for information, be transparent and accountable. This would be a risk to the College both financially and to our reputation in the community

Related Policies and Directives

ADMIN 217 – Gift Acceptance, Receipt, and Acknowledgement
ADMIN 222 – Access to Records and Protection of Privacy
ADMIN 242 – Information Management Policy & Procedure
Durham College Common Records Schedule