Duplicate files, duplicate copies, library materials, and stocks of obsolete forms or pamphlets originally intended for distribution are not considered to be official records or record copies. Duplicates or nonrecord convenience copies should be destroyed when they cease to be useful and should never be kept longer than the official record copy. The institutional Records Retention Schedule provides a list of official records for each department on the campus and prescribes the periods of authorized retention. The schedule may be revised periodically to include a newly created record series, to change retention periods, or to delete a record series no longer useful. Appropriate approval procedures must be followed and completed before any revisions would become effective.
All records are to be kept for the minimum periods listed in the Records Retention Schedule.
Notwithstanding such minimum retention periods, all records must be maintained until all required audits are completed and should be retained beyond the listed retention periods when there is a probability of litigation either involving records or requiring their use. 13 Texas Administrative Code Sections 6.21-6.35. Vital records should be identified in the Retention Schedule and protected in accordance with Texas Government Code Section 441.183. Archival documents should be identified in the Retention Schedule and maintained in accordance with Texas Government Code Section 441.181 . An archival state record is any state record that is retained permanently for lasting historical value and is used for research and reference by university offices and the general public.