Official Records Retention Schedules
Please note: The official University of Iowa Records Retention schedules are currently under revision. Updates will be posted periodically. The official UI Health Care Records Retention Schedule is available separately to assist UI Health Care departments.
These retention schedules are designed to assist University departments in preserving Official Records appropriately while providing economy and efficiency in the creation, organization, maintenance, use, and disposition of records.
Search Criteria
Administrative Unit: represents either the administrative unit responsible for establishing the Official Record retention criteria OR the Administrative Unit responsible for maintaining the Official Records identified.
Confidential: indicates Official Records that contain information of various sorts that the University receives and holds confidential unless otherwise ordered by a court, by the lawful custodian of the records or by another person duly authorized to release such information. Examples include: student records, medical records, personnel records, etc.
Vital: indicates Official Records that contain information considered essential for the operations of a department (and/or the University) and includes information that may prevent a department from incurring serious liability or risk, or that would be extremely costly to replace. In the event of a disaster, this information, if destroyed, would make it difficult for a department to conduct normal business activities.
Export the full list of Official Record Retention Schedules available to date – or use the search criteria below for a more targeted search.
Request for Travel/Travel Cash Advance
Category: Purchasing, Accounts Payable and Travel
Description:
Required documentation of approval for travel or cash advance by UI employee. (Electronic transaction in ProTrav System).
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Purchasing, Accounts Payable and Travel
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Required Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) Notification - Radiation Incidents
Category: Environmental Health & Safety
Description:
Radiation incidents requiring IDPH Reporting
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Retention Guidelines: Until Iowa Department of Public Health Authorizes Disposition
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Requisitions - PReqs
Category: Purchasing, Accounts Payable and Travel
Description:
Documentation of purchases of good/services from external vendors. Requisitions are created in the electronic Preqs system. Typical supporting documentation for a requisition would be quotations, invoices, specifications for competitive bid, competitive bid documentation (see competitive bids), sole source justification, etc.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Purchasing, Accounts Payable and Travel
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Requisitions for inter-department purchases
Category: Purchasing, Accounts Payable and Travel
Description:
Documentation of charges to internal UI departments/customers for sales, purchase and services. (Requisition plus two signature approvals.) Typical supporting documentation would be any information pertinent to the request - specifications for a facilities maintenance job order, design specifications and proof for printing jobs, etc.
Official Files Maintained by:
Local Department responsible for creating or overseeing the record
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Research Agreements where UIRF is a signatory
Category: Inventions, Patents and Research Agreements
Description:
These are agreements related to sponsored research at UIRF. UIRF is only a signatory (generally just Division of Sponsored Programs) if rights are granted to intellectual property generated during the research.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Research Foundation
UI Retention Guidelines: Patent Term + 5 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Respirator Fit Test Records for Staff
Category: Environmental Health & Safety
Description:
Respirator fit test records for staff required to wear a respirator to perform job duties (EHS, Facilities Management, Housing and Dining, UI Health Care, etc.).
Official Files Maintained by:
Local Department responsible for creating or overseeing the record
UI Retention Guidelines: Permanent
Confidential: No
Vital: Yes
Room Survey Reports
Category: Environmental Health & Safety
Description:
Reports of surveys conducted in rooms where radiation is used
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years
Confidential: No
Vital: Yes
Safety Data Sheets
Category: Environmental Health & Safety
Description:
Safety Data Sheets for chemicals used for EHS Environmental Programs by EHS and other campus departments.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Retention Guidelines: Permanent
Confidential: No
Vital: Yes
Salary Distribution Source Documentation
Category: Grants and Awards
Description:
CCAD, NADS, IIHR, and Physics departments distribute salary/wage costs to grants & contracts based on time tracking system. Source documentation supports the distribution.
Official Files Maintained by:
Local Department responsible for creating or overseeing the record
UI Retention Guidelines: 10 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Salary Equity Review - Non-Organized P&S Staff by Sex and Racial/Ethnic Minority Status
Category: Personnel, Human Resources and Recruitment
Description:
Annual review of non-organized P&S salaries by sex, racial/ethnic minority status, and job code.
Official Files Maintained by:
University Human Resources - Compensation and Classification
UI Retention Guidelines: Retain for a period of no less than 7 years from the date of the issuance of the final report.
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Scientific/Technical Progress and Final Reports
Category: Grants and Awards
Description:
Summary of the project performance, outcomes, results, or completion, submitted to the sponsor as periodic progress reports or final reports.
Official Files Maintained by:
Local Department responsible for creating or overseeing the record
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years after award closeout
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Sealed Source Inventory and Survey Records
Category: Environmental Health & Safety
Description:
EHS Records of Inventory and surveys of sealed sources (radioactive sources that have been designed to prevent spread of radioactive material under normal working condition, e.g., they are permanently bonded or fixed in a capsule or matrix designed to prevent release and dispersal of the RAM under the most severe conditions of normal handling.)
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years
Confidential: No
Vital: Yes
Segment (UI bond enterprises) financial reporting
Category: Accounting and Financial
Description:
Segment (UI bond enterprises) financial statements (SNP, SRECNP, SCF) & covenant compliance support.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Accounting & Financial Reporting
UI Retention Guidelines: 10 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Select Agent Program Records
Category: Environmental Health & Safety
Description:
Records of select agent use at UI
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Separation Agreements
Category: Personnel, Human Resources and Recruitment
Description:
Contracts or written agreements related to settlements of individual personnel matters (P&T disputes, separation agreements).
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Office of the General Counsel
UI Retention Guidelines: 10 Years after employee terminates
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Service Center Reviews
Category: Accounting and Financial
Description:
Annual reviews of University internal service center rates and financial positions for departments charging other internal departments for services.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Financial Analysis - Controller's Office
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Sponsored Agreement Post Award Records
Category: Grants and Awards
Description:
Award attributes, status, and financial information are recorded in ePost. Supporting documentation includes internal correspondence, sponsor correspondence, outgoing invoices and supporting documentation, financial and other reports filed with sponsor, and incoming invoices (for subreceipients).
Official Files Maintained by:
Grant Accounting Office
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years after award closeout
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Sponsored Award Agreements
Category: Grants and Awards
Description:
Sponsor award notices, contracts, budgets, and other supporting documentation received from sponsor.
Official Files Maintained by:
Division of Sponsored Programs
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years after award closeout
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
State Warrants
Category: Accounting and Financial
Description:
Requests to the State of Iowa to transfer appropriated funds to the university
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Retention Guidelines: 10 Years
Confidential: No
Vital: Yes
States other than Iowa or Illinois Annual Withholding Return
Category: Tax Records
Description:
State specific forms filed annually with State's Department of Revenue & Finance by UI Payroll.
Official Files Maintained by:
University Human Resources - Payroll
UI Retention Guidelines: Permanent
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes