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.
Evouchers
Category: Purchasing, Accounts Payable and Travel
Description:
Evouchers are transactions for the payment of miscellaneous items such as memberships, refunds, reimbursements, travel registrations. Typical supporting documentation would be invoices, registration forms, membership agreements, receipts, etc.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Purchasing, Accounts Payable and Travel
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
External Audit Requests - Annual Single Audit
Category: Grants and Awards
Description:
External audit requests, documentation submitted, correspondence, final audit report and university response to findings. State of Iowa notice of Single Audit letters to pass-through entities. Sub recipients submissions for the Single Audit audit.
Official Files Maintained by:
Grant Accounting Office
UI Retention Guidelines: 10 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
External Audit Requests - Sponsored Projects
Category: Grants and Awards
Description:
External audit requests, documentation submitted, correspondence, final audit report and university response to any findings.
Official Files Maintained by:
Grant Accounting Office
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years after award closeout
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Facilities & Administration (F&A) Cost and Fringe Benefit Rate Agreement
Category: Accounting and Financial
Description:
The signed agreement between the University and the Department of Health & Human Services Division of Cost Allocation that is used to support claims for indirect costs on grants and contracts with the Federal Government.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Financial Analysis - Controller's Office
UI Retention Guidelines: 10 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Facilities & Administration (F&A) Rate Proposal: base year
Category: Accounting and Financial
Description:
Documentation of calculations sent to the Department of Health & Human Services - Division of Cost Allocation in support of the F&A rate calculation.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Financial Analysis - Controller's Office
UI Retention Guidelines: 10 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Faculty Senate Meetings
Category: Academic and Faculty
Description:
Minutes and agendas of UI Faculty Senate meetings.
Official Files Maintained by:
Office of the Executive VP and Provost
UI Retention Guidelines: Permanent
Confidential: No
Vital: No
Federal Agency-wide reporting
Category: Grants and Awards
Description:
Small Business Administration, FFATA, and other reports submitted.
Official Files Maintained by:
Grant Accounting Office
UI Retention Guidelines: 10 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: No
Federal Transit Administration Capital Project Records
Category: Parking & Transportation
Description:
Documentation related to the purchase, financing or construction of capital equipment or building projects utilizing Federal Transit Administration Funds.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Parking & Transportation
UI Retention Guidelines: For the life of capital item
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Field and Lab Health, Safety, and Operations Protocols
Category: Administrative Records
Description:
Standards for conducting archaeological research.
Official Files Maintained by:
Office of the State Archaeologist
UI Retention Guidelines: Permanent
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Financial Aid Fiscal Records
Category: Student Financial Aid
Description:
Fiscal Records may include Federal Student Aid (FSA) program transactions including aid disbursements and Federal Work-Study (FWS) payments, student aid program reconciliation, and records used for the completion of the FISAP, including the income grid section.
Official Files Maintained by:
Office of Student Financial Aid
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Fire Safety Inspection Report Responses (State Fire Marshal)
Category: Facilities Management
Description:
Institutional responses or plans for corrective action to State Fire Marshal's Annual University of Iowa Fire Safety Inspection Report.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Department of Public Safety
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Fire Safety Inspection Reports and Response (Iowa City Fire Department)
Category: Facilities Management
Description:
Semi-Annual report issued by the Iowa City Fire Department as part of contract with ICFD for fire protection services and UI response or corrective measures.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Department of Public Safety
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Flood insurance policies
Category: Risk Management, Insurance and Loss Prevention
Description:
Flood insurance files including policy documents, applications, renewals, correspondence, elevation certificates, etc.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Risk Management
UI Retention Guidelines: 10 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Floor Plans
Category: Facilities Management
Description:
Building floor plans. Plans/drawings and any items deemed confidential by legal counsel are considered confidential.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Facilities Management
UI Retention Guidelines: Permanent
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Forklift Inspection Records
Category: Environmental Health & Safety
Description:
Records of required forklift inspections for departments/facilities using forklifts.
Official Files Maintained by:
Local Department responsible for creating or overseeing the record
UI Retention Guidelines: 5 Years
Confidential: No
Vital: Yes
Form W-2G: Raffle Reporting
Category: Tax Records
Description:
Reports of winnings and tax withholding for university sponsored raffles where the value of the prize less amounts paid for participating is over $600 AND the value of the prize is over 300 times the amount the winner paid to participate. (Depts. must notify UI Office of the General Counsel and UI Accounts Payable when holding raffles.)
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Purchasing, Accounts Payable and Travel
UI Retention Guidelines: Permanent
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Fringe benefit pool rate setting
Category: Accounting and Financial
Description:
Fringe benefit pool rate setting final reports, supporting files, and correspondence.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Financial Analysis - Controller's Office
UI Retention Guidelines: 10 Years
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Fume Hood Reports
Category: Environmental Health & Safety
Description:
Records of Fume hood tests and reports, and other ventilation tests conducted by EHS.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Retention Guidelines: Permanent
Confidential: No
Vital: Yes
General Ledger Transactions (electronic format)
Category: Accounting and Financial
Description:
Transactions and balances within the PeopleSoft General Ledger system.
Official Files Maintained by:
UI Accounting & Financial Reporting
UI Retention Guidelines: Permanent
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes
Grades of Students from Iowa higher educational institutions that have closed
Category: Academic/Student Records
Description:
All grades attained by students of any institution of higher learning, whether incorporated or not, that have gone out of existence or cease to function as an educational institution within the state of Iowa, as transferred to the SUI per Code of Iowa requirement - Chapter 264: Perpetuation of College Credits
Official Files Maintained by:
Office of the Registrar
UI Retention Guidelines: Permanent
Confidential: Yes
Vital: Yes