Student records hold a lot mroe detailed information than graduate records hold. For example, student records have social security information, parent/guardian information, and financial information.
I don't follow those guidelines. I maintain all records past and present in a fireproof locker so that past students have access to their records at any time.
We have all our files (Active/Grads) in our FireKing Cabinets. We currently do not have online storage for our files, but would be efficient as takes up less space and can actually be accessed quicker than physical files.
Keeping files electronically is much easier and efficient. Before Hurricane Ivan, we did not keep our files electronically, so as you can imagine, we lost years worth of files. So in some instances, fire is not the only hazard that could jeopordize your files.
Stephanie - I am sorry to hear you had to go through a tough experience. I have heard several sad stories of such loss. Although the likelihood of such an incident is low, the damage can be significant. As you noted, electronic storage provides an efficient means to have a safe, secure, and efficient approach to maintaining records.
I think there should be alternative methods when securing student files and documentation. My school uses fireproof cabintes, electronic file storage and a outside file storage company that secures the files.
Good point Stephanie, often times we forget about catastrophic desaster especially when you live in an area where its rare. I also think the electronic files are more efficient for the work place as well as the planet.
Hi from my experience current student records must be kept safe from fire, theft or any type of destruction. the same premise goes for graduates however for graduates we would automatically ship their records off site therefore not requiring them to be on campus.
Kimberly,
It's important that any off-site storage adheres to the same requirements you have for those on campus to ensure compliance with relevant regulatory bodies.
Traci Lee
Schools who cannot afford to pay (or just do not want to spend the money) for the upgrade to electronic storage, keep graduate files on site for one year then move to off-site storage. We currently have student information in two seperate files-accademic and financial aid. Upon graduation, we attach the files together and handle as above. I am looking forward to e-storage!
I agree all student records should be kept in a fire/flood safe area, also all the scanned back ups.
It makes sense to keep student records in a safe place because schools are required to maintain records for a period of time. It would be even better, to retain records backed up on an external drive, in a safe place as well.
Electronic filing is great for items that need to be kept permanently, but you do need to keep a back up, just like Tiersa had.
It may seem redundent, but it's somenthing that can be done very easily. Currently we keep all the student records in a storage area once they graduate. When it's time to purge records per the regulations, the files can be cleaned out and the paperwork that needs to be kept indefinitely can be kept in fireproof file cabinets.
This information is now readily available for graduates and internal audits at any time.
I agree that online storage is becoming a really good option to keep records safe and save space. It also makes it much easier to locate information quickly.
I love the idea of electronic storage. I am going to bring this up at our next meeting! It may be a lot of work initially, but well worth it!
I think it is best if ALL student records are retained safely from fire, flood, and theft. Keeping an electronic copy or leasing a credible storage facility may be more cost effective than purchasing safes.
Our active student files are also kept in a Fire King safe, but I don't believe that our graduate files are. We are also in a flood zone. This is something for us to double check on - thanks for raising the question.
It is a safety precaution
We are relatively new school and a very small one at that. We are now going for our first accreditation. This forum has given me insight as to how to go about preserving records that we have been only keeping in a disaster safe filing system. Thank you the insight was very helpful.
Gloria,
It's a great opportunity for you to have a "clean start". Good luck to you on your accreditation pursuit!
Traci Lee
